this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2024
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Showerthoughts

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~~Most~~ many file types are just a renamed .zip (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by Interstellar_1@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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[–] cron@feddit.org 21 points 1 month ago (2 children)

OP refers to the fact that you can rename some filetypes to .zip and unpack them.

Notable examples microsoft office files (.docx) or android apps (.apk).

Counterexample are media files (mp3, mp4, jpg).

[–] pixeltree@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 month ago

Notably, java jar files as well.

[–] mumblerfish@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

OP refers to the fact that you can rename some filetypes to .zip and unpack them.

So... you mean the zip program just rename them back? Why?

[–] cron@feddit.org 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think it makes sense from a programming view. When you have a document, you can add all the media files and pack them together as one archive. Then the program sets the filename to .docx so everyone knows that they need an office program to open that file.

For the users, all you need to know is what program can open which files. If every document would be named .zip, you would have no idea if it was a spreadsheet or slides for your presentation.

[–] mumblerfish@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I got that from the other answers. I was just very confused why I'd have to rename them to ".zip".

I still don't get why it is "most" files.

[–] cron@feddit.org 8 points 1 month ago

I don't think "most" applies here. Text-based files, pdf, media files and most executeable files are not .zip.

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You don't have to rename them, doing so would just make windows default to using the builtin zip extractor.

If you have 7-zip you can just right click the file you wan to explore and try to extract it.

[–] mumblerfish@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Ah, right, that is how windows works.