Client side XML compression

[Guest_imported]

For one of my projects I'm using the OWC spreadsheet component for remote data entry. The spreadsheet component communicates with the server by sending XML streams over the wire (using XMLHTTP). The problem that I face is that the XML stream becomes to large. The XML for a simple spreadsheet can quickly grow to 300Kb. This is just to big to push over the wire with a 56600 bps connection (not all clients have broadband)...

I did some research and found a way to compress the XML before sending it to the server. I used the "streaming compression library" from Exceed Software (

http://www.xceedsoft.com/products/Stream)

to compress the XML to a binary stream. Using XMLHTTP this stream is send to the server. An ASP de-compresses the binary stream and processes the XML. I managed to reduce the 300Kb XML stream to a 13Kb binary stream...

There is 1 problem though! The Exceed component seems to be unsigned. So, everytime you try to instantiate it in your browser the user will be prompted with the IE message "An ActiveX control on this page might be unsafe to interact with other parts on the page. Do you want to allow this interaction?". This behaviour is un-acceptable for my current client...

Changing the IE security settings is not an option!

Is there someone who knows a solution to this problem? Are there signed controls available with the same functionality as the Exceed control?

Many Thanks,

Jochen Neyens
[Belgium]

 

[MrTom]

apache has a module for gzip compression on the fly which is supported by all browsers. i guess there must be equivalent modules for other web servers too.

 

[Guest_imported]

I'm familiar with IIS HTTP compression. This compression works only from Server to Client and not the other way around....