LZ4_loadDict(9)

💖 LZ4_loadDict(9) — the kernel API manual, but make it make sense 💖

okay so this is from the Kernel API Manual, section 9, and honestly? it's giving "tiny function, big responsibilities." let's get into it 🎀

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✨ NAME ✨

LZ4_loadDict — bestie, this one loads a static dictionary into an LZ4_stream. that's the whole vibe. 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int LZ4_loadDict (LZ4_stream_t *streamPtr , const char *dictionary , int
dictSize );

like, three args, one int coming back at you. we love a simple signature fr fr 🫶

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

• streamPtr — pointer to the LZ4_stream_t. your stream. your main character. it's the thing you're shoving the dict into ✨
• dictionary — the dictionary you're loading. literally the dict in question 🍓
• dictSize — size of the dictionary. gotta tell it how big the thing is, no cap 📏

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💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

so here's the tea ☕ — use this function to load a static dictionary into LZ4_stream.

and listen, this is the important part: ANY previous data will be forgotten. not archived, not tucked away, not "we'll deal with it later" — forgotten 💀 only dictionary will remain in memory. so if you had stuff in there you cared about, sorry bestie, it's gone 🙈

also, loading a size of 0 is allowed. yes, zero. it's valid. it's iconic. don't @ me 👑

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🌈 RETURN 🌈

returns the dictionary size, in bytes — and it's necessarily <= 64 KB. that's a hard cap, so plan accordingly. 64 KB is the ceiling and the ceiling is not moving 💅

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⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

lowkey a whole friend group here, so let me introduce everyone 🫶

kernel file ./include/linux/lz4.h, plus:

LZ4_compressBound(9), LZ4_compress_default(9), LZ4_compress_fast(9), LZ4_compress_destSize(9), LZ4_decompress_fast(9), LZ4_decompress_safe(9), LZ4_decompress_safe_partial(9), LZ4_compress_HC(9), LZ4_resetStreamHC(9), LZ4_loadDictHC(9), LZ4_compress_HC_continue(9), LZ4_saveDictHC(9), LZ4_resetStream(9), LZ4_saveDict(9), LZ4_compress_fast_continue(9), LZ4_setStreamDecode(9), LZ4_decompress_safe_continue(9), LZ4_decompress_fast_continue(9), LZ4_decompress_safe_usingDict(9), LZ4_decompress_fast_usingDict(9)

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reminder bestie: LZ4_loadDict and LZ4_loadDictHC are not the same function. one's the regular girlie, one's the HC version. don't mix them up 😭

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and that's the page!! this one lives under ./include/linux, dating all the way to October 2026 — yeah, the future called, it's us 🌸✨ mwah, go compress something cute 💖