Eugene Roshal (; born 1972) is a Russian

software engineer Software engineering is a branch of both computer science and engineering focused on designing, developing, testing, and maintaining software applications. It involves applying engineering principles and computer programming expertise to develop ...

best known for developing the RAR file format, the WinRAR archiver, and the FAR file manager. His contributions have significantly impacted the field of

data compression In information theory, data compression, source coding, or bit-rate reduction is the process of encoding information using fewer bits than the original representation. Any particular compression is either lossy or lossless. Lossless compressi ...

and file management.

Career

Development of RAR and WinRAR

In 1993, Roshal developed the RAR (Roshal Archive) file format, designed to offer higher compression ratios compared to existing formats like ZIP. Two years later, in 1995, he released WinRAR, a graphical file archiver utility for

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

that utilizes the RAR format. WinRAR quickly gained popularity due to its efficiency, user-friendly interface, and robust feature set, including support for multiple languages,

encryption In Cryptography law, cryptography, encryption (more specifically, Code, encoding) is the process of transforming information in a way that, ideally, only authorized parties can decode. This process converts the original representation of the inf ...

, and archive repair capabilities.

FAR File Manager

In 1996, Roshal introduced the FAR (File and Archive Manager) file manager, a text-based file management tool for Windows. FAR is appreciated by developers and power users for its flexibility, plugin support, and efficient handling of files and directories.

Ownership and Copyright

While Eugene created the RAR compression algorithm, the copyright is held by his older brother, Alexander Roshal. This arrangement allows Eugene to concentrate on software development without being encumbered by copyright and licensing issues.

Contributions

* RAR file format (1993): A proprietary archive file format that supports data compression, error recovery, and file spanning. *

WinRAR WinRAR is a trialware file archiver utility, developed by Eugene Roshal of win.rar GmbH. It can create and view archives in RAR or ZIP file formats, and unpack numerous archive file formats. To enable the user to test the integrity of archive ...

file archiver (1995): A widely-used file archiver that provides a graphical interface for managing RAR and ZIP archives, among others. It is known for its high compression ratios and extensive feature set. * FAR file manager (1996): A versatile file management tool that offers a text-based interface with support for plugins, making it highly customizable and efficient for advanced users.

Career

Development of RAR and WinRAR

FAR File Manager

Ownership and Copyright

Contributions

References

Further reading