ZIP (.zip)

Import and Export fully support the ZIP format.
Import and Export can work with general ZIP archives as well as with specific application formats consisting of multiple related files.

Background & Context

- Registered MIME type: application/zip
- Popular data compression and archival format.
- Used to reduce storage space and transfer times.
- Binary format.
- Can contain multiple files.
- Supports a variety of compression methods.
- Published by Phil Katz in 1989.

Import & Export

When importing files from a ZIP archive, the specific converter for each format will be used.
Import["file.zip"] returns an expression of the form {"fn₁", "fn₂",…}, giving full path specifications for all files in "file.zip".
Import["file.zip",elem] imports the specified element from a ZIP file.
Import["file.zip","fn"] extracts "fn" from the archive and imports it.
Import["file.zip",{elem,sub_a,sub_b,…}] imports a subelement.
Import["file.zip",{{elem₁,elem₂,…}}] imports multiple elements.
Import["file","ZIP"] or Import["file",{"ZIP",elem,…}] imports any file as a ZIP archive.
Export["file.zip",expr,elem] creates a ZIP archive by treating expr as specifying element elem.
Export["file.zip",{expr₁,expr₂,…},{{elem₁,elem₂,…}}] treats each expr_i as specifying the corresponding elem_i.
Export["file.zip","fn"->expr] exports expr to a file and compresses it as a ZIP archive, inferring the file format from the file extension of "fn".
Export["file.zip","fn₁"->expr₁,"fn₂"->expr₂,…] exports multiple expressions to a ZIP file archive.
See the following reference pages for full general information:

	Import, Export	import from or export to a file
	CloudImport, CloudExport	import from or export to a cloud object
	ImportString, ExportString	import from or export to a string
	ImportByteArray, ExportByteArray	import from or export to a byte array

Import Elements

General Import elements:
"Elements" list of elements and options available in this file

"Summary" summary of the file

"Rules" list of rules for all available elements
The following can be used to select or specify individual files in a ZIP archive:

	"FileNames"	list of filenames representing the contents of a ZIP archive
	"filename"	a single file
	"filename","format"	a single file, taken to be in the specified format
	"filename","format",elem	element elem from the specified file

Import by default uses the "FileNames" element for the ZIP format.
Import["file.zip","fn"] extracts and imports file "fn".
File names can include relative or absolute directory specifications and the abbreviated string patterns supported by StringMatchQ.
Import["file.zip","*"] imports an entire archive.
Import["file.zip","dir/*.jpg"] imports all JPEG files from subdirectory dir.
Export["file.zip","file₁.gif"->expr₁,"file₂.txt"->expr₂] creates a ZIP archive containing a GIF and a text file.
Export["file",{expr₁,expr₂},{"ZIP",{{"file₁","GIF"},{"file₂","Text"}}}] is equivalent to the above.

Options

General Export option:
CompressionLevel Automatic ZIP compression strength, given as a number in the range 0 to 1
The setting CompressionLevel->1 corresponds to the strongest available compression, resulting in the smallest possible file size.

Examples

open allclose all

Basic Examples (1)

This creates a ZIP archive containing a GIF and a text file:

Importing a ZIP archive gives the names of the files in the archive by default:

Import all files using their default element:

Extract and import the GIF file:

Extract and import all text files:

Scope (1)

Elements for a ZIP archive:

Extract available elements for one of the files in the ZIP archive:

Import some elements from one of the files in the archive:

Import the default element for multiple files with different formats:

Import Elements (1)

"FileNames" (1)

Get the names of all files in a ZIP archive:

This is also the default element:

Export Options (1)

CompressionLevel (1)

Get some text to export:

By default, the maximum amount of compression is used:

This is equivalent to CompressionLevel1:

Specify the minimum amount of compression:

Properties & Relations (2)