File Compressor using the Huffman Coding Algorithm:

Problem:

• Data storage is one of the most cruicial aspects of all the electronic devices in use today.

• Given how every device has a finite storage capacity, this limits the amount of data a user can store.

• Using the Huffman Coding Algorithm, we have programmed a Text File Compressor.

• The programme will take input text from the user and compress it.

• Compressing will allow us to store the same input text in a lesser space by utilising various data structures while ensuring data integrity.

• Upon decompression, the encoded user data will be displayed as the original text and also show the % space saved by the user after compression.

Data Structures Used:

1. Priority Queue

2. Unordered Map

3. Vector

4. Binary Heap

Steps:

1. Get the frequency of each character from the input text

2. Build Huffman Tree and assign the binary code to each character

3. Compression: Encode each character of the input text with the binary code

4. Decompression: Decode by replacing each binary code with the associated character

• Unordered Maps from the STL are utilised in storing the characters and their frequencies

• Priority queue is crucial while generating the Huffman Tree as the algorithm depends on the priority order of the characters

• Vectors from the STL are required to keep track of nodes and assist the priority queue