A small description: this tutorial will deal with common compression types (except multimedia compression):
--- Here we go
Once apon a time you noticed files with the zip extension somewhere on the world wide net (there are a lot of things except the web).
Let's introduce you to the ZIP and to similar ways to decrease your download time.
Compressing things exists since the homo sapiens can combine things. Everything what is compressable - beginning with your vacation shirts and ending up with our galaxy is compressable. Luckily digital data is also compressable.
Why is compression needed?
Remember: the question contains 50% of the answer
Compression means reducing your download times since less data needs to be downloaded. The second advantage (underrated by a lot of users) of the most modern archivers is hashing. Even if you download archives off non-hashing(non-rebuilding) networks as OpenNap or DirectConnect, checking if everything is OK is possible with "packagers" as WinRAR or WinACE.
General definition is there, so I noticed a file type available on the net which is not known to my Windows.
There are 4-5 established compression algorytms:
* ZIP
* RAR
* ACE
* TGZ/TAR.GZ
* TAR.BZ2
Explanation:
ZIP is the In My Honest Opinion the most known compression algorithm on the whole Internet. At the same time it is the worst one. The advantage is that it can be uncompressed by almost every packer, the disadvantage is its performance. If you download a ZIP file, just use one of the packers listed below.
To handle these files you should use:
WinRAR
WinACE
WinZIP
RAR is one of the most established high-performance compression algorithms available now. Developed in Russia and accepted in the filesharing world. Most of the advanced packers can access RAR files.
To handle these files you should use:
WinRAR
WinACE
The ACE format is as powerful as RAR, in most cases the result is a fourth better than ZIP's one. Unfortunately less accepted than RAR, but very powerful.
To handle these files you should use:
WinACE
WinRAR
TAR.GZ/TGZ is the well-known Tarball, first an uncompressed TAR archive, then compressed with GZIP. The standard in the unix-world, but a lot of distributors use TAR or TAR.GZ to distribute their files, too. Don't be scared off, since the format is supported by the most important compression maintainers.
To handle these files you should use:
WinRAR
WinACE
TAR.BZ2/TBZ is a more powerful format than TAR/GZ (GZip), else read TAR.GZ/TGZ.
To handle these files you should use:
WinRAR
WinACE
.xxx/.rxx/.cxx/.zxx where x stands for a digit between 0 and 9:
A lot of releases in the filesharing world land in the newsgroups first. Due to technical restrictions there an uploaded file has a file size limit. To upload files bigger than that limit releasers split them into parts. The first two (.xxx and .rxx, but also partxx.rar) are RAR pendants, the c in .cxx stands for ACE and the last one is ZIP file format. Except the .xxx version just open an accompanying .rar/.ace/.zip file and uncompress the contents. If you have a .xxx (.000->.999) version, open the file with the least extension value (.000 or .001 - which one is lower and present) and proceed unpacking.
Conclusion: don't use WinZIP, forget it. Too outdated, too bloated. WinRAR and WinACE (but also great alternatives as 7-ZIP) will fulfill your desires. The unpackers (except WinZIP) will be able to at least uncompress your files.
WinACE and WinRAR are Shareware, please, buy one of them if you are using them instantly.
Some links:
http://www.rarlab.com - WinRAR, Shareware
WinRAR handles compresses into ZIP and RAR, uncompresses most common and uncommon formats as RAR, ACE, ZIP, Z and others.
http://www.winace.com - WinACE, Shareware
WinACE handles compresses into ZIP and ACE and some others, uncompresses most common and uncommon formats as RAR, ACE, ZIP, Z and others.
http://www.winzip.com - WinZIP, Shareware
Don't use it, it cannot handle anything except ZIP and CAB
http://www.7-zip.org/ - 7-Zip, Freeware/LGPL
7-ZIP can uncompress common windows and linux/unix file formats. A very good alternative.
PS: SlyckTeam, please, correct my f*ing bad English and post the mistakes as a PPS, else I'll never make my English final exams
(they are in one month)
