GZIP compression causes a total page layout malfunction

Question

GZIP compression causes a total page layout malfunction

Thank you for taking the time to visit. I've been attempting to tackle this issue on my own, but it seems to be a bit overwhelming for me once again.

THE SCENARIO...

I have my website live on a shared hosting platform. As I delved into compressing my numerous cms-generated js and css files to improve PageSpeedInsights performance, I discovered that my hosting provider does not have mod_gzip or mod_deflate installed. Instead, they have ZLIB. After some research, I found the typical php append solution unsatisfactory. However, I did stumble upon a few lines of htaccess code that worked like a charm:

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .html .htm .php .js
php_flag output_buffering On
php_value output_handler ob_gzhandler
php_flag zlib.output_compression Off

I verified its functionality using GIDZipTest. Everything was running smoothly and I was thrilled.

Unfortunately, when I added .css to the AddHandler List, my website completely crashed.
I attempted to employ the php solution with ob_gzhandler specifically for css files, but it failed to function at all. It simply did nothing.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION? (NOT SO MUCH)

I manually condensed all the css files and uploaded a css.gz version of each one, serving them with

RewriteCond %{HTTP:Accept-encoding} gzip
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME}\.gz -s
RewriteRule ^(.*)\.css $1\.css\.gz [QSA]
RewriteRule \.css\.gz$ - [T=text/css,E=no-gzip:1]

This approach also worked effectively.

QUERIES!

What specifications are required for css compression to function as intended? It feels like I am missing out on some crucial conversion steps...

If I serve my manually condensed .css.gz files to a client, will they undergo additional compression?

Would this result in further reduction in file size or should I simply stick to the manually served versions and disregard Google PageSpeed?
(GIDZipTest still presents potential scenarios even for the condensed files, displaying impressive numbers. I am intrigued by that...)

Thank you in advance for any feedback provided.
Warm regards

Marian

css .htaccess compression gzip zlib

Answer 1

Answer №1

Automatically compressing every PHP file served from a web server using PHP+zlib solution ensures that all files handled by PHP will be sent in a compressed format to the client browser. However, by using the AddHandler directive to treat CSS files as PHP scripts, it may result in them appearing "broken" as CSS files should ideally have their own handler (text/css).

An alternative solution (untested) could involve retaining the initially defined handler:

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .html .htm .php .js .css

Additionally, adding the following PHP code at the top of CSS files might help:

<?php header('Content-Type: text/css'); ?>

However, the effectiveness of this approach is uncertain. It aims to inform browsers that they are receiving CSS files.

It is advisable to consider using mod_deflate as the optimal solution in such scenarios, as previously suggested.

Answer 2

Automatically compressing every PHP file served from a web server using PHP+zlib solution ensures that all files handled by PHP will be sent in a compressed format to the client browser. However, by using the AddHandler directive to treat CSS files as PHP scripts, it may result in them appearing "broken" as CSS files should ideally have their own handler (text/css).

An alternative solution (untested) could involve retaining the initially defined handler:

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .html .htm .php .js .css

Additionally, adding the following PHP code at the top of CSS files might help:

<?php header('Content-Type: text/css'); ?>

However, the effectiveness of this approach is uncertain. It aims to inform browsers that they are receiving CSS files.

It is advisable to consider using mod_deflate as the optimal solution in such scenarios, as previously suggested.

Answer 3

Answer №2

Instead of compressing the content solely for transmission purposes, you deliver it in a compressed format that does not require the client to decompress it before interpreting the content.

To facilitate automatic content negotiation using MultiViews with mod_negotiation, you can enable it with the following configuration:

<FilesMatch "\.css$">
    Options MultiViews
</FilesMatch>

Answer 4

Instead of compressing the content solely for transmission purposes, you deliver it in a compressed format that does not require the client to decompress it before interpreting the content.

To facilitate automatic content negotiation using MultiViews with mod_negotiation, you can enable it with the following configuration:

<FilesMatch "\.css$">
    Options MultiViews
</FilesMatch>

Answer 5

Answer №3

When encountering similar issues, my recommendation is to take a look at this informative article and ensure that you have the correct full web directory path.

One solution involves creating a PHP script (e.g., "gzip-css.php") with the following code:

<?php
ob_start("ob_gzhandler");
header("content-type: text/css; charset: UTF-8");
?>

Additionally, use the .htaccess file to apply this script to all .css files:

<FilesMatch "\.css$">
ForceType application/x-httpd-php
php_value auto_prepend_file "/full/path/to/gzip-css.php"
</FilesMatch>

Although this method worked for me, I'm open to suggestions on potentially better alternatives that combine the AddHandler approach with CSS optimization.

Here are some unsuccessful attempts I made in the past:
- Adding .css to the AddHandler directive alongside other solutions
- Manually serving gzipped CSS files with a content type script
- Combining the two methods

Answer 6

When encountering similar issues, my recommendation is to take a look at this informative article and ensure that you have the correct full web directory path.

One solution involves creating a PHP script (e.g., "gzip-css.php") with the following code:

<?php
ob_start("ob_gzhandler");
header("content-type: text/css; charset: UTF-8");
?>

Additionally, use the .htaccess file to apply this script to all .css files:

<FilesMatch "\.css$">
ForceType application/x-httpd-php
php_value auto_prepend_file "/full/path/to/gzip-css.php"
</FilesMatch>

Although this method worked for me, I'm open to suggestions on potentially better alternatives that combine the AddHandler approach with CSS optimization.

Here are some unsuccessful attempts I made in the past:
- Adding .css to the AddHandler directive alongside other solutions
- Manually serving gzipped CSS files with a content type script
- Combining the two methods

Answer 7

Answer №4

Although this question is dated, I stumbled upon a helpful .htaccess fix that resolved my issue without the need to make any code modifications.

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .html .htm .php .js .css
<Files *.css>
    Header set Content-type "text/css"
</Files>
php_flag zlib.output_compression On
php_value zlib.output_compression_level 5

Answer 8

Although this question is dated, I stumbled upon a helpful .htaccess fix that resolved my issue without the need to make any code modifications.

AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .html .htm .php .js .css
<Files *.css>
    Header set Content-type "text/css"
</Files>
php_flag zlib.output_compression On
php_value zlib.output_compression_level 5

GZIP compression causes a total page layout malfunction

THE SCENARIO...

POTENTIAL SOLUTION? (NOT SO MUCH)

QUERIES!

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

Similar questions

Ways to adjust the dimensions of a division element using Bootstrap

Web page saving fails to preserve images!

Issue with alignment at bottom of page

Animation of underline on hover for NavLink

CSS: Ensuring the width is adjusted to the content or wrapper that is wider

Achieving full table height with a parent having a min-height requirement

The placeholder text is not displaying with bullets in Internet Explorer. However, it is functioning correctly in Chrome

Utilizing dynamic attributes in design with bootstrap and CSS. Our capabilities are limited in executing actions through selenium

Minimization tools for compressing CSS and JavaScript documents

Testing the Limits of CSS Hover

When an HTML page is hosted on an external server, its formatting may

How can I make Material UI's grid spacing function properly in React?

I am encountering challenges and confusion with CSS

Arranging text and images strategically

On certain websites, the footer may appear distorted or incorrectly displayed when viewed in the IE 9 web browser

Obtain the WordPress footer while applying a specific CSS rule

Ways to implement a placeholder height for images on a webpage with varying heights using HTML

Adjust the width of a textarea to expand evenly within its container when exceeding the specified width limit using CSS

Creating a responsive YouTube video embed within a div container with a fixed background image

What is the best way to prevent users from clearing the value attribute of an input element?