Understanding Compression

If you want to attract and retain users in the booming mobile services market, you need a quick-loading app that won't churn through their data plans. The key is to compress multimedia and other data into smaller files, but finding the right method is tricky. This witty book helps you understand how data compression algorithms work--in theory and practice--so you can choose the best solution among all the available compression tools.

With tables, diagrams, games, and as little math as possible, authors Colt McAnlis and Aleks Haecky neatly explain the fundamentals. Learn how compressed files are better, cheaper, and faster to distribute and consume, and how they'll give you a competitive edge.

Learn why compression has become crucial as data production continues to skyrocketKnow your data, circumstances, and algorithm options when choosing compression toolsExplore variable-length codes, statistical compression, arithmetic numerical coding, dictionary encodings, and context modelingExamine tradeoffs between file size and quality when choosing image compressorsLearn ways to compress client- and server-generated data objectsMeet the inventors and visionaries who created data compression algorithms