3. Generate Huffman Codes

Data compression is perhaps the most important feature of modern computation, enabling efficient storage and transmission of information. One of the most famous compression algorithms is Huffman coding. In this post, we are going to introduce an advanced version: a block-based, 2-symbol, two-pass Huffman algorithm in Golang. It can bring further enhancements regarding the increase of compression efficiency in specific types of data, as it will take into consideration pairs of symbols instead of individual ones.

Algorithm Overview

The two-pass Huffman algorithm in blocks of 2 symbols is an extension of the classic Huffman coding. It processes input data in pairs of bytes, potentially offering better compression ratios for certain types of data. Let’s break down the encoding process step by step:

1. First Pass: Frequency Counting

• Read the input file in blocks of 2 bytes (16 bits).
• Store these blocks in a map structure, where:
  • The key is ...