VMware, Inc.
Handling large streaming file formats in web browsers

Abstract:

An approach for parsing and streaming contents of archive files is disclosed. In one embodiment, a client script executed by a web browser parses an archive file based on its archival format, without loading the entire archive file into memory. For example, the client may read only header fields of files inside a TAR format archive file to identify the files therein and their locations, while skipping contents of those files. Having identified files inside the archive file and their locations, the client further reads and processes files that are small enough to be handled by the web browser, while streaming to appropriate endpoints contents of other files such as those that are too large to be handled by the web browser. Such streaming may include slicing large files into sections the web browser can handle and attaching the sections to HTTP requests that are sent to appropriate endpoints.