Hawkynt

Quantum

LZ77 dictionary matching combined with an adaptive arithmetic coder; the compression method Microsoft licensed from David Stafford’s Quantum archiver for use inside Cabinet (.CAB) files alongside DEFLATE and LZX.

Properties

Property	Value
Category	Compression Algorithms
Sub-category	Hybrid
Security status	Not classified
Complexity	Expert
Inventor	David Stafford (licensed by Microsoft Corporation)
Year	1995
Origin	🇺🇸 United States
Source	algorithms/compression/quantum.js

Security

Status: not classified — treat as unverified.

No vulnerabilities are recorded for this implementation.

Documentation

• Quantum compression format - Matthew Russotto
• libmspack documentation (CAB/Quantum/LZX formats) - Stuart Caie

References

• libmspack source repository
• Cabinet (file format) - Wikipedia
• LZX - Wikipedia

Test vectors

6 vectors ship with this algorithm and run in the test suite. Byte values are hexadecimal.

Vector 1 — Quantum round-trip - empty input

Field	Value
input	(empty)
expected	(empty)

Vector 2 — Quantum round-trip - single byte

Field	Value
input	51
expected	(empty)

Vector 3 — Quantum round-trip - long repetitive run (300 bytes of 0x41)

Field	Value
input	41414141414141414141414141414141 41414141414141414141414141414141 41414141414141414141414141414141 41414141414141414141414141414141 … (300 bytes; the full value is in the source)
expected	(empty)

Vector 4 — Quantum round-trip - alternating byte pattern (0x00/0xFF)

Field	Value
input	00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff 00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff00ff
expected	(empty)

Vector 5 — Quantum round-trip - pseudo-random binary sample

Field	Value
input	00000000000000000000004000000000 40004080c0004080c000004000000038 00408000000000408080000000000000 000000400000000040004079c0000000 00000040000000000040000040780038 00382080000000400040000000000000 00000000400040000000000000400000 00004000000000400000000000000000 39004000004080c00000000040000000 00400000000000003800000000004000 00400000000000400000000000000039 00000000000000000000000040800000 0000000000400000
expected	(empty)

Vector 6 — Quantum round-trip - spec-flavoured text vector

Field	Value
input	4d6963726f736f667420436162696e65 74205175616e74756d20636f6d707265 7373696f6e202d204c5a3737206d6174 6368657320656e74726f707920636f64 6564207769746820616e206164617074 6976652061726974686d657469632063 6f6465722c206c6963656e7365642066 726f6d2044617669642053746166666f 726420666f72204341422066696c6573 20636972636120313939352e
expected	(empty)

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