In the world of web development, speed and efficiency are key factors for creating successful applications. One way to achieve this is by using compression techniques to reduce the size of data being transferred between client and server. When it comes to creating Silverlight applications, one of the most popular ways to achieve compression is through Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). In this article, we will discuss the easiest approach to adding compression to WCF in Silverlight.
First, let's understand why compression is important in the context of WCF and Silverlight. Silverlight applications use a client-server architecture, where data is transferred between the two using HTTP requests. This data can include images, videos, or any other media that needs to be displayed on the client-side. Without compression, these files can take up a lot of bandwidth, leading to slow loading times and increased server load. By compressing the data, we can reduce the size of these files, making them quicker to transfer and reducing the load on the server.
Now, let's dive into the easiest approach to adding compression to WCF in Silverlight. The first step is to enable compression in the WCF service. This can be done by adding the following code in the web.config file under the system.webServer section:
<httpCompression directory="%SystemDrive%\inetpub\temp\IIS Temporary Compressed Files">
<scheme name="gzip" dll="%Windir%\system32\inetsrv\gzip.dll" />
<dynamicTypes>
<add mimeType="text/*" enabled="true" />
<add mimeType="message/*" enabled="true" />
<add mimeType="application/x-javascript" enabled="true" />
<add mimeType="*/*" enabled="false" />
</dynamicTypes>
<staticTypes>
<add mimeType="text/*" enabled="true" />
<add mimeType="message/*" enabled="true" />
<add mimeType="application/x-javascript" enabled="true" />
<add mimeType="*/*" enabled="false" />
</staticTypes>
</httpCompression>
This code tells the WCF service to compress all text, message, and JavaScript files. You can also specify other types of files that you want to be compressed by adding them to the dynamicTypes and staticTypes sections.
Next, we need to enable compression in the Silverlight application. This can be done by adding the following code in the App.xaml.cs file:
private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
WebRequest.RegisterPrefix("http://", WebRequestCreator.ClientHttp);
WebRequest.RegisterPrefix("https://", WebRequestCreator.ClientHttp);
WebRequest.RegisterPrefix("gzip://", WebRequestCreator.ClientHttp);
}
This code tells the Silverlight application to use the client HTTP stack to make requests, which enables compression. Now, when the Silverlight application makes a request to the WCF service, the data will be compressed and sent back to the client.
Finally, we need to make sure that the WCF service and the Silverlight application are using the same compression scheme. In the web.config file of the WCF service, make sure that the scheme name matches the one specified in the App.xaml.cs file of the Silverlight application. In this case, the scheme name is "gzip".
And that's it! By following these simple steps, you can add compression to WCF in Silverlight and improve the performance of your application. It is a simple and effective way to reduce bandwidth usage and improve loading times for your users.
In conclusion, adding compression to WCF in Silverlight is crucial for creating fast and efficient web applications. By following the easiest approach outlined in this article, you can easily implement compression and improve the performance of your Silverlight applications. So go ahead and give it a try, your users will thank you for it!
