compress or not compress file

[Donald Parvis]

BlankWhat are the pros and cons of compressing file? Are there any files in particular where there is an advantage to compress?

[Dan DeStefano]

Blankthe pro's of compression are obvious: smaller file size. the cons are that, like anything, compressing a file could cause the data to become corrupt and unusable after decompression. though this is rare, it can happen. if you are asking about compressing files on your hard disk to save space, then you really should try not compressing files unless absolutely necessary. however, if you are talking about compressing files for transmission across the internet, then it is usually advantageous to compress most anything. the type of file being compressed dictates how much the file can be compressed. the best way to determine this would be to simply compress and compare the files. otherwise, some third-party compression utilities can tell you how well a file will compress before you actually compress it.

hope this helps,

Dan DeStefano

"Donald Parvis" > wrote in message ...
What are the pros and cons of compressing file? Are there any files in particular where there is an advantage to compress?