How Can I Optimize Go Struct Serialization to Disk for Minimum Size?

Optimizing Go Serialization of Structs for Disk Storage

Problem:

Encoding strings in key/value entries to disk using encoding/gob results in excessive bloat due to unnecessary overhead. The desired output format omits type definitions and includes only the raw bytes and string lengths.

Analysis:

The initial bloat in encoding/gob stems from the inclusion of type definitions in the encoded stream. Once these definitions are transmitted, subsequent values of the same type incur only minimal overhead, making it efficient for encoding multiple values.

Solution:

To eliminate the unnecessary bloat, the encoding/gob package should not be used. Instead, consider the following options:

• Naked Output: This approach directly writes raw bytes and string lengths without any overhead. However, it can be less efficient for encoding multiple values of different types.
• Compression: Compressing the encoding/gob output using libraries like compress/flate, compress/zlib, compress/gzip, or github.com/dsnet/compress/bzip2 can significantly reduce the size of the encoded data. Bzip2 offers the highest compression ratio but may be less efficient for processing small amounts of data.

Demonstration:

The following table compares the encoded size per entry using different methods:

Method	Encoded Size (Bytes)	Compression Ratio
Naked Output	16.04	100%
Flate	4.12	26%
Zlib	4.13	26%
Gzip	4.14	26%
Bzip2	2.04	12.7%

Recommendation:

In most practical scenarios, using compress/gzip or compress/zlib provides a good balance between compression ratio and performance. However, if the disk space constraint is extremely tight, consider using bzip2 for its superior compression capabilities at the cost of slightly reduced efficiency.

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