What is the difference between CSS minification and compression?

What is the difference between CSS minification and compression?

CSS minification removes unnecessary characters from the CSS code, like whitespace and comments, to reduce file size. Compression, on the other hand, involves encoding the CSS file to make it smaller for transfer over the network, often using algorithms like Gzip.

Which method is better for improving website performance?

Both methods are beneficial. Minification reduces the file size directly, while compression can further decrease the size during transmission. Using both together is often the best approach.

Can you give me an example of a tool for each method?

Sure! For minification, you can use tools like CSSNano or CleanCSS. For compression, Gzip is a widely used method, and many web servers support it.

Are there any downsides to using these techniques?

The main downside is that minification can make debugging more difficult since the code is less readable. Compression can add a slight overhead during the decompression process, but this is usually negligible.