compress

0.99.0 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript

Compress is a Node.js middleware for HTTP message compression, supporting gzip, deflate, and brotli encodings. The current stable version is 0.99.0, with infrequent releases. It differs from alternatives like compression by focusing on simplicity and low overhead, but is less actively maintained. Suitable for compressing HTTP responses in Express/Connect apps.

Common errors

error TypeError: compress is not a function ↓

cause Incorrect default import in CommonJS environment.

fix

Use const compress = require('compress').default;

Warnings

deprecated compress 0.x is not actively maintained; consider alternatives like compression. ↓

fix Migrate to the 'compression' npm package for better maintenance.

gotcha The compress function expects an HTTP response with a writable stream; fails if used improperly. ↓

fix Ensure the response object has writable stream methods (e.g., from http.createServer).

Install

npm install compress

yarn add compress

pnpm add compress

Imports

compress

wrong

const compress = require('compress')

correct

import compress from 'compress'

ESM default import; no named exports.

compress

wrong

const compress = require('compress')

correct

const compress = require('compress').default

CJS require pattern; the default export is on .default property.

compressObj
wrong
```
const { compress } = require('compress')
```
correct
```
import { compressObj } from 'compress'
```
If the package exposes compressObj as a named export (check docs).

Quickstart

Creates an HTTP server that compresses responses using the compress middleware.

import compress from 'compress';
import http from 'http';

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  compress(req, res, () => {
    res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
    res.end('Hello, World!');
  });
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Server running on port 3000');
});