JSPM

  • ESM via JSPM
  • ES Module Entrypoint
  • Export Map
  • Keywords
  • License
  • Repository URL
  • TypeScript Types
  • README
  • Created
  • Published
  • Downloads 618
  • Score
    100M100P100Q4674F
  • License MIT

Fast, compact, and defensive ZIP reader and writer for modern browser apps, with safe defaults, Web Streams, ZIP64, metadata, and unsafe-archive guards.

Package Exports

  • web-jszipp
  • web-jszipp/browser-legacy/cr61ff58
  • web-jszipp/browser-legacy/cr86ff68

Readme

JSZipp

The ZIP library for browser apps that need safety, streaming, and archive fidelity.

JSZipp is a tiny, dependency-free ZIP reader and writer for modern browser apps. It combines safe defaults, Web Streams integration, ZIP64, full archive metadata, correct filename decoding, TypeScript types, and practical output shapes (Blob, Response, ReadableStream, Uint8Array, ArrayBuffer) in one focused package.

Reach for JSZipp when your app handles ZIP archives in the browser — file uploads, downloadable exports, .docx / .xlsx / .epub inspection, plugin bundles, templates, CI artifacts, generated reports, or package-like archives — and you want the default path to be safe and productive.

import { ZipWriter, openZip } from "web-jszipp";

// Create a browser-downloadable ZIP.
const writer = new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "blob" });
await writer.add({ path: "hello.txt", data: "Hello from JSZipp" });
const download = await writer.close();

// Open an untrusted upload with the strict package profile.
const zip = await openZip(fileInput.files![0], {
  pathMode: "strict-package",
  maxArchiveSize: 50 * 1024 * 1024,
  maxEntrySize: 10 * 1024 * 1024
});

console.log(await zip.get("hello.txt")?.text());
await zip.close();

Why JSZipp?

Most ZIP libraries make the happy path easy. JSZipp is designed to make the safe browser happy path easy.

General-user need Why it matters JSZipp's answer
Accept user ZIP uploads ZIP filenames are attacker-controlled paths, not harmless labels. openZip() rejects unsafe paths by default; strict-package adds package-grade collision and local/central consistency checks.
Avoid zip-bomb surprises A small upload can claim one size and expand into much more data. maxArchiveSize bounds the archive and maxEntrySize is enforced while inflating.
Ship less JavaScript Browser apps pay for every byte and every dependency. Zero dependencies, native DecompressionStream for reading deflated entries, and tree-shakeable reader/writer entry points.
Work with real browser APIs Downloads, fetch responses, service workers, and pipelines already speak Web APIs. ZipWriter can return Blob, Response, ReadableStream, Uint8Array, or ArrayBuffer; ZipTransformStream is a native TransformStream.
Preserve real archive data Archives are more than compressed bytes: comments, modes, timestamps, names, and ZIP64 matter. ZIP64, comments, extra fields, Unix mode bits, DOS + UTC timestamps, CRC-32, CP437, TextDecoder fallbacks, and Info-ZIP Unicode Path support.
Keep the app code simple Most teams do not want to write their own ZIP safety and metadata layer. Random-access entries / get(path) plus text() / bytes() / arrayBuffer() / stream() helpers and full TypeScript types.

The practical win is not that JSZipp beats every library at every benchmark. It is that common browser ZIP tasks need fewer adapters, fewer security footguns, and fewer project-specific validation rules.

