Compression

Data compression is often referred to as coding, where coding is a very general term encompassing any special representation of data which satisfies a given need.

A simple characterization of data compression is that it involves transforming a string of characters in some representation (such as ASCII) into a new string (of bits, for example) which contains the same information but whose length is as small as possible. Data compression has important application in the areas of data transmission and data storage. Many data processing applications require storage of large volumes of data, and the number of such applications is constantly increasing as the use of computers extends to new disciplines.