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Muhammed Shafin P
Muhammed Shafin P

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GXD v0.0.0a2: Introducing Smart Algorithm Selection

#gxd #hejhdiss

Author: @hejhdiss (Muhammed Shafin p)

Date: December 22, 2025

Status: Alpha Feature - Community Testing Phase

The Problem with Compression Today

Ever compressed a file only to find it got bigger? Spent time choosing between algorithms without knowing which would work best? That's the problem algo.py solves.

Introducing Smart Algorithm Analysis

algo.py is a predictive analyzer that examines your data before compression and tells you exactly what will work best. It uses Shannon Entropy and pattern recognition to recommend the optimal algorithm for your specific file.

python3 algo.py mydatabase.sql --block-size 1mb
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You get:

  • Recommended algorithm (lz4, zstd, brotli, or none)
  • Expected compression ratio
  • Estimated speed in MB/s
  • Block-by-block analysis

How It Decides

Data Type Recommendation Why
Encrypted/random (entropy >7.9) none Already incompressible
Sparse/simple (entropy <3.0) lz4 Maximum speed
Text/logs/code (entropy <6.8) zstd Best balance
Highly redundant brotli Maximum compression

Alpha Status & Honest Talk

Active development is paused. This isn't abandonment—it's reality. But here's the opportunity: GXD doesn't need me to move forward. It needs you.

algo.py is released in alpha specifically for community testing and validation. The thresholds work, but they need real-world data to improve.

Future Vision: What's Possible

The analyzer is just the beginning. Here's what could be built:

Auto Mode

Integrate directly into GXD as --algo auto:

  • Each block analyzed independently
  • Optimal algorithm chosen per-block
  • Mixed algorithms in one file

Example concept (not yet in GXD):

{
  "blocks": [
    {"id": 0, "algo": "lz4", "entropy": 2.3, "hash": "..."},
    {"id": 1, "algo": "none", "entropy": 7.95, "hash": "..."}
  ]
}
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Block Deduplication

  • Identical blocks stored once
  • Duplicates reference original via index
  • Massive space savings

Example concept (not yet in GXD):

{
  "id": 5,
  "state": "deduplicated",
  "ref": 2,
  "hash": "same_as_block_2"
}
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Extended Metadata

The JSON format could support infinite extension:

  • File timestamps and permissions
  • Per-block compression timestamps
  • Access frequency tracking
  • Encryption metadata
  • Custom application data

These examples show potential future directions, not current GXD functionality. The foundation exists for community contributors to build them.

How You Can Help

  1. Test on real data - Run algo.py on your files and report results
  2. Share findings - Open issues with your data types and whether recommendations worked
  3. Contribute code - Add features, fix bugs, improve thresholds 
git clone https://github.com/hejhdiss/gxd.git
cd gxd
pip install zstandard lz4 brotli tqdm
python3 algo.py your_file.bin
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My Commitment

Even with paused development, I commit to:

  • Reviewing and merging pull requests
  • Maintaining infrastructure (repo, issues)
  • Being transparent about project status

What I can't commit to:

  • Regular feature releases
  • Immediate bug fixes
  • Active development of new features

That's where you come in.

The Bottom Line

algo.py isn't a finished feature—it's a starting point. The codebase is small, the problem space is interesting, and the community is just forming.

If you've wanted to contribute to open source but felt intimidated, this is your chance.

This is your tool now. I built the foundation. You can build the future.

Resources:

@hejhdiss (Muhammed Shafin p)

Creator of GXD

"The best code is code that outlives its author's active involvement."

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