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Subject:Re: Query: stuffed/zipped generic term From:jennap <jennap -at- STINGSOFT -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 6 Aug 1997 14:38:16 -0400
The generic term is compressed. Tar, just like zip and stuff, is
client-specific. To compress data is to put it together and make it
smaller.
If your audience includes UNIX users, you might choose to clarify that
you are referring to the process and not the command.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nora Merhar [SMTP:nmerhar -at- CHARLESINDUSTRIES -dot- COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 1997 2:33 PM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Re: Query: stuffed/zipped generic term
>
> I don't know what the generic term would be, but I don't think it
> would be compressed. In UNIX, near as I can tell, that's what you do
> to a single file to make it smaller; to group a bunch of files
> together, you "tar" the files (so a "tarred" file may also be
> compressed, and I suppose a group of compressed files can be "tarred".
> Zip, to me, always implies both grouping the files AND compressing
> them; although I know you can make a zip file from just one file, I
> have not generally used it that way. Not sure how "stuff" works.
>
> Anyway, the point of all this rambling is that I'm not sure there IS a
> generic term--using "compress" to indicate the functions performed by
> a zip program would imply two different functions to Windows and UNIX
> users.
>
> Nora
> nmerhar -at- charlesindustries -dot- com
>
> ~~
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