What is a ZIP archive format?
The ZIP archive format is the most common and the most popular archive format used today. It was introduced by PKWARE in late 1980’s, as a response to the compression needs of the computer market. Their product PKZIP not only introduced the ZIP file format but it also brought a reliable alternative to the plethora of compression utilities on the market in those times. The speed and amount of compression, flexibility, robustness, and reliability PKZIP possessed, helped many decide to convert their archives to the ZIP file format virtually overnight. Another big reason for the success was the decision by PKWARE to dedicate the ZIP file format specification and ZIP file extension name to the public domain. The decision to keep the ZIP file format an open standard allowed many other zipping programs to come to market, as well as many software components supporting this standard as well. Polar ZIP has always maintained meaningful advantages in user both user-friendliness and flexibility, as
