What is a Zip File?
Sometimes you may want a program so you download it, but it is odd looking and has a .ZIP extension ofter the filename. This is a ZIP archive file. It is like packing up all different files into one file, so it will be easier to transport. Once you get this suitcase of code, you can unpack it on your PC. There is a utility called WinZip that handles this process nicely. I suggest you go get it if you do not have it! But if TomCat PC worked on your computer, then chances are you already have it.
Zip file allows you to combine multiple files into a single file and/or compress a large file into a smaller file size. Most Teachbits.com products, especially those that contain mutliple files or are very large, will we downloaded as Zip files. You can then unzip the file to extract the file or files within.
A ZIP file is a compressed format file containing one or more files that are compressed in size. Note: the Bulletin Statistical Tables ZIP file does not contain the following tables, which are published in PDF format due to copyright arrangements with other institutions: F.3 Capital Market Yields and Spreads – Non-government Instruments; F.7 Share Market; F.8 Share Price Indices; F.14 Overseas Market Interest Rates and Government Security Yields; I.1 Overseas Economic Statistics – Real Gross Domestic Product; I.2 Overseas Economic Statistics – Consumer Prices; I.3 Overseas Economic Statistics – Unemployment.
ZIP is a compressed file format. Compression effectively reduces the size of a file by using a special encoding. The tradeoff is that opening a compressed file requires the computer to first decompress the information. Modern computers can decompress and compress “average” sized files with hardly any noticeable delay. For this reason, almost all sizeable files at the Planet (and at other sites) are compressed. To open a ZIP file, you will either need Windows ME or XP (both have built-in support for ZIP files that is installed by default) or a 3rd party utility such as the free JustZIPIt or the shareware WinZip.
From Winzip.com: Zip files are single files, sometimes called “archives”, that contain one or more compressed files. Zip files make it easy to keep related files together and make transporting, e-mailing, downloading and storing data and software faster and more efficient. The Zip format is the most popular compression format used in the Windows environment, and WinZip is the most popular compression utility. Windows XP comes with a built in Zip utility which allows you to create Zip files and view the contents inside them. If you do not have Windows XP, you can download Winzip instead.
