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YOUR NOTES
IGCSE ICT CIE 

9. File Management

CONTENTS
9.1 File Management
File Management
File Formats
9.2 Compression
File Compression

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9.2 Compression YOUR NOTES


File Compression

Why Reduce File Size?

The size of a file determines:
How much space it will require for storage
How long it will take to transmit from one device to another
Often file sizes need to be reduced and will use a form of compression
The two types of compression are:
Lossy compression - Unnecessary data is removed and can significantly reduce file
sizes. This is most often used for audio, video and image
Lossless - Allows the original data to be perfectly reconstructed from the compressed
version without any loss of information or quality. This is most often used for text and
document and software compression
E.g. if 10 images were to be displayed on a website and their original size was 18MB each,
with an internet connection of 32 megabits per second the webpage would take around 45
seconds to load and require 180 Mb of storage space online to host the images
Using lossy compression it is possible to compress the files down to around 10% of their
original size meaning that the same internet connection would require just 4 seconds to
load the images and the storage requirement for the files would be 18MB

How are Files Compressed?

There are many different technical ways that file sizes can be reduced however some simple
methods and techniques for multimedia files are below:
Images can be compressed by the following:
Reducing the number of colours in the image (known as the bit depth)
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Reducing the resolution of the image (the total amount of pixels that make up the YOUR NOTES
image) 
Videos can be compressed by the following:
Reducing the video resolution
Reducing the number of video frames per second
Sound can be compressed by the following:
Removing frequencies that are outside of the human hearing range

 Worked Example
An author is writing a new textbook about ICT. He has used a large number of
images in the document and wishes to send the document as an email attachment
to his publisher, but the file is currently too large.
Describe how he could reduce the size of the document without reducing the
number of images. [4]
The author could reduce the size of the document by either reducing the image
resolution [1]
changing the file formats of each of the individual images [1]
saving as a PDF [1]
or compressing /zip the folder with all the photos to a smaller size [1]

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How to Compress a File YOUR NOTES

An uncompressed document containing both text and images 

A document can be compressed by converting it to a PDF file

By converting the document to a pdf, the file size reduction is more than half

 Exam Tip
Remember that although you are compressing the file to a PDF file this means
that the file cannot be edited in the same way and so it is important to keep a
copy of the original uncompressed file in case any changes are required

Compressing Multiple Images Together

Hold Ctrl and select all the images you would like to compress, right click and choose
‘Compress to Zip file’

Using the Zip file compression technique has reduced the file size considerably
Total for all files before compression: 8477KB
Total for all files after compression: 727KB

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

The same can be done using WinRar

Hold Ctrl and select all the images you would like to compress, right click and choose
‘WinRAR followed by Add to Archive’

Give the archive a title and click OK

The compressed file is now in the directory

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Note* Sometimes when using WinZip or WinRar the file sizes will not compress further as some YOUR NOTES
file types are already compressed, such as JPEG images. Another reason may be that different 
compression algorithms are used by different compression software, and their effectiveness
can vary depending on the file types being compressed

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9.1 File Management YOUR NOTES


File Management

Locating Stored Files

A hard drive contains files and folders
Within a folder, there may be files or other folders which are known as subfolders
There are multiple ways to locate files
Using Windows search
Click on the Windows Icon at the bottom of the screen and type the file that is
required and click on the ‘documents’ button

 Exam Tip
If you are searching for a folder you can do the same thing but instead of
clicking on document, click on folder

Locate a file manually

The left hand window pane displays all drives and favourite folders
The right hand pane displays the folders/ subfolders and files of the selected drive or folder
Each folder can be accessed by selecting the folder and double clicking

As the users navigate through the folders the current path location is displayed at the top

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Open & Import Files YOUR NOTES

It is a common method to simply double-click the file that you wish to open and it will load 
into the most suitable application/program
Sometimes the application/program that the file opens in is not the preferred choice for the
user
There are 3 main ways to open or import files for use
Option 1 - Open the file from the desired application

Option 2 - Drag the file into the desired application

Option 3 - Right click on the file and choose Open with

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Saving Files YOUR NOTES

The below screenshot shows a project structure broken into 4 different sections, Initiation, 
Planning, Executing and Closing
Within each folder, files are saved according to the which part of the project they are
relevant to

Files are labelled with version numbers allowing the user to go back and review previous
versions. This is known as version control
Save Files Using Appropriate File Names
Meaningful file names should give a clue as to what the document contains

Doc1’ does not give any idea about the contents of the file and is not a meaningful file name
‘Plan’ is a partially meaningful name but could be any plan or any version of the plan
‘Initial_Plan_Version_1 is a meaningful name as it determines that it is an initial plan and is
the first version
Saving & Printing
There are different ways you can save or print your work
Save - Saves the current file or if the file has been saved, updates
Save as - Save the file with a new name and/or file type
Export - Exports a copy of the file usually as a pdf but can also be other file formats within
the program
Print - Prints the currently opened file
Web page in a browser View
Saving
To save a webpage, right click on the page and choose “Save as”

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

Choose a suitable location and save

Printing
To print a web page, right click on the web page and select “Print”

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

Choose your preferences and select “Print

Webpage in HTML view

Print
Right-click on the web page and select “view page source”

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

Right click on the page source and select “Print”

Save
Right click on the source code and choose “Save as”

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

Save the folder to a suitable location and select “Save”

Screenshots
Using the search tool, search for and select the “snipping tool”

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

Use the snipping tool to take a screenshot

Save
To save the screenshot, right click on the image and choose “Save as”

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Print YOUR NOTES

To print the screenshot, select the three dots at the top right of the program and select 
“Print”

Database Reports
Save
With the report open, select File and then “Save as”

