LZW Compression
LZW (Lempel–Ziv–Welch) is a lossless data compression algorithm that works by building a dictionary of recurring patterns in the input data and replacing them with shorter codes. It is widely used in file formats like GIF and TIFF, as well as in Unix utilities such as compress and gzip. The algorithm is efficient for compressing text and other data with repetitive sequences, achieving high compression ratios without losing any information.
Developers should learn LZW compression when working with file formats that require lossless compression, such as GIF images, TIFF files, or in applications where data integrity is critical, like archival systems. It is particularly useful in scenarios involving repetitive data patterns, such as text files or log data, where it can significantly reduce storage or transmission costs. Understanding LZW also provides a foundation for more advanced compression techniques and is essential for implementing or optimizing compression in software tools.