We
can define the notion of archive by : grouping under a compact form several
files in a single one.
"Compact
form" means that data are packed using several sophisticated algorithms so
that they finally fit in the minimum space possible, keeping them intact
(looseness). These algorithms work around the notion of redundancies of
information, and frequency. But it will be too long and complex to explains
these methods here.
RETURN
What
we call "file format" is the way data are stored in disk file. The
format is a kind of standardized set of grammar rules to record information.
The
ZIP Format, is the most uses all around the word for storing data in a
compressed form. It's widely diffused and used because it's proposing one of the
best compression / speed ratio. As a result it's considered as a standard, and
is the most used.
The
Zip Format is also the number one for exchanging files. You'll found zip files a
bit everywhere from CDs to the Net! For example, almost all PC programs you can
download from the Internet are coming into a ZIP or self-extracting ZIP format!
RETURN
