How to compress file(s) in C++

[backslashx00]

I would like to compress a file and have C++ hold it such as a folder, images, and videos. Is this possible? If so, is there any links or tuts that show how to do this, or even a open source code? Basically I want to contain my folders, etc and then when ever I want to get a hold of my files, I'll have to dump it out with a special password access... I hope it is not to difficult to do... but i'll still try.

[Stewbond]

Here's 7zip, an open-source software that does exactly this:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/files/?source=navbar

[backslashx00]

I remember downloading a file for something... and it opened as a Console, and extracted everything in my C:\, I do not know what language the person created it in, but after that I wanted to have my own console version do this with all my files. I downloaded 7zip, it seems like almost a .rar type of software.

I have the software 7-zip, but where is the Source code?

[Stewbond]

Oh, you can find the source code here (my mistake):
http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

It CAN be done in C++. Use something like boost::filesystem to iterate through all folders and files in a file system. Then use your own algorithm to compress them into a binary file. Some algorithms take consecutive zeros and replace them with a shorter symbol (that's an easy algorithm). In the compressed format, you also need to define the folder structure, this will let you restore the same format later.

[Catfish4]

I strongly recommend reading about data compression before you jump into coding:

http://mattmahoney.net/dc/dce.html
http://www.cs.duke.edu/csed/curious/compression/

[Zaita]

http://zlib.net/