Pako is a high-performance JavaScript port of the zlib library, designed for fast data compression and decompression directly within web browsers and Node.js environments. The current stable version is 2.1.0. It aims to provide binary-compatible results with the original C zlib implementation (v1.2.8 as per the README), demonstrating near-native speed in modern JavaScript engines for CPU-intensive tasks. Pako differentiates itself by its modular design, allowing individual components to be used or browserified, and its support for both raw deflate/inflate streams and gzip format. It handles various input types, including automatic UTF-8 recoding for strings during compression and optional UTF-8 string output for decompression. Its release cadence is generally feature-driven and as needed, rather than fixed time intervals.
npm install pakoVerified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
Demonstrates basic string compression/decompression using `deflate` and `inflate` with string conversion, including an example of the streaming API for larger data handling.
For CommonJS environments, explicitly import from `pako/index.cjs` or `pako/dist/pako.cjs.js`. For ESM, use named imports like `import { deflate, inflate } from 'pako';` and adjust code to new top-level exports.Update imports from `const pako = require('pako'); pako.deflate(...)` to `import { deflate } from 'pako'; deflate(...)` (for ESM) or `const { deflate } = require('pako/index.cjs'); deflate(...)` (for CJS).Always check `if (deflator.err)` or `if (inflator.err)` after pushing chunks or at the end of the stream processing to ensure data integrity and proper error handling.
For Pako v2.x, ensure your environment supports CommonJS or use a bundler (like Webpack or Rollup) configured for CJS interop. For Pako v3.x, switch to ES module imports: `import { deflate } from 'pako';`For Pako v3, change your import to `import { deflate, inflate } from 'pako';` and call them directly as `deflate(...)`, `inflate(...)`. If using v2 with a bundler that mishandles default exports, try `import * as pako from 'pako';` or stick to `const pako = require('pako');`.Verify the integrity and completeness of your compressed data. Ensure that the `format` option for `inflate` (e.g., `windowBits`) matches the format used during compression. For example, use `pako.inflate(data, { raw: true })` for raw deflate data, or `pako.inflate(data, { to: 'string' })` if expecting UTF-8 output from a compatible `deflate` operation.No dependency data recorded yet.