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

As only the report is to be saved select “Save object as” followed by “PDF or XPS”

Choose a suitable location to save the report and save the file type as “PDF”
Print
To print the report, select the file and then select “Print”
To ensure the report s laid out correctly first preview the report

To finally print the report, select “Print”

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

Graphs & Charts

Save
Select the chart by clicking on it

Click on” File” followed by “Save as”

Select the file type as PDF and save

Print
Select the chart by clicking on it
Select File and then Print

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

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Save & Export YOUR NOTES

Many applications have their own unique file types that are specific to their functionality 
and features. These file types are designed to store and represent data in a format that is
specific to the application's purpose
Below is an example of a text document being saved as a Word application package type

Below is an example of a spreadsheet document being saved as a Excel application

package type

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Below is an example of a document being saved as a generic plain text file

Below is an example of a document being saved as a generic comma separated file

The same method is used for both saving and exporting files to their required type
If a document has already been saved the user must select SAVE AS to create a second
copy of the document and choose its required file type

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 Worked Example

.PDF and .RTF are two file formats used for storing documents. Describe the file
formats and explain the differences between them.
[5]

PDF is a portable document format that is readable on a PDF viewer or a browser [1]
whilst an RTF document is a rich text format and is readable by all word processing
software [1]
An RTF document is fully editable whereas some PDF documents cannot be edited
[1]
A PDF can use digital signatures whereas an RTF document does not allow digital
signatures [1]
A PDF document tends to be compressed whereas an RTF document is not
compressed [1]

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File Formats YOUR NOTES


Generic File Formats
Generic file formats are files types that are compatible and allow sharing between different
devices and software programs
Non generic files are types that require special software or hardware to be accessed
Generic file types are needed for the following reasons:
Generic files allow the exchange of data across many different types of software and
applications
Generic files are widely adopted and therefore can be accessed by many users or
devices
A single generic file can be created, edited and accessed across many different
devices

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Characteristics & Uses of File Formats YOUR NOTES

Generic Images Files 
Joint Photographic Expert Group (.jpg)
JPEG is a widely used image file format
Uses the lossy compression method
Significantly reduces file size while maintaining acceptable image quality
JPEG files are commonly used for storing and transmitting digital photographs
Portable Network Graphic (.png)
PNG uses lossless compression
Preserves high-quality images whilst still providing small file sizes
Commonly used for web design, digital illustrations, logos, and icons
Its transparency support allows its graphics to be placed into different backgrounds
easily
Portable Document Format (.pdf)
Widely used file format with its
Ability to retain the layout and formatting of documents across a range of platforms
Documents contain text, images, graphics, and even interactive elements.
Can be password protected to stop unauthorised users from editing
Allows users to provide a digital signature feature acting as a digital ‘ink signature’
Graphics Interchange Format (.gif)
Used for short, animated images and simple graphics
Use a lossless compression algorithm
Maintain high image quality while keeping file sizes small
Used in online platforms, including social media, messaging apps, and websites
Generic Video Files
Moving pictures expert group layer 4 (.mp4)
A multimedia container rather than a single file format
Can be used for video, image, and audio types
Uses advanced compression techniques to achieve high-quality video playback
The compression algorithm keeps file sizes relatively small
Popular for streaming and transferring videos online
Quicktime Movie (.mov)
A multimedia container format developed by Apple
Used for storing video, audio, and other media data
Can maintain excellent image quality while retaining smaller file sizes
Suitable for both online streaming and local playback
Widely used in professional video editing, film production, and multimedia projects
Generic Audio Files
Moving pictures expert group layer 3 (.mp3)
A very popular audio file format known for its high-quality compression algorithm
Allows for a significant reduction in file size but minimal differences to sound quality
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Compatible with a wide range of devices and audio streaming platforms YOUR NOTES
Become the standard format for digital music distribution 
Waveform File Audio format (.wav)
Uncompressed audio file format known for its high lossless quality
Preserves the original audio waveform.
Commonly used in the music industry, broadcast, and multimedia production, where
audio quality is the top priority
Generic Text Files
Text (.txt)
Used for storing plain text data
Contains only human-readable text without any additional formatting or styling
Extensively supported across different platforms and applications
Can be opened and edited using a word processor or basic text editor
Rich Text Format (.rtf)
RTF is a file format used for storing formatted text documents that can contain
different text styles, fonts, colours, and other basic formatting elements
They can be opened and edited using a wide range of text editors and word
processors, making them suitable for creating documents that require basic
formattings, such as letters, reports, and academic papers
Comma separated values (.csv)
A plain text file format used for storing data in a structured manner
Consist of rows and columns, with each cell separated by a comma
Widely supported
Easy to import and export data between different applications and platforms
Commonly used for tasks involving data analysis, database management
Can be easily opened and edited using spreadsheet software
Generic Compressed Files
Zip (.zip)
A container used for compression
Allows multiple files and folders to be compressed into a single, smaller-sized archive
Uses lossless compression algorithms to reduce file sizes
Compression preserves original content
Convenient for bundling multiple files into a single package
Roshal archive (.rar)
A container used for compression
similar to .ZIP, however, it uses a proprietary compression algorithm
Generally results in higher compression ratios compared to other formats
Commonly used for sharing files over the internet and when space-saving is essential
Generic Web Development & Browsing Files
Hypertext Markup Language (.html)
A global file format used for creating and structuring web pages
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Contain text-based code that defines the structure, layout, and content of a webpage YOUR NOTES
Rendered by web browsers, allowing users to view and interact with web pages 
Used across many different devices and platforms
Cascading Style Sheets (.css)
A file format that is attached to an HTML document
Used to determine presentation and styling such as colours, fonts, layout, and
positioning
Is widely used in web development to create responsive and attractive designs

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