Web User guide to file compression
- Tue, 6 Feb 2007
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There are lots of different types of compressed file formats available and, in issue 155 of Web User, we conducted a group test of the programs you can use to compress and decompress them. But what's the difference between an ARJ and a ZIP? Refer to our table below to find out.
| Format | File extension | Description |
| 7z | .7z | Excellent compression level, requires (free) 7-Zip software |
| ARC | .arc | Programs supporting this may open older archives but it's now rarely used to compress files in its own right |
| ARJ | .arj | As above, programs supporting this may open older archives but it's now rarely used to compress files in its own right |
| BZIP2 | .bz2 | Good compression ratio but it's slower than ZIP and GZIP formats |
| GZIP | .gz | The version of ZIP often used on Linux computers |
| LHA | .lha | The compression file format used on the Commodore Amiga, which was a popular home computer back in the 1980s |
| RAR | .rar | Excellent compression level but only available with WinRAR software. However, decompression can be achieved with other software |
| SIT | .sit | The most popular compression format on Apple's computers though its compression ratio has been surpassed by modern standards |
| TAR | .tar | An older file format, used in conjunction with other compression, that isn't seen very much any more |
| ZIP | .zip | The file format most commonly used on Windows PCs that offers a decent balance between size, speed, ease of use and compatibility |
