The book is about compressing all types of computer data and what methods and algorithms to use. Its purpose is to describe and explain the principles behind the growing field of data compression and how to use them effectively. The discussion concentrates on general principles and methods all describes them with a minimum amount of mathematics. The book is aimed toward readers who do not have much background in computers and want to understand how data can be compressed. The reader can expect to gain a basic understanding of the important algorithms and methods used to compress data.Topics and features:- acceptable to use with only minimum computer and math background;- coverage of principles and general approaches, as well as specific methods and algorithms;- useful glossary with all basic terms for the field;- helpful appendix lists all algorithms presented in the book;- CD-ROM included with book comprising useful computer code used in the book and public-domain compression programs.