A type of file format, which is the by-product of a program, used to reduce the size of a computer file. A process of scrambling a file so as to render it unreadable, except by an intended recipient. The process of transferring a file or files from the machine the user is working on to a remote computer. The process of transferring a file or files from a remote machine to the machine a user is using. A defined structure used for data storage.
Records contain one or more 'fields' which are quantified units of data.
For example, a record containing information about a person would contain a field with the person's name, a field with the person's street address, a field with the person's zip code, etc. The place where records are stored. Usually, databases are optimized for quick retrieval and updates of data. The components of most databases used today.