ARCHIVE FILE

 What is an archive?

    In computing, an archive file is a computer file that is composed of one or more files along with metadata. Archive files are used to collect multiple data files together into a single file for easier portability and storage, or simply to compress files to use less storage space.

Some archive file formats:

    ZIP or Zicxac Inline Pin

     RAR or Roshal Archive            (.zip and .rar are most common archive files)

     TAR or Tape Archive         

     7Z Archive

     TAR.GZ

What is extracting an archive file?

      Extracting an archive file is the process of expanding or extracting one or more files from an archive file. In windows to extract files from an archive , we need extracting software such as WinRar or 7zip or WinZip. For android , Z Archiver or WinZip. For IOS , Zip.Extractor or Archiver.

Features:

•     converting metadata into data stored inside a file (e.g., file name, permissions, etc.)

• checksums to detect errors

• data compression

• file concatenation to store multiple files in a single file

• file patches / updates (when recording changes since a previous archive)encryption

• error correction code to fix errors

• splitting a large file into many equal sized files for storage or transmission

What is data compression?

    The process of reducing the size of a data file is often referred to as data compression.

(Eg. Consider a file of 500MB. After data compression its size may reduced to 450 MB or Lesser.)