How does data compression work?

[Frost Byte]

If a file is containing info from A to Z. How does compressino actually help reducing the filesize while retaining the same A to Z content?

My best guess is 'compression' works by identifying and removing redundant and repetitive patterns in the file instead of letting them fully take up space...

I just pulled that one out of my ass. How does it really work?

 

[Platypus]

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/file-compression.htm

 

[MustISO]

That's pretty much how it works.

Next, I'll show you how google found this site:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/file-compression.htm

 

[NogginBoink]

Your best guess is spot on.

 

[FoBoT]

its math

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: NogginBoink
Your best guess is spot on.

yes you win

 

[kranky]

We used to use a operating system which (although it wasn't true file compression) used a storage scheme called RAD50 that stored three characters per byte. You gave up some special characters out of the ASCII character set, but it really saved on the file sizes.

 

[silverpig]