Highlights

  • Safe by default. openZip rejects Zip Slip (..), absolute, drive-letter, drive-relative, backslash, and NUL-byte paths out of the box. It also cross-checks each entry's local header against the central directory for filename, security-flag, and reused-offset consistency, so a scanner and an extractor cannot be shown two different file trees.
  • A stricter profile for untrusted packages. pathMode: "strict-package" adds local/central size cross-checks and rejects duplicate, case-only (Readme.txt vs README.TXT), and Unicode NFC/NFD path collisions — the parser-differential tricks that appear when one tool validates an archive and another extracts it.
  • Anti-zip-bomb caps. maxArchiveSize and maxEntrySize bound input and per-entry output. maxEntrySize is enforced during inflate, so a header that lies about its uncompressed size cannot expand past the cap before JSZipp notices.
  • Browser-native output. Create a ZIP byte stream by default, or ask for a Blob for downloads, a Response for fetch-like APIs, or raw bytes for storage and tests. AbortSignal and progress callbacks are first-class.
  • Stream-shaped APIs. ZipTransformStream drops into Web Streams pipelines, while readZipStream gives you a for await...of reader for archive entries.
  • Full-fidelity ZIP handling. ZIP64 (auto/force/off), store + deflate, per-file and archive comments, extra fields, Unix mode bits, DOS + UTC (0x5455) timestamps, CRC-32 integrity, and EOCD-by-content detection that resists comment/append forgery.
  • Correct filenames. UTF-8 with the UTF-8 flag, a built-in CP437 decoder, TextDecoder fallbacks (shift_jis, gbk, big5, …), and CRC-verified Info-ZIP Unicode Path (0x7075) support.
  • Ergonomic and typed. Random-access entries / get(path), reusable text() / bytes() / arrayBuffer() / stream() helpers, synchronous in-memory writing, and full TypeScript types.

JSZipp vs JSZip vs fflate

There are excellent ZIP libraries already. The honest summary:

  • JSZip is a mature, friendly, general-purpose ZIP toolkit with a large ecosystem and a familiar API.
  • fflate is a best-in-class JavaScript compression engine with fast raw DEFLATE/GZIP/Zlib/ZIP primitives and callback-style streaming tools.
  • JSZipp focuses on safe, browser-native, full-fidelity ZIP archive handling for apps that read or write archives crossing a trust boundary.
JSZipp JSZip fflate
Best fit Browser ZIP handling with safety defaults Mature general ZIP toolkit Fastest/smallest compression engine
Read unsafe paths Rejects by default; sanitize / unsafe are opt-in Sanitizes relative path traversal; strict rejection policy is app-defined App-defined
Package hardening strict-package collision + local/central checks No strict-package profile No strict-package profile
Parser-differential defenses Filename, security flags, reused offsets; size checks in strict-package Not the primary focus Not the primary focus
Anti-zip-bomb caps Built in (maxArchiveSize, bounded maxEntrySize) App-defined App-defined/filter-based
Browser Web Streams Native ReadableStream + TransformStream shapes Promise/StreamHelper/Node stream oriented Callback stream APIs
Browser output targets ReadableStream, Blob, Response, Uint8Array, ArrayBuffer Common byte/blob outputs Byte arrays/callback chunks
Random-access convenience entries, get(path), reusable entry readers Yes, mature object API Mostly lower-level ZIP primitives
Full archive metadata Comments, extra fields, modes, timestamps, ZIP64 Common metadata, but some input data is discarded on rewrite Focused on compression/archive primitives
Filename encodings UTF-8, CP437, TextDecoder fallbacks, Unicode Path extra UTF-8 plus custom decode hooks UTF-8-oriented API
Dependencies None None None
Raw compression speed Good Moderate Best-in-class

Competitor cells are deliberately high-level and may change by version. Verify library-specific behavior against the release you use.

Choosing between them

  • Pick JSZipp when you read ZIP uploads, inspect package-like archives, create downloadable ZIPs in a browser, need Web Streams or Response output, care about metadata, or want safe defaults instead of writing your own path, collision, and zip-bomb guardrails.
  • Pick JSZip when you already rely on its API or ecosystem, want the most familiar general-purpose ZIP object model, and do not need JSZipp's stricter trust-boundary profile or browser-native stream shapes.
  • Pick fflate when raw compression/decompression speed, worker-based throughput, or the smallest compression-focused primitive is the deciding factor, and you are comfortable building your own archive policy, metadata layer, and app-specific validation.

If your decision question is "can my browser app safely open this ZIP upload?", JSZipp is built for that job: use openZip with pathMode: "strict-package" plus explicit maxArchiveSize and maxEntrySize caps, and reject archives that do not meet the profile.

Runtime

  • ECMAScript 2019 output
  • Modern browsers with ReadableStream, TransformStream, Blob, and DecompressionStream for reading deflated entries
  • Intended browser baseline: Chrome 80+ and Firefox 113+ class browsers
  • Node.js can run the tests, but the library is designed for browser APIs

Error Messages

JSZipp keeps exception classes and DOMException names stable across builds (RangeError, TypeError, SecurityError, InvalidStateError, NotSupportedError, and so on). Production bundles shorten error.message to codes such as E_PATH, E_LIMIT, and E_STRUCTURE; source/dev execution keeps the detailed diagnostic messages used by the test suite.

