Compact Vector Graphics, a way to make SVG graphics even smaller but still available for web and React. SVG is an XML based format and with that comes a lot of bloat for things that are generally unncessary in the actual presentation and rendering of vector graphics. For authoring, using editors like Illustrator or Boxy, this format can be useful. While SVG is still significantly smaller than rasterized formats such as PNG, or JPEG, it can still be even smaller. It is very common to package icon libraries in bundles for web based applications, and this even stretches to native via React Native projects. We can make those bundles much much smaller with CVG by removing the un-neccessary formatting directives and delivering a format that compresses well. Sending CVG over the wire in network calls can save bandwidth compared to traditional formats.
Warning
Not ready for production usage, it is still a major work in progress!
- Allow for groups and nested nodes
- Optimize internal style-sheets
- Run SVGO during compression
- Bundle outputs to a single dictionary
- React component
- React-Native component
- Binary CVG format
Essentially, all the extra fluff is removed from SVG and it is compressed down into a JSON format. JSON was chosen for the initial format since it is native to web and JavaScript based systems, allowing for existing tools like TypeScript to handle it well. When received by the frontend system it is "re-hydrated" back to SVG by filling in all the standard props.
An assumption on authoring the original SVG images is made in order to make the most of CVG. Path only graphics work best and deliver more consistent iconography. Usages of CSS and special gradients should be avoided. CVG is targeting icon libraries which feature simpler vector graphic objects.
To compress even further, SVGO will optimize the initial SVG before final compression.
There are plans to enhance the CVG format even further with another format for binary encoding of CVG called BCVG that will be included in this package.
Created and written by Chris Pikul
MIT License
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