Re: [Boost-users] Seekg on a gzip'd file...Is this possible?

Cory Nelson writes:

On Fri, Mar 13, 2009 at 7:59 PM, Gerrick Bivins wrote:

...

Hi Steven, Thanks for the response. Does that mean that the gzip_decompressor in boost doesn't' support seeking or does gzip in general not support seekeing? Any suggestions for working around this problem? Gerrick

Gzip steams can only move forward. I see no reason why at least this couldn't be supported other than most people expect seek to be instant, whereas gzip will have to decompress all the way to that point. Does seek have some complexity requirements that make this a bad idea?

I would say the fact that it would have to decompress all the way to the seek point is reason enough. As a client, I expect a seek to be instant, or at most kick off some /background/ I/O to fill a buffer. I won't argue either way about whether such a call should be added: but it certainly shouldn't have `seek' in the name if it is. Unless maybe it's named ``expensive_seek'' or similar ;) Cheers, -tom