Data Compression Software
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 2.2.5
Data Compression Software
Data compression software allows users to store more data onto a certain disk.
Compression
- Compression utilities reduce the amount of disk space needed to store a file by applying a lossless compression algorithm.
- Lossless compression means that no quality is lost from the original file, and it can be restored to the original.
Decompression
- Compression utilities can also decompress the compressed files to return them to their original versions.
- Files must be decompressed in order to read them.
Uses of compression
- Although we cannot read compressed files without decompressing them first, they are useful in many situations. For example:
- When a file won't be accessed regularly e.g. in archives.
- When a file is to be transferred on a network (to speed up transfer).
Test yourself on Data Compression Software
What must we do to read a compressed file?
Why should we not use compression on files we use often?