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Definition
Typically applied in web development and design, lazy loading is a process in which resources (or objects) are only utilized when required. The process works by delaying loading within a webpage until it's required by the user, thus only utilizing resources that are needed at that exact moment. This reduces initial load time, saves bandwidth, and improves performance.
Use Cases and Examples
An easy way to understand lazy loading is by considering the example of a webpage that has 2000+ words of text along with several images. Now obviously when the reader opens the webpage, the images at the very end of the page will not be required at that exact moment.
By lazy loading, the full images will only be visible when the user scrolls down, thereby the developer can enhance the overall performance and experience of the webpage for the user. Along with images, the same concept is relevant for videos as well. By using lazy loading, the developer can halt video playback until the action is called upon by the user, which greatly reduces unnecessary bandwidth usage.
Summary
In essence, lazy loading is an important technique that increases system efficiency by only using the resources necessary at any given moment. Thus, the process provides a way to reduce bandwidth usage, reduce load time, and increase performance.
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