How to Speed Up My Site?

[blackhalo]

I'm currently trying to fix some of the low grades I'm getting from "YSlow" report (firefox/firebug add-in)...
this has led me to try multiple compression methods for CSS and JS files, as well as get rid of the "ETag" error and include an "Expires" header.

I can't seem to get ANY of these methods to work though...
I started with Minify, then onto SmartOptimizer and finally just straight htaccess commands.

Nothing seems to register.

This stuff isn't that complicated to setup, but after testing all these methods I'm certain I'm being roadblocked by something...
either something with ZenCart, or something with my web host (HostGator).

So why can't I get my CSS and JS files compressed?

Insight would be appreciated...

[Kim]

You problem isn't with Zen Cart :) guess what that leaves ...

[blackhalo]

I figured as much, but I don't understand why...
HostGator is a very open system, they allow quite a bit and seem to have everything I've needed so far (particularly with ZC), already setup.

Why would they disallow gzip compression on CSS and JC files?
For that matter, why doesn't ZenCart's use of the gzip function include this feature already?

Ultimately, why would anyone NOT want to compress these files?
All I'm trying to do is get my site running faster...which is something that everyone should want.

[Kim]

Compressing CSS files is not something in Zen Cart's control. They're served directly from the webserver.

How big is your CSS that it matters?

[s_p_ike]

Hi Kim,

on a site I'm working over (Lida took a look at it too), the 'gzipping' of css and js would just give an help to improve performances, not so great alone, but you know one byte here one there, putting all together (and multiplying for the 'first-access' visitors), there would be benefit both for the visitors and for the server load and bandwidth consumption.

So, is there a side effect causing to prefer not to gzip css and js files?

In the example above, total size of js is 131Kb and css is 194Kb (ok there will be some work to optimize both js and css, but gzipping 'em would be a benefit aswell, or not?)

[Kim]

194Kb

For CSS? It is all text! That needs more than just some compression - it needs cleaning. Remove anything that isn't being used, learn the CSS shortcuts and put each declaration on one line.

[s_p_ike]

For CSS? It is all text! That needs more than just some compression - it needs cleaning. Remove anything that isn't being used, learn the CSS shortcuts and put each declaration on one line.

Yeah Kim, I know. I'm preparing a relation on what must be done and then I'll give it to the client (and we'll see who'll take care to adjust things, me or who created the site...).

Other than cleaning, shortcuts and one row declarations, there's also one stylesheet_old.css (funny eh?)

Not speaking about prototype and scriptaculous (not yet understood why are there...) not minified...

Not speaking about png images not optimized and so on.


Well, this said, again the question: is there a reason for which is better not to gzip js and css files? (the only one I know of would be cpu usage, but I believe that having a problem with cpu usage from using gzip is very hard). More: actually gzip should compress just the only one html file present in Zen Cart, so if it is worth for the html file surely will be also for css and js.

Bye

[DrByte]

Your real problem is not likely how fast the files are downloaded. It's likely either a result of a slow connection or server and/or the sheer size of the files.

You can probably gzip the css and js files without adverse side-effects ... if you can figure out how. That's a function of your webserver, not Zen Cart.

If you're referring to gzip compression provided by PHP (which Zen Cart uses), then in order to cause the compression, you have to serve the files via PHP, instead of as direct files that are loaded and cached by the browser. Thus, you'd have to completely change how you deliver your content.

If you're simply referring to compacting your CSS by removing spaces and line-breaks in the physical files that are downloaded by the browser, there are various tools available to assist with that after you've optimized the file content by removing anything that's not needed.

[s_p_ike]

Your real problem is not likely how fast the files are downloaded. It's likely either a result of a slow connection or server and/or the sheer size of the files.

You can probably gzip the css and js files without adverse side-effects ... if you can figure out how. That's a function of your webserver, not Zen Cart.

If you're referring to gzip compression provided by PHP (which Zen Cart uses), then in order to cause the compression, you have to serve the files via PHP, instead of as direct files that are loaded and cached by the browser. Thus, you'd have to completely change how you deliver your content.

If you're simply referring to compacting your CSS by removing spaces and line-breaks in the physical files that are downloaded by the browser, there are various tools available to assist with that after you've optimized the file content by removing anything that's not needed.

Oh, well! I was speaking in general, since I know that the main problem of the site I referred is related to the server (at 90%).

What I was looking for (since I never worried about gzip before) was what you said: the need to serve those files via PHP, so the need to change a lot.

At this point I may see that it's not worth it!

Thanks Doc!


I hope not going OT with next question, since is performances related aswell.

Do you know how to understand if the (quite big) number of HTTP_REQUESTS is really a problem, so it's worth to try to reduce them and to set (very carefully) the header: expires, to remove most of them after the first visit?

Since for pages after the first, the heavy of files is not a problem since with gzip and cache, less than 10Kb are downloaded for each page (without new images of course) (but there are still all the HTTP_REQUESTS of course).

Thanks

[DrByte]

I hope not going OT with next question, since is performances related aswell.

Do you know how to understand if the (quite big) number of HTTP_REQUESTS is really a problem, so it's worth to try to reduce them and to set (very carefully) the header: expires, to remove most of them after the first visit?

Since for pages after the first, the heavy of files is not a problem since with gzip and cache, less than 10Kb are downloaded for each page (without new images of course) (but there are still all the HTTP_REQUESTS of course).

I'm not sure I fully understand your question.
But, if your server is performing slowly, I'd suggest focusing on the server rather than the number of hits.