---
title: "Discussion on \"Streaming Large Files in the Browser: Web Streams API, Backpressure, and a ZIP Archive That Never Freezes Your Tab\" | Hashnode"
description: "Discussion on \"Streaming Large Files in the Browser: Web Streams API, Backpressure, and a ZIP Archive That Never Freezes Your Tab\". Collect 2,000 images from a website with a browser extension, and you've got a real engineering problem on your hands. The images add up fast: 2,000 photos at an average of 800KB is 1.6GB. Now the use"
url: "https://hashnode.com/posts/streaming-large-files-in-the-browser-web-streams-api-backpressure-and-a-zip-archive-that-never-freezes-your-tab/6ab338fe481a708f3963d4c7"
---

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# [Streaming Large Files in the Browser: Web Streams API, Backpressure, and a ZIP Archive That Never Freezes Your Tab](https://omnipic-studio.hashnode.dev/streaming-large-files-in-the-browser-web-streams-api-backpressure-and-a-zip-archive-that-never-freezes-your-tab?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

Collect 2,000 images from a website with a browser extension, and you've got a real engineering problem on your hands. The images add up fast: 2,000 photos at an average of 800KB is 1.6GB. Now the use

Sep 23 · 7 min read · omnipic-studio.hashnode.dev  
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## Written by

[eden zhang](https://hashnode.com/@edenzhang)

@edenzhang · Hefei, China

  
[View profile](https://hashnode.com/@edenzhang)

## Responses 1

Markdown supported · ⌘↵ to post

[Mark Reeves](https://hashnode.com/@mreevestools)

[Sep 29](https://hashnode.com/posts/streaming-large-files-in-the-browser-web-streams-api-backpressure-and-a-zip-archive-that-never-freezes-your-tab/6ab338fe481a708f3963d4c7/comment/6abba1fec7485bbf04d67a84)

backpressure is the part everyone skips until their tab freezes on file 800 - most streaming demos only ever show the happy path with ten files. the zip-without-freezing angle is the real trick, since zip central directory wants everything up front. how did you structure the archive writing to stay streaming?