Optimal Go Serialization of Struct to Disk: Addressing Bloat Concerns

In replacing C code with Go, optimizing file serialization becomes crucial. Utilizing encoding/gob can lead to excessive bloat due to its inclusion of type definitions during initial encoding. However, it's crucial to understand the overhead involved and the benefits of amortizing this cost over multiple encoding operations.

Unlike zip files, encoding/gob's initial size increase is not indicative of inefficiency. Subsequential encoding of the same type incurs a minimal overhead, making it effective for large datasets.

To further minimize file size, consider the following suggestions:

• Examine the Structure: Ensure that the struct contains only necessary data and avoid excessive padding.
• Consider Alternative Packages: Explore other encoding packages, such as msgpack or simdjson, which may provide a better compression ratio for specific data types.
• Utilize Compression: Supplement the encoding process with compression algorithms like flate, zlib, gzip, or bzip2 to further reduce file size at the expense of some processing time.
• Analyze the Trade-offs: Carefully balance the trade-offs between file size, encoding speed, and memory requirements to determine the optimal approach for your specific application.