ZIP (file format) facts for kids
 |
|
| Filename extension |
.zip
|
|---|---|
| Internet media type |
application/zip |
| Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) | com.pkware.zip-archive |
| Magic number | PK\003\004 or PK\005\006 (empty archive) (unless a bootstrap script is present) |
| Developed by | Phil Katz |
| Type of format | Data compression |
The ZIP file format is a popular lossless data compression and archival format created by Phil Katz, founder of PKWARE. A ZIP file contains one or more files that have been compressed, to reduce their file size, or stored as-is. A number of compression algorithms are permitted in zip files but in 2008 only DEFLATE is widely used and supported.
Usage
ZIP files generally use the file extensions ".zip" or ".ZIP" and the MIME media type application/zip. Some software uses the ZIP file format as a wrapper for a large number of small items in a specific structure. Generally when this is done a different file extension is used.
See also
In Spanish: Formato de compresión ZIP para niños
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ZIP (file format) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.