What is meant by Compression?
The term "compression" refers to the process of reducing the size of data or files by applying certain algorithms without losing essential information. Compression is used to save storage space, increase the speed of data transmission, and improve efficiency when handling large amounts of data. Compressed files can be restored to their original form when needed.
Typical software functions in the area of "compression":
- Lossless Compression: Reduction of file size without losing any data, allowing the original data to be restored exactly.
- Lossy Compression: Compression that removes some data to significantly reduce file size, which may result in quality loss.
- File Compression: Reducing the size of individual files or entire directories using compression algorithms such as ZIP or RAR.
- Data Compression During Transmission: Compressing data during network transmission to optimize bandwidth usage.
- Real-Time Compression: Immediate compression of data during its creation or editing.
- Compression Management: Managing and configuring compression settings to achieve the optimal balance between file size and quality.
Examples of "compression":
- ZIP Archive: A collection of files compressed into a single file.
- JPEG Compression: An image compression method that reduces file size by removing image data, which may result in quality loss.
- MP3 Compression: A method for reducing the file size of audio files by removing inaudible sounds.
- Data Compression in Databases: Compressing database tables or columns to save storage space and improve performance.
- Video Compression: Reducing the file size of video files through formats like H.264 or HEVC, often used for streaming or storage.
- GZIP Compression: A commonly used method to compress web content to reduce webpage load times.