Compressed file definition
A compressed file is an archive of one or more images, documents, videos, or folders that have been shrunk using compression algorithms. Compression encodes data to reduce space for storage or transmission over a network. Decompression will then restore (in lossless formats) or attempt to rebuild (in lossy formats) the data back to its original state.
See also: zip bomb
Real compressed file formats
- Zip: Zip is one of the most popular compressed file formats in use today. Zip files are available for most operating systems.
- RAR: RAR boasts a higher compression ratio than Zip. It is a popular file format for file sharing sites and internet data repositories.
- 7z: 7z boasts an even better compression ratio than RAR, but can be slower (depending on the software used) and require more processing power.
- Gzip: Gzip has a high compression ratio, but it can only compress a single file, making it impractical for archiving. Gzip files are commonly used by Unix and Linux systems.
- Bzip2: Bzip2 uses a different compression algorithm to Gzip, resulting in a higher compression rate. It is commonly used for compressing large files or archives.
- Tar: Tar can combine multiple files into a single archive without compression. Tar is often used in conjunction with other compression formats, such as Gzip or Bzip2.
