Define zip file format

This is why ZIP files are such a popular tool for businesses all across the world. But what exactly is a ZIP file? This reduces file size and makes it easier to transport or store. A recipient can unzip or extract a ZIP file after transport and use the file in the original format.

ZIP files work in much the same way as a standard folder on your computer. They contain data and files together in one place. But with zipped files, the contents are compressed, which reduces the amount of data used by your computer. Another way to describe ZIP files is as an archive.

The archive contains all the compressed files in one location. So, the ZIP file format is one option to use if you need to make a single file or group of files smaller.

So, how can you identify a ZIP archive file? Whenever you see the extensions. ZIP or. The icon that represents the file would also change. Say you have a photo named vacation. After you zip this photo it now read vacation. While this smaller size is a positive, it also takes longer to process.

It is also less convenient in that you need to download and install a software application to use. ZIP files encode information into fewer bits by removing redundant data. Each word in this file appears twice. Now, if each letter and space in the sentence equals one unit of memory, then the entire file size would be units.

But you can create a numbered code to express the data in a different way:. Or to put it a different way, both sentences would now read: This means that the initial file size of units is reduced to 18 units, which is a massive savings. The ZIP file format uses lossless compression algorithms to do exactly that. It allows you to express the same information in a more efficient way by removing the redundant data from the file.

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Definitions by TechTerms. A ZIP file is a file in the ZIP format which implements lossless compression in order to reduce the volume of saved files. Before the ZIP file format, the ARC lossless data compression system made by System Enhancement Associates was the most common means of establishing lossless compression.

ARC dates back to After its being established as a common utility, the ZIP format started to be supported in Microsoft Windows versions starting in ZIP utilities are often part of the Windows format — a user takes a file icon, moves to the command menu and uses the ZIP command to create a ZIP file which can then be transferred in its compressed form, for example, by email. The ZIP format makes it easier to move files around, and is still popular as a compression tool.

By: Brad Rudisail Contributor. By: Kaushik Pal Contributor.