A method, system, and computer program product for initializing a stream computing application are disclosed. The method may include receiving a plurality of tuples to be processed by one or more processing elements operating on one or more computer processors. Each processing element may have one or more stream operators. The method may also include determining a first attribute to be processed at a first stream operator that is configured to transmit a tuple having the first attribute along an execution path including at least one intervening stream operator to a second stream operator. The method may include compressing the first attribute when the first attribute is to be next processed by the second stream operator.