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2024 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

On the Role of Font Formats in Building Efficient Web Applications

Authors : Benedikt Dornauer, Wolfgang Vigl, Michael Felderer

Published in: Product-Focused Software Process Improvement

Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland

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Abstract

The success of a web application is closely linked to its performance, which positively impacts user satisfaction and contributes to energy-saving efforts. Among the various optimization techniques, one specific subject focuses on improving the utilization of web fonts. This study investigates the impact of different font formats on client-side resource consumption, such as CPU, memory, load time, and energy. In a controlled experiment, we evaluate performance metrics using the four font formats: OTF, TTF, WOFF, and WOFF2. The results of the study show that there are significant differences between all pair-wise format comparisons regarding all performance metrics. Overall, WOFF2 performs best, except in terms of memory allocation. Through the study and examination of literature, this research contributes (1) an overview of methodologies to enhance web performance through font utilization, (2) a specific exploration of the four prevalent font formats in an experimental setup, and (3) practical recommendations for scientific professionals and practitioners.

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Title: On the Role of Font Formats in Building Efficient Web Applications
Authors: Benedikt Dornauer
Wolfgang Vigl
Michael Felderer
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland
Book: Product-Focused Software Process Improvement
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-49265-5

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-031-49266-2

Copyright Year: 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49266-2_8

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