Technical Glossary

A binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine. WASM is designed as a portable compilation target for programming languages like C/C++, Rust, and Go, enabling core application performance on the web at near-native speeds. Shrinkify uses WASM to run heavy processing like FFmpeg and ImageMagick directly in your browser.

The practice of running application logic on the user's local machine (within the browser) rather than on a remote server. This ensures 100% privacy as files never leave your device.

The number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time (usually seconds). In audio and video, a higher bitrate generally means higher quality but also a larger file size. Common audio bitrates include 128kbps (standard) and 320kbps (high quality).

A compression method that reduces file size by permanently eliminating some data from the file. While this can significantly reduce size, it may result in a slight decrease in visual or audio quality. JPG and MP3 are common lossy formats.

A class of data compression algorithms that allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed data. No information is lost, but the size reduction is typically less dramatic than lossy compression. PNG and FLAC use lossless compression.

A modern image format that provides superior lossless and lossy compression for images on the web. WebP lossless images are 26% smaller in size compared to PNGs, and lossy images are 25-34% smaller than comparable JPEG images.

AV1 Image File Format is a next-generation open, royalty-free image file format. It generally provides even better compression efficiency than WebP and JPG, especially for complex photographs.

A widely used lossy image compression format. JPEG is best for photographs and realistic images, but repeated saves can degrade quality.

A lossless image format supporting transparency. PNG is ideal for graphics, logos, and images requiring crisp edges.

Scalable Vector Graphics is an XML-based vector image format for two-dimensional graphics. SVGs are resolution-independent and ideal for icons and logos.

Graphics Interchange Format is a bitmap image format supporting animation and transparency. GIFs are limited to 256 colors.

A popular lossy audio format. MP3 compresses audio by removing frequencies less audible to humans, balancing quality and file size.

A lossless audio format storing raw, uncompressed audio data. WAV files are large but preserve full quality.

A free, open container format supporting various codecs, most commonly Vorbis for audio. OGG files are used for streaming and storage.

Free Lossless Audio Codec is an audio format for lossless compression of digital audio. FLAC files are smaller than WAV but retain full quality.

A digital multimedia container format most commonly used to store video and audio. MP4 supports high compression and is widely compatible.

A multimedia format developed by Apple, commonly used for video files. MOV supports high-quality video and audio streams.

An open, royalty-free media file format designed for the web. WebM is optimized for streaming and uses VP8/VP9 video codecs.

Portable Document Format is a file format developed by Adobe to present documents consistently across devices. PDFs can contain text, images, and interactive elements.

A technology that converts different types of documents, such as scanned paper documents or images, into editable and searchable data.

A method for encoding binary data as ASCII text. Commonly used for embedding images or files in HTML, CSS, or JSON.

The process of converting data into a fixed-size string of characters, which is typically a hash code. Used for data integrity and security.

Universally Unique Identifier is a 128-bit number used to uniquely identify information in computer systems.

A compact, URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties. Used for authentication and information exchange.

A sequence of characters that define a search pattern. Used for string matching, validation, and data extraction.

A simple file format used to store tabular data, such as spreadsheets or databases, in plain text.

A lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate.

A markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.

The process of removing all unnecessary characters from source code without changing its functionality. Used to reduce file size and improve load times.

A tool that reformats code to make it more readable and easier to debug, without changing its functionality.

A measure of randomness collected by a system. In passwords, higher entropy means greater resistance to guessing or brute-force attacks.

A mechanism that uses additional HTTP headers to tell browsers to give a web application running at one origin, access to selected resources from a different origin. This is relevant for our URL downloader tool.

A security mechanism for separating running programs, often used to execute untested code or untrusted programs from unverified third parties.

A type of application software delivered through the web, built using common web technologies intended to work on any platform that uses a standards-compliant browser.

A script that your browser runs in the background, separate from a web page, enabling features that don't need a web page or user interaction, like push notifications and background sync.