| Extension | .cab |
| Category | documents |
| Description | The CAB (Cabinet) format is one of the standard data compression formats used in Windows operating systems. It is designed to pack files and folders into one archive, which saves disk space and speeds up data transfer. Files and folders in CAB format are compressed to reduce the archive size. This saves disk space and reduces data transfer time over the network.
The CAB format consists of an archive header containing information about files, directories and properties, as well as the compressed data itself. The CAB format is widely used to create software installation packages on Windows operating systems. This allows you to combine all the necessary files into one archive and simplify the process of installing the program. CAB can be used to package content such as multimedia files, documents and other data for distribution over the Internet or other communication channels.
The CAB format is an important element of the Windows operating system infrastructure, providing compact and efficient storage and transfer of data. |
| Technical details | File structure: The CAB format consists of an archive header containing metadata and a sequence of compressed data blocks. Includes information about the format version, the total size of the archive, the number of files and directories, as well as other metadata necessary to parse the archive. CAB supports several data compression algorithms, including LZX, MSZIP and Quantum. Each of them has its own compression and speed characteristics. File and directory management: The CAB format allows you to store information about the file structure, including file names, file sizes, attributes and file paths. CAB archives can be signed to ensure data integrity and authenticate its origin.
Multi-file archive support: CAB allows you to create archives containing multiple files and directories, making it easier to organize and distribute data. File Attribute Support: CAB stores information about various file attributes, such as access attributes, creation time, and modification time. Build and Installation: The CAB format is used to create software installation packages, allowing you to collect all the necessary files into one archive for easy installation. CAB archives are widely used in Windows operating systems for installing programs, updates, and distributing content. There are a number of tools available for creating, extracting, and managing CAB archives, including the MakeCab command utility and third-party archivers such as WinRAR and 7-Zip.
The CAB format provides an efficient and compact means of packaging and distributing data on Windows operating systems, providing support for compression, digital signing, and file and directory management. |
