Xceed .NET Libraries Documentation
Welcome to Xceed Data Manipulation Compoents for .NET and .NET Standard / Features of Xceed Zip for .NET
In This Topic
    Features of Xceed Zip for .NET
    In This Topic

    .NET technology

    • 100% managed code, written in C#; complete source code available through a Blueprint subscription

    • Entirely rewritten and redesigned -- not a .NET interface over a recycled ActiveX component like some other software vendors are trying to sell 

    • Object-oriented design created specifically for versions 4 and 2.0 to 3.5 of the .NET Framework 

    • Seamless integration with the .NET base class libraries 

    • All error handling works through .NET exception classes 

    • Objects don’t need to be explicitly disposed of 

    • CLS compliant (Common Language Specification)   

    • Does not use unsafe blocks for minimal permission requirements 

    • Works with .NET Isolated Storage for temporary files as needed (not available in .NET CF version

    • Documentation fully integrated into Visual Studio .NET 

    • VB.NET and C# samples include a WinZip-like zip application, a PKZIP-like console zip application, a streaming compression sample and a Windows Explorer-like application that allows you to work with files, folders and zip files interchangeably; also shows how to compress and decompress HTTP web responses with GZip, and memory streams and file streams using Zlib / Deflate (not all samples are available for .NET CF version)

    • The .NET 4 build is compiled using the Client Profile.

    Major Features

    • File and folder synchronization, on FileSystemItem and FileSystemItem-derived objects, such as AbstractFile or AbstractFolder objects and their derivatives 

    • Full Windows Vista support

    • Three new "Quick" classes provide static methods that let you perform FTP, Tar, and GZip operations with a single line of code: QuickFtp, QuickTar, and QuickGZip. These new classes accompany and complement the currently available QuickZip and QuickCompression classes.

    • Xceed FTP for .NET Compact Framework

    • Easy-to-use, rock-solid security through industry-standard AES encryption, compatible with WinZip 9 and higher, with encryption strengths of 128, 192, and 256 bits. Alternative AES implementations to the default can be specified. (Not supported by Xceed Zip for .NET Compact Framework)
    • The only library to provide WinZip 12 compatibility, supporting the LZMA algorithm for improved compression in certain situations. Note: Zip files using WinZip 12’s special JPEG recompression feature are not supported. (New in version 4.1)

    • UTF-8 character encoding is available in headers for improved support of international characters in filenames and comments. (New in version 4.1)

    • Support for the Zip64 zip file format 

    • Support for BZip2 compression algorithm

    • Support for the PPMd compression algorithm, for producing the most compressed output possible, especially with text and XML files

    • Support for extra headers containing detailed time-stamp information in both PKWARE and Info-Zip formats (last modified, last accessed and creation) and Unicode file names (for international characters). 

    • Create new zip files or update existing zip files on disk or in memory 

    • Zip or unzip to and from disks, memory or isolated storage 
    • Read, write and update zip files split into multiple parts 

    • Read, write and update zip files that span multiple disks 

    • Create powerful fully customized self-extracting zip files 

    • Supports the new Deflate64™ compression method 

    • List contents of a zip file with complete file specifications 

    • Compress or decompress any .NET stream 

    • Supports encryption and decryption of .NET streams using compatible encryption.

    • Compress and decompress byte arrays completely in memory 

    • Copy, move, rename, delete and change attributes of files and folders in a zip file, on disk, in memory or in isolated storage 

    • Zip password encryption 

    • One-line shortcut classes for basic zip file and compression operations 

    • Fully extensible classes so you can customize the library’s functionality as needed 

    • Information-rich status report events with percentages, byte and file counts 

    • Programmable filter system to limit processing to specific files or folders, with built-in filters for file attribute, size, date timestamp and filenames. Create your own custom filters as needed.

