Input file
TAR
- Full Name: Unix Standard Archive Format, Tape Archive
- Developer: Jean-loup Gailly
Output file
ZIP
- Full Name: WinZIP Compressed ZIP Archive Format
- Developer: N/A
What is TAR file?
The TAR file extension (derived from the word ‘Tape Archive’) is a popular file format used by Consolidated Unix, most versions of Linux, and other distributions. It is used to package multiple files into a single archive, which can then be compressed or uncompressed, usually in the form of a .GZ, .TGZ, or .BZ2 file. TAR files are typically used for transferring large sets of data between networks, and for backing up important data that needs to be preserved over long periods of time. [ ⏩ ] TAR file extension
What is ZIP file?
A ZIP (Zipped File) file is a type of compressed file format originating from the PKWARE Inc. proprietary software. This type of file integrates data compression, email sharing, and archiving into one convenient format. It utilizes lossless data compression technology, meaning the contents of these files are reduced in size with no loss in quality. This makes the process of sharing large volumes of information much easier. ZIP archives are identified with the .zip file extension. [ ⏩ ] ZIP file extension
Software, that you can use to convert
How to convert the file from TAR to ZIP?
To successfully convert the TAR file to ZIP, you should install one of the applications from the list. After installing the software, open the program and select the file you want to convert (file-name.TAR). The next step is to select the target format from the list, in this case ZIP (usually converters allow you to convert to several different formats, so check out their features - maybe one of the available formats will suit you more than ZIP).
What is a file conversion?
A data conversion is normally an automated process to some extent. The effect of the operation of one program is automatically the input product of another application. If that does not happen we need to help the process a little bit and convert the file on our own, e.g. TAR to ZIP. To obtain a matched structure of the data, it is necessary to use an appropriate converter.
Program for converting TAR files to ZIP files is a kind of a "binary code translator" compensating for the differences in the code or translating it in such a way so that another application could use it. For us, as users, the visible change will be only another file extension. (After converting the file, it will be the extension ZIP, while before this step we had the TAR file). For the programs, the difference is on a much higher level – either the application will be able to open a new ZIP file, or not.