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Module: Zlib

Relationships & Source Files
Namespace Children
Classes:
Deflate, GzipFile, GzipReader, GzipWriter, Inflate, ZStream
Exceptions:
BufError, DataError, Error, MemError, NeedDict, StreamEnd, StreamError, VersionError
Defined in: ext/zlib/zlib.c

Overview

This module provides access to the zlib library. Zlib is designed to be a portable, free, general-purpose, legally unencumbered – that is, not covered by any patents – lossless data-compression library for use on virtually any computer hardware and operating system.

The zlib compression library provides in-memory compression and decompression functions, including integrity checks of the uncompressed data.

The zlib compressed data format is described in RFC 1950, which is a wrapper around a deflate stream which is described in RFC 1951.

The library also supports reading and writing files in gzip (.gz) format with an interface similar to that of IO. The gzip format is described in RFC 1952 which is also a wrapper around a deflate stream.

The zlib format was designed to be compact and fast for use in memory and on communications channels. The gzip format was designed for single-file compression on file systems, has a larger header than zlib to maintain directory information, and uses a different, slower check method than zlib.

See your system's zlib.h for further information about zlib

Sample usage

Using the wrapper to compress strings with default parameters is quite simple:

require "zlib"

data_to_compress = File.read("don_quixote.txt")

puts "Input size: #{data_to_compress.size}"
#=> Input size: 2347740

data_compressed = Zlib::Deflate.deflate(data_to_compress)

puts "Compressed size: #{data_compressed.size}"
#=> Compressed size: 887238

uncompressed_data = Zlib::Inflate.inflate(data_compressed)

puts "Uncompressed data is: #{uncompressed_data}"
#=> Uncompressed data is: The Project Gutenberg EBook of Don Quixote...

Class tree

  • Deflate

  • Inflate

  • ZStream

  • Error

    • Zlib::StreamEnd

    • Zlib::NeedDict

    • Zlib::DataError

    • Zlib::StreamError

    • Zlib::MemError

    • Zlib::BufError

    • Zlib::VersionError

(if you have GZIP_SUPPORT)

Constant Summary

Class Method Summary

Class Method Details

.adler32(string, adler) (mod_func)

Calculates Adler-32 checksum for string, and returns updated value of adler. If string is omitted, it returns the Adler-32 initial value. If adler is omitted, it assumes that the initial value is given to adler.

Example usage:

require "zlib"

data = "foo"
puts "Adler32 checksum: #{Zlib.adler32(data).to_s(16)}"
#=> Adler32 checksum: 2820145

.adler32_combine(adler1, adler2, len2) (mod_func)

Combine two Adler-32 check values in to one. alder1 is the first Adler-32 value, adler2 is the second Adler-32 value. len2 is the length of the string used to generate adler2.

.crc32(string, crc) (mod_func)

Calculates CRC checksum for string, and returns updated value of crc. If string is omitted, it returns the CRC initial value. If crc is omitted, it assumes that the initial value is given to crc.

FIXME: expression.

.crc32_combine(crc1, crc2, len2) (mod_func)

Combine two CRC-32 check values in to one. crc1 is the first CRC-32 value, crc2 is the second CRC-32 value. len2 is the length of the string used to generate crc2.

.crc_table (mod_func)

Returns the table for calculating CRC checksum as an array.

.deflate(string[, level])

Alias for Deflate.deflate.

.inflate(string)

Alias for Inflate.inflate.

.zlib_version (mod_func)

Returns the string which represents the version of zlib library.