How to work with zip archives

This note was created on 6/4/2020
This note was last edited on 1/31/2023

zip is a popular archive file format that supports lossless data compression. A ".zip" file may contain one or more files or directories. "zip" utility is used to compress file(s) and "unzip" to extract.

=== Usage ===
- Create a ".zip" archive from file(s):
  > zip archive.zip file1 file2
  Use "-m" to delete source file(s).
  Use "-r" to compress folder(s).
  Use "-e" to encrypt archive.

- Create a ".zip" archive from file, while specifying the compression level (1 being worst, 9 best, and 6 default). For example, level 7:
  > zip -7 archive.zip file1

- Extract file(s) from archive:
  > unzip archive.zip

- Extract file(s) to specific directory:
  > unzip archive.zip -d /home/$USER/Documents

- Extract file(s) from archive to stdout:
  > unzip -p archive.zip

- List all files in "archive.zip":
  > unzip -l archive.zip
  Use "-v" for verbose output.

- Add file(s) to archive:
  > zip -u archive.zip file3 file4

- Remove file(s) from archive: 
  > zip -d archive.zip file4

- Test compressed archive data:
  > unzip -t archive.zip