Install

pnpm add web-jszipp
import JSZipp, {
  ZipWriter,
  ZipTransformStream,
  openZip,
  readZipStream,
  TimestampMode
} from "web-jszipp";

JSZipp is the default namespace export and includes the same runtime values: ZipWriter, ZipTransformStream, openZip, readZipStream, and TimestampMode. Named exports are usually more convenient in application code.

Browser-legacy builds are opt-in npm subpaths for apps that must target older browser pairs. They expose the same public API as the main entry point, but ship extra compatibility code:

import { ZipWriter, openZip } from "web-jszipp/browser-legacy/cr61ff58";
import { ZipWriter, openZip } from "web-jszipp/browser-legacy/cr86ff68";

If you prefer CDN script tags, use one of the following UMD builds:

<!-- Modern UMD default -->

<script src="https://unpkg.com/web-jszipp"></script>

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/web-jszipp"></script>


<!-- Chrome 61 / Firefox 58 compatible UMD -->

<script src="https://unpkg.com/web-jszipp/dist/cr61ff58/jszipp.umd.js"></script>

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/web-jszipp/dist/cr61ff58/jszipp.umd.js"></script>


<!-- Chrome 86 / Firefox 68 compatible UMD -->

<script src="https://unpkg.com/jszipp/dist/cr86ff68/jszipp.umd.js"></script>

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/jszipp/dist/cr86ff68/jszipp.umd.js"></script>

Which API Should I Use?

Your app needs to Use Why
Create a ZIP Blob for download or upload new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "blob" }) Easiest option for most browser apps.
Create a ZIP HTTP response new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "response" }) Returns a native Response wrapper.
Create a ZIP byte stream new ZipWriter() Default mode returns ReadableStream<Uint8Array>.
Create raw ZIP bytes new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "uint8array" }) Returns browser byte containers directly.
Insert ZIP creation into an existing Web Streams pipeline ZipTransformStream It is a native TransformStream.
Open a user-selected .zip file and read files by name openZip Best random-access API for Blob, File, Uint8Array, or ArrayBuffer.
Open an untrusted upload or package openZip(file, { pathMode: "strict-package", maxArchiveSize, maxEntrySize }) Applies the strongest reader policy with explicit size caps.
List every entry in archive order, including duplicate names from foreign archives openZip(...).entries Preserves the archive's true entry order.
Get JSZipp's selected file for a path when duplicates exist openZip(...).get(path) Returns the last matching central-directory entry; external extractors vary.
Consume a ZIP as an async iterator readZipStream Forward-style iteration with single-use entry tokens.
Read a file more than once or concurrently openZip Random-access entries create independent streams.
Create a small in-memory ZIP synchronously writer.writeSync() + writer.closeSync() Useful for tests, fixtures, and already-in-memory data.

Most browser apps should use:

  • ZipWriter for creating archives
  • openZip for reading archives selected by the user

Use ZipTransformStream only when you already think in Web Streams. Use readZipStream when async iteration is a better fit than path lookup.

Create A ZIP

ZipWriter is the simplest way to create an archive. For browser downloads, ask it to return a Blob.

import { ZipWriter } from "web-jszipp";

const writer = new ZipWriter({ level: 6, outputAs: "blob" });

await writer.add({ path: "hello.txt", data: "Hello from JSZipp" });
await writer.add({ path: "docs/readme.md", data: "# Readme\n" });
const zipBlob = await writer.close();

Save it from the browser:

const url = URL.createObjectURL(zipBlob);
const link = document.createElement("a");
link.href = url;
link.download = "archive.zip";
link.click();
URL.revokeObjectURL(url);

Add Different Data Types

ZipInputEntry.data accepts string, Uint8Array, ArrayBuffer, Blob, or ReadableStream<Uint8Array>.

