Compression Formats

Compression Formats

Name:
Zip

Extensions:
.zip

Creator:
Phil Katz (1989)

Compression:
LZ77 and LZH

Open:
Yes

Link:
WinZIP, PKWARE

Notes:
Most common compression format, but certainly not the best.

Name:
Roshal Archiver

Extensions:
.rar

Creator:
Eugene Roshal

Compression:
?

Open:
No

Link:
RARLAB

Notes:
Higher compression rate than ZIP, especially when using the "store" feature.

Name:
Microsoft Cabinent

Extensions:
.cab

Creator:
?

Compression:
LZ77 variant

Open:
No

Link:
-

Notes:
Used by Microsoft for distribution.

Name:
Gnu Zip

Extensions:
.gz, .gzip

Creator:
?

Compression:
LZ77 variant

Open:
Yes

Link:
www.gzip.org

Notes:
Mainly a UNIX/LINUX format.

Name:
Z

Extensions:
.z

Creator:
?

Compression:
LZW

Open:
No

Link:
-

Notes:
Primarily a UNIX format.

Name:
Tape Archive

Extensions:
.tar, .tar.z, .tar.gz, .tz, .taz, .tgz

Creator:
?

Compression:
None

Open:
Yes

Link:
-

Notes:
Used as a wrapper for files compressed in Z or GZip format.

Name:
Java Archive File

Extensions:
.jar

Creator:
?

Compression:
LZW variant

Open:
Yes

Link:
-

Notes:
Primarily used to compress Java programs.

Name:
LHA

Extensions:
.lzh

Creator:
Haruyasu Yoshizaki

Compression:
LZH

Open:
?

Link:
-

Notes:
Started on Amiga.

Name:
Ace

Extensions:
.ace

Creator:
?

Compression:
?

Open:
No

Link:
Win ACE

Notes:
-

Name:
BZip

Extensions:
.bz, .bz2

Creator:
?

Compression:
?

Open:
Yes

Link:
BZip Official

Notes:
Used mainly on LINUX.

Name:
Arj

Extensions:
.arj

Creator:
Robert Jung

Compression:
LZH

Open:
No

Link:
ARJ Software

Notes:
An older compression format.

Name:
Archive

Extensions:
.arc

Creator:
Systems Enhancement Associates

Compression:
?

Open:
No

Link:

Notes:
An old compression format that was replaced by zip.

Compression Algorithims

Name:
LZ77

Developer:
Abraham Lempel and Jacob Ziv (1977)

Open:
Yes

Notes:
Also known as the Lempel-Ziv 1977 algorithm.

Name:
LZW

Developer:
Terry Welch (1986)

Open:
Yes

Notes:
Also known as the LZ78 algorithm. Variant of LZ77.

Name:
LZH

Developer:
David Huffman

Open:
Yes

Notes:
Variant of LZ77.

Name:
LZSS

Developer:
James A. Storer and Thomas G. Szymanski

Open:
?

Notes:
Variant of LZ77.

Name:
LZARI

Developer:
?

Open:
?

Notes:
Arithmetic encoding.

Links

www.cknow.com/ckinfo/def_c/compressionformats.shtml - Major compression listing.
answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=258094 - Compression history.