View source for Zip (file format)

'''ZIP''' is an archive file format that supports lossless data compression.

== Description ==

A .ZIP file may contain one or more files or folders that may have been compressed.

The .ZIP file format permits a number of compression algorithms, though DEFLATE is the most common. This format was originally created in 1989 by Phil Katz, and was first implemented in PKWARE, Inc.'s PKZIP utility, as a replacement for the previous ARC compression format by Thom Henderson.

== Support ==

The .ZIP format is now supported by many software utilities other than PKZIP.

[[Microsoft]] has included built-in .ZIP support (under the name "compressed folders") in versions of [[Microsoft Windows]] since 1998. 

[[Apple Inc.]] has included built-in .ZIP support in Mac [[OS X]] 10.3 (via BOMArchiveHelper, now Archive Utility) and later. Most free operating systems have built in support for .ZIP in similar manners to Windows and Mac [[OS X]].

== File extension ==

.ZIP files generally use the file extensions ".zip" or ".ZIP" and the MIME media type application/zip.

ZIP is used as a base file format by many programs, usually under a different name.

When navigating a file system via a user interface, graphical icons representing .ZIP files often appear as a document or other object prominently featuring a zipper.

== See also ==

* [[File format]]

== External links == 

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_(file_format) Zip (file format)] @ Wikipedia