[wp-hackers] Re: Packing JavaScript

[Otto]

On 9/19/07, Charles <lists07 at wiltgen.net> wrote:
> Here's a RealLife(tm) example that may make you reconsider:
>     File                                File size      GZIPd file size
>
>     Original jQuery library             62,885 bytes   19,758 bytes
>     jQuery minified w/ JSMin            36,391 bytes   11,541 bytes
>     jQuery minified w/ Packer           21,557 bytes   11,119 bytes
>     jQuery minified w/ YUI Compressor   31,822 bytes   10,818 bytes
>
> So with the YUI Compressor (my recommendation) example, JavaScript
> compression provides a ~50% improvement (as you say), but GZIPing that
> provides /another/ ~50% improvement over GZIPing alone.

Analyse your numbers again:
GZIP only: 19758 / 62885 = 0.314... = 69% improvement.
YUI+GZIP: 10818 / 62885 = 0.172... = 83% improvement.
Total improvement YUI+GZIP gives over GZIP only: 83 - 69 = 14%

Okay, so YUI gives a 14% improvement, which is more than my
guesstimate of 3%. Fine. But is it worth it? My opinion is still no
due to the maintenance overhead.