zstd/lib/README.md

Zstandard library files
================================

The __lib__ directory is split into several sub-directories,
in order to make it easier to select or exclude features.


#### Building

`Makefile` script is provided, supporting [Makefile conventions](https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/html_node/Makefile-Conventions.html#Makefile-Conventions),
including commands variables, staged install, directory variables and standard targets.
- `make` : generates both static and dynamic libraries
- `make install` : install libraries and headers in target system directories

`libzstd` default scope is pretty large, including compression, decompression, dictionary builder,
and support for decoding legacy formats >= v0.5.0.
The scope can be reduced on demand (see paragraph _modular build_).


#### Multithreading support

Multithreading is disabled by default when building with `make`.
Enabling multithreading requires 2 conditions :
- set build macro `ZSTD_MULTITHREAD` (`-DZSTD_MULTITHREAD` for `gcc`)
- for POSIX systems : compile with pthread (`-pthread` compilation flag for `gcc`)

Both conditions are automatically applied when invoking `make lib-mt` target.

When linking a POSIX program with a multithreaded version of `libzstd`,
note that it's necessary to invoke the `-pthread` flag during link stage.

Multithreading capabilities are exposed
via the [advanced API defined in `lib/zstd.h`](https://github.com/facebook/zstd/blob/v1.4.3/lib/zstd.h#L351).


#### API

Zstandard's stable API is exposed within [lib/zstd.h](zstd.h).


#### Advanced API

Optional advanced features are exposed via :

- `lib/common/zstd_errors.h` : translates `size_t` function results
                               into a `ZSTD_ErrorCode`, for accurate error handling.

- `ZSTD_STATIC_LINKING_ONLY` : if this macro is defined _before_ including `zstd.h`,
                          it unlocks access to the experimental API,
                          exposed in the second part of `zstd.h`.
                          All definitions in the experimental APIs are unstable,
                          they may still change in the future, or even be removed.
                          As a consequence, experimental definitions shall ___never be used with dynamic library___ !
                          Only static linking is allowed.


#### Modular build

It's possible to compile only a limited set of features within `libzstd`.
The file structure is designed to make this selection manually achievable for any build system :

- Directory `lib/common` is always required, for all variants.

- Compression source code lies in `lib/compress`

- Decompression source code lies in `lib/decompress`

- It's possible to include only `compress` or only `decompress`, they don't depend on each other.

- `lib/dictBuilder` : makes it possible to generate dictionaries from a set of samples.
        The API is exposed in `lib/dictBuilder/zdict.h`.
        This module depends on both `lib/common` and `lib/compress` .

- `lib/legacy` : makes it possible to decompress legacy zstd formats, starting from `v0.1.0`.
        This module depends on `lib/common` and `lib/decompress`.
        To enable this feature, define `ZSTD_LEGACY_SUPPORT` during compilation.
        Specifying a number limits versions supported to that version onward.
        For example, `ZSTD_LEGACY_SUPPORT=2` means : "support legacy formats >= v0.2.0".
        Conversely, `ZSTD_LEGACY_SUPPORT=0` means "do __not__ support legacy formats".
        By default, this build macro is set as `ZSTD_LEGACY_SUPPORT=5`.
        Decoding supported legacy format is a transparent capability triggered within decompression functions.
        It's also allowed to invoke legacy API directly, exposed in `lib/legacy/zstd_legacy.h`.
        Each version does also provide its own set of advanced API.
        For example, advanced API for version `v0.4` is exposed in `lib/legacy/zstd_v04.h` .

- While invoking `make libzstd`, it's possible to define build macros
        `ZSTD_LIB_COMPRESSION, ZSTD_LIB_DECOMPRESSION`, `ZSTD_LIB_DICTBUILDER`,
        and `ZSTD_LIB_DEPRECATED` as `0` to forgo compilation of the corresponding features.
        This will also disable compilation of all dependencies
        (eg. `ZSTD_LIB_COMPRESSION=0` will also disable dictBuilder).

- There are some additional build macros that can be used to minify the decoder.

  Zstandard often has more than one implementation of a piece of functionality,
  where each implementation optimizes for different scenarios. For example, the
  Huffman decoder has complementary implementations that decode the stream one
  symbol at a time or two symbols at a time. Zstd normally includes both (and
  dispatches between them at runtime), but by defining `HUF_FORCE_DECOMPRESS_X1`
  or `HUF_FORCE_DECOMPRESS_X2`, you can force the use of one or the other, avoiding
  compilation of the other. Similarly, `ZSTD_FORCE_DECOMPRESS_SEQUENCES_SHORT`
  and `ZSTD_FORCE_DECOMPRESS_SEQUENCES_LONG` force the compilation and use of
  only one or the other of two decompression implementations. The smallest
  binary is achieved by using `HUF_FORCE_DECOMPRESS_X1` and
  `ZSTD_FORCE_DECOMPRESS_SEQUENCES_SHORT`.

  For squeezing the last ounce of size out, you can also define
  `ZSTD_NO_INLINE`, which disables inlining, and `ZSTD_STRIP_ERROR_STRINGS`,
  which removes the error messages that are otherwise returned by
  `ZSTD_getErrorName`.

- While invoking `make libzstd`, the build macro `ZSTD_LEGACY_MULTITHREADED_API=1`
  will expose the deprecated `ZSTDMT` API exposed by `zstdmt_compress.h` in
  the shared library, which is now hidden by default.

- The build macro `DYNAMIC_BMI2` can be set to 1 or 0 in order to generate binaries
  which can detect at runtime the presence of BMI2 instructions, and use them only if present.
  These instructions contribute to better performance, notably on the decoder side.
  By default, this feature is automatically enabled on detecting
  the right instruction set (x64) and compiler (clang or gcc >= 5).
  It's obviously disabled for different cpus,
  or when BMI2 instruction set is _required_ by the compiler command line
  (in this case, only the BMI2 code path is generated).
  Setting this macro will either force to generate the BMI2 dispatcher (1)
  or prevent it (0). It overrides automatic detection.


#### Windows : using MinGW+MSYS to create DLL

DLL can be created using MinGW+MSYS with the `make libzstd` command.
This command creates `dll\libzstd.dll` and the import library `dll\libzstd.lib`.
The import library is only required with Visual C++.
The header file `zstd.h` and the dynamic library `dll\libzstd.dll` are required to
compile a project using gcc/MinGW.
The dynamic library has to be added to linking options.
It means that if a project that uses ZSTD consists of a single `test-dll.c`
file it should be linked with `dll\libzstd.dll`. For example:
```
    gcc $(CFLAGS) -Iinclude/ test-dll.c -o test-dll dll\libzstd.dll
```
The compiled executable will require ZSTD DLL which is available at `dll\libzstd.dll`.


#### Deprecated API

Obsolete API on their way out are stored in directory `lib/deprecated`.
At this stage, it contains older streaming prototypes, in `lib/deprecated/zbuff.h`.
These prototypes will be removed in some future version.
Consider migrating code towards supported streaming API exposed in `zstd.h`.


#### Miscellaneous

The other files are not source code. There are :

 - `BUCK` : support for `buck` build system (https://buckbuild.com/)
 - `Makefile` : `make` script to build and install zstd library (static and dynamic)
 - `README.md` : this file
 - `dll/` : resources directory for Windows compilation
 - `libzstd.pc.in` : script for `pkg-config` (used in `make install`)