Why is File Compression Important?

It is no exaggeration to say that almost everyone who uses a computer for business or study has used file compression. But in daily use, most of us usually find the target file > right-click it > compress it with one click, and then transfer or share it, as if that's as good as it gets. However, file compression has more benefits than you might expect. First, let's take a look at what file compression is.

1. What is File Compression?

2. Why is File Compression Needed?

What is File Compression?

File compression is a method of data compression that reduces the logical size of files to save disk space for easier and faster transmission over the network or Internet. It can create one or more versions of files with the same data that are much smaller than the original file. Compression techniques can be divided into lossless compression and lossy compression. Lossless compression algorithms reduce the file size without losing any information in the file, which means that we can reconstruct the original data from the compressed file. Lossy compression algorithms reduce file size by discarding less important information in the file, which can significantly reduce file size. For example, the contents of a file are 11100000000... 000001111(with 10,000 zeros in the middle) would be very long if written out at all, but if written as 11110,000 zeros 1111, you get the same information but with much shorter characters, thus reducing the size of the file. File compression is also known as file zipping.

Why is File Compression Needed

Save Storage Space

If you are a photography enthusiast, there are thousands of pictures in the folder. Maybe your computer memory is large enough to store so many photos, but the number of photos will continue to increase in the future. Do you have to wait until the day when the memory is full to manage documents? Compressing folders can not only prevent problems before they occur, but also save more space for you to store other valuable content, and there will be no lag when using your computer.

Archive Documents

Compression tools are also great for archiving old files. You will always have many files that you can't use everyday but can't delete. You can compress any number of files of the same type into a single file and add corresponding notes to them, which will simplify your file system.

Prevent Transmission Interruption

File compression increases data transfer speed. Not all office locations offer high-speed internet, and even a system that can handle a lot of data transfers can still slow down when many users connect to it at the same time. The longer the file takes to send, the more likely the transfer will be interrupted. The time required to transfer a compressed word file is one tenth of the time required to transfer the same uncompressed file, which will greatly reduce the risk of unexpected interruptions, and guarantee your work efficiency.

Ensure Data Security

File compression can also hide information. Not all computers can read the information stored in compressed files and list them in the file index. In addition, it is also a good choice to pack multiple files containing sensitive information with compression software and then add a password.

Meet Server Requirements

On some Internet servers, file compression is mandatory. The server operator may not allow the transfer of uncompressed files. File compression is also useful when sending email attachments, which often have file size limitations.

In the workplace, it is inevitable to encounter the problem that the file cannot be sent due to the size of the file. Especially the PDF file, which is widely used now because of its portability, has the highest usage rate among all file formats. When the volume it occupies is too large, we usually compress the file. When you receive a compressed PDF file, what should you do after decompressing it? 

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