const writer = new ZipWriter({ level: 6, outputAs: "blob" });

await writer.add({ path: "text.txt", data: "plain text" });
await writer.add({ path: "bytes.bin", data: new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3]) });
await writer.add({ path: "buffer.bin", data: new Uint8Array([4, 5, 6]).buffer });
await writer.add({ path: "photo.jpg", data: fileInput.files![0] });
await writer.add({ path: "folder/", data: "" });
await writer.add({
  path: "stream.txt",
  data: new Blob(["streamed content"]).stream()
});

const zipBlob = await writer.close();

Add Metadata

Each entry can include a comment, timestamps, Unix permissions, DOS attributes, or low-level ZIP metadata. Writer options can also include an archive-level ZIP comment.

const writer = new ZipWriter({
  outputAs: "blob",
  comment: "Generated by JSZipp"
});

await writer.add({
  path: "report.txt",
  data: "Quarterly report",
  meta: {
    comment: "Generated in the browser",
    modifiedAt: new Date("2026-05-31T12:00:00Z"),
    unixPermissions: 0o644
  }
});

await writer.add({
  path: "scripts/build.sh",
  data: "#!/bin/sh\npnpm build\n",
  meta: { unixPermissions: 0o755 }
});

Compression Options

new ZipWriter({
  level: 6,
  zip64: "auto",
  outputAs: "blob"
});

level:

  • 0: store files without compression
  • 1 to 9: use DEFLATE compression with real level control
  • default: 6

zip64:

  • "auto": emit ZIP64 records only when standard ZIP limits are exceeded. This is the default.
  • "force": always emit ZIP64-compatible records.
  • "off": write standard ZIP records and throw if ZIP64 would be required.

outputAs:

  • "stream": close() returns ReadableStream<Uint8Array>. This is the default.
  • "blob": close() returns a native Blob.
  • "response": close() returns a native Response.
  • "uint8array": close() returns a Uint8Array.
  • "arraybuffer": close() returns an ArrayBuffer.

Use level: 6 for text, JSON, CSV, HTML, and similar files. JSZipp will store an entry automatically when the default DEFLATE attempt would not make it smaller. Use level: 0 or method: "store" when you want to skip compression work entirely for already-compressed files such as JPEG, PNG, MP4, or PDF.

You can override compression per entry:

await writer.add({ path: "photo.jpg", data: photoFile, method: "store" });
await writer.add({ path: "data/report.json", data: jsonText, method: "deflate" });

method: "store" skips compression for that entry. method: "deflate" forces JSZipp's in-repo raw DEFLATE writer. When no per-entry method is set, JSZipp uses DEFLATE but stores the entry instead if the compressed payload would be no smaller than the source. Entry-level level overrides the writer default for that file, so you can use lower levels for faster files and higher levels for deeper match search.

Generated archives use ZIP method 0x0000 for stored entries, ZIP method 0x0008 for deflated entries, and general-purpose bit flags 0x0800 to mark filenames/comments as UTF-8. For the ZIP-format distinction between compression method values and general-purpose bit flags, see ZIP metadata traps.

Choose The Output Type

Default streaming output:

const writer = new ZipWriter();

await writer.add({ path: "log.txt", data: "stream me" });
const stream = await writer.close();

Blob output for downloads, file uploads, or openZip:

const writer = new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "blob" });

await writer.add({ path: "report.txt", data: "download me" });
const blob = await writer.close();

Response output for service workers, route handlers, and fetch-like APIs:

const writer = new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "response" });

await writer.add({ path: "api.txt", data: "response body" });
const response = await writer.close();

Custom response MIME type:

const writer = new ZipWriter({
  outputAs: "response",
  mimeType: "application/x-zip-compressed"
});

Raw byte output:

const bytes = await new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "uint8array" }).close();
const buffer = await new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "arraybuffer" }).close();

Synchronous In-Memory Writing

Use writeSync() / closeSync() for tests, fixtures, small generated archives, or code paths where all entry data is already in memory. The synchronous API accepts string, Uint8Array, and ArrayBuffer data. Use async add() for Blob and ReadableStream input.

const writer = new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "uint8array" });

writer.writeSync({ path: "manifest.json", data: JSON.stringify({ ok: true }) });
writer.writeSync({ path: "data.bin", data: new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3]) });

const zipBytes = writer.closeSync();

Do not mix sync and async writes on the same writer. JSZipp rejects mixed usage so entries are not accidentally routed to different output paths.