    • Efficiently creates zip files by allowing developers to decided whether folder entries should be written to the archive, which reduces its size. (New in version 5.1/4.3)

    • Can create archives using the Deflate format without compression, for full compatibily with Xceed Real-Time Zip and generally improved flexibility. (New in version 5.1/4.3)

    Tar and GZip features (non-FileSystem GZip support only in CF version)

    • Tar and GZip for maximum compatibility between your applications and the data they need to work with 

    • Handle Tar and GZip files as easily as if they were regular files and folders 

    • Full read/write compatibility with USTAR format Tar archives 

    • Read compatibility with GNU Tar archives as long as archive entries do not use the header extensions of this format

    Other features

    • Zip encryption on a per-file basis (password protection only in .NET CF version

    • Recursively zip or unzip entire directories and their contents 

    • Control the path information stored in the zip file for each file or folder 

    • Zip or unzip only files newer than those already in the zip file or destination folder 

    • Overwrite files only in certain conditions 

    • Split zip file can use the Pkware or Xceed naming convention for each zip file part or create your own custom naming convention 

    • Split zip file parts can be written to different folders 

    • Triggers only the events your application subscribes to for increased performance 

    • Get and set individual file comments or the global zip file comment 

    • Supports different encryption passwords for each file 

    • Controllable compression levels and methods 

    • Supports UNC paths 
    • Ability to preview which files will end up being processed 

    • Process system and hidden files, overwrite read-only files 

    • Supports the GZip, Zlib, Info-Zip, Java and proprietary compression formats that include embedded checksums to ensure data integrity 

    • True .NET pass-through stream object that can automatically compress or decompress any other type of .NET stream's data 

    • Calculate CRC-32 and Adler-32 checksums on streams or byte arrays

    Self-extracting zip file features

    • Create new self-extracting zip files or transform already existing zip files into self-extracting zip files 

    • Self-extracting zip files can span multiple disks 

    • Creates 32-bit self-extracting zip files that work on all Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, and XP operating systems, or 16-bit self-extracting zip files that work on Windows 3.x as well 

    • Update and reconfigure an existing self-extracting zip file 

    • Create self-extracting Zip files for the traditional PKZIP 2.04g compression method. Also supports the Deflate64™, BZip2, and BWT methods.

    • Create self-extracting zip files that support AES encryption. (Not available in CF version)

    • Use extra headers such as Unicode filenames, extended filestamps, and security descriptors.
    • Supports the Zip64 zip file format allowing the creation of Zip files which can contain a practically unlimited number of archived files. Note: Due to limitations in the Windows operating system, creating or using self-extracting Zip files larger than 2 GB is not recommended.

    • Customizable introduction message and dialog box titles 

    • Display a license agreement with configurable accept and refuse buttons 

    • Customize all other messages, prompts and button captions 

    • Customize the self-extracting zip file's application icon (not available in .NET CF version

    • Set the default unzipping folder 

    • Allow user to select an alternate unzipping folder 

    • Request a password whenever an encrypted file is encountered 

    • The user can enter the decryption password or skip the file if they don't have the password for the file 

    • Display a text file after successfully unzipping files 

    • Customizable overwrite behavior with dialog box offering the user various overwrite options 

    • Display unzipping status 

    • User interaction and dialogs can be selectively shut off for quiet operation 

    • Execute one or more applications (optionally with parameters) or open documents after successfully unzipping files 

    • Copy one or more files from one location to another after unzipping 

    • Register DLLs (or other libraries) on the system after unzipping 

    • Add or change key values in the registry after unzipping 

    • Create self-extracting zip files with a built-in decryption password. This prevents users from using compression utilities to unzip the files, forcing users to view your custom introduction, license agreement or warning messages 

    • Create program groups and insert items into program groups 

    • Associate filename extensions with applications 

    • Allows 3rd-party install or setup programs (and their data files) to be unzipped into a temporary folder, executed, and then deleted upon completion 

    • Custom paths, filenames, strings and prompts are parsed, allowing you to insert strings such as the current folder, windows and windows system directories, the temporary folder, and more