Presenting data compression algorithms

Data compression algorithms are involved in the process of reducing the size of data.

In this chapter, we will delve into a specific data compression algorithm named the lossless compression algorithm.

Lossless compression algorithms

These are algorithms that are capable of compressing data in such a way that it can be decompressed without any loss of information. They are used when it is important to retrieve the exact original files after decompression. Typical uses of lossless compression algorithms are as follows:

• To compress documents

• To compress and package source code and executable files

• To convert a large number of small files into a small number of...