How does file compression/ZIP files work?

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I understand it’s to save file space, but like…how?

Follow-up: If you have to compress a photo to save on file size (when emailing, for example) couldn’t it just send essentially a text file on how to uncompress it back to its original size and quality? (ex. “Set the resolution to XxY and add X color at Y pixels”)

Thank you!

In: Engineering

9 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Make dictionary with numbered entries, mail the dictionary and the text with all the words replaced by the number of their dictionary entry. Give common words short numbers.

That’s basically text compression.

Pictures: Make a paint by numbers of the picture, send the paint by numbers and the paint. You want a smaller package? Simplify the colours and add some white and black paint to make darker or lighter shades.

Video? treat every frame as a picture (intraframe compression) then see if you can just send “Keep everything the same except this bit that moved a fraction of a inch” (Interframe compression).

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