Read A ZIP By File Name

Use openZip when the ZIP is a Blob, File, Uint8Array, or ArrayBuffer, such as a file chosen from an <input type="file">.

import { openZip } from "web-jszipp";

const file = fileInput.files![0];
const reader = await openZip(file);

const readme = reader.get("docs/readme.md");
if (readme) {
  console.log(await readme.text());
}

await reader.close();

By default, openZip() rejects unsafe entry paths that could escape an extraction root, including .., absolute paths, drive-letter paths (including drive-relative names like C:name), backslash-separated paths, and paths containing a NUL byte. Use pathMode: "sanitize" to normalize unsafe names instead, or pathMode: "unsafe" only when you need raw archive names and will handle extraction safety yourself.

const reader = await openZip(file, { pathMode: "sanitize" });

Strict Package Mode

For archives that cross a trust boundary — uploads, software packages, CI artifacts, document bundles — use pathMode: "strict-package". It applies all the "strict" path checks above and adds two cross-entry checks the default deliberately leaves off (so the default can preserve duplicate paths and defer size integrity to read time):

  • the local file header and central directory sizes must agree (for non-streaming entries), and
  • no two entries may collide after Unicode (NFC) and case normalization — this rejects exact duplicates, case-only twins (Readme.txt vs README.TXT), and NFC/NFD twins.
try {
  // A hostile package with duplicate, case-colliding, or size-spoofing entries
  // throws here instead of being silently accepted.
  const reader = await openZip(untrustedUpload, { pathMode: "strict-package" });
  for (const entry of reader.entries) {
    // ... safe to process
  }
} catch (error) {
  // Reject the upload: it does not meet the strict package profile.
}

The default reader (pathMode: "strict") is unchanged: it still preserves duplicate paths and verifies size/CRC integrity at read time.

Writers reject duplicate normalized entry paths. If you need to replace an entry, choose the final payload before calling add() or writeSync().

List Every Entry

reader.entries preserves the real order inside the archive. This matters for ZIP files from other tools that contain duplicate paths.

const reader = await openZip(zipBlob);

for (const entry of reader.entries) {
  console.log({
    path: entry.path,
    size: entry.size,
    compressedSize: entry.compressedSize,
    crc32: entry.crc32,
    isDirectory: entry.isDirectory,
    comment: entry.comment,
    modifiedAt: entry.modifiedAt,
    externalAttributes: entry.externalAttributes,
    unixFileAttributes: entry.externalAttributes !== undefined ? entry.externalAttributes >>> 16 : undefined,
    dosAttributeByte: entry.externalAttributes !== undefined ? entry.externalAttributes & 0xff : undefined
  });
}

Duplicate File Names

ZIP archives can contain the same path more than once. entries shows all of them. get(path) returns the latest matching entry.

const reader = await openZip(zipBlob);

const allCopies = reader.entries.filter((entry) => entry.path === "data.json");
const latest = reader.get("data.json");

Read Entry Data

Random-access entries from openZip are reusable. You can call stream() or text() many times.

const entry = reader.get("data.json");

if (entry) {
  const text = await entry.text();
  const bytes = await entry.bytes();
  const buffer = await entry.arrayBuffer();
}

Read Legacy File Names

If an archive does not mark names as UTF-8, openZip can use a fallback encoding.

const reader = await openZip(file, {
  filenameEncoding: "shift_jis",
  pathMode: "strict"
});

Supported fallback values:

  • "cp437"
  • any charset label supported by TextDecoder, such as "utf-8", "shift_jis", or "windows-1252"

See Filename Charset Handling for details on ZIP filename charset behavior and choosing a fallback.

Stream Pipeline Writing

Use ZipTransformStream when another part of your app already writes ZipInputEntry objects into a stream.

import { ZipTransformStream } from "web-jszipp";

const zipStream = new ZipTransformStream({ level: 6 });
const archivePromise = new Response(zipStream.readable).blob();
const writer = zipStream.writable.getWriter();

await writer.write({ path: "a.txt", data: "A" });
await writer.write({ path: "b.txt", data: "B" });
await writer.close();

const zipBlob = await archivePromise;

