Non-Minecraft-specific optimizations should be applied to unrecognized yet `force_include`d files

[ZebulanStanphill]

Related problem or need

I noticed that the files in my pack overlays, which have to be force_included (see #254), are copied as-is into the pack ZIP. The JSON files aren't even minified.

Proposed solution

It seems reasonable to me that optimizations not specific to Minecraft should be applied by default to otherwise unrecognized files that have been force_included. I'm talking JSON minification, (basic) image compression, etc.

Alternative solutions

Obviously, PackSquash support for overlays would negate my current need for this feature. And even now, it's obviously possible to use something like shell scripts to pre-minify the files before sending them into PackSquash.

However, I believe this feature request would still be useful regardless, since it would make PackSquash more widely compatible with stuff like modded data packs that use custom data-driven registries, without ever having to explicitly/natively support such things.

Additional context

No response

[AlexTMjugador]

Thank you for suggesting this improvement! ❤️

However, it's a bit trickier than it may seem at first glance to draw a clear line around which optimizations are "not specific to Minecraft", especially once mods enter the picture.

For example, in the case you mentioned about JSON minification: while it's true that most well-behaved mods don't care about minutiae like non-significant whitespace, I've come across some that are sensitive to JSON map key ordering that PackSquash changes, even though JSON objects aren't specified by standard to have ordered keys. Image compression can be similarly delicate: a mod might rely on a specific PNG chunk that PackSquash removes, since neither Minecraft nor the vast majority of mods use it, which can cause breakage even if the actual pixel data remains unchanged.

Overall, I think it's reasonable for force_include to preserve file bytes exactly as they are to ensure the widest compatibility. (Do note, however, that even in this degenerate case PackSquash can still optimize the ZIP file structures around the file, and how it is compressed into the ZIP file itself, to achieve better optimization than general purpose compression tools.) Files marked with force_include are, by definition, outside what current versions of PackSquash consider a well-formed pack, and handling them differently risks opening a can of worms of encouraging workarounds that would be better addressed by solving the underlying need, such as proper overlay support, even if implementing that is more involved and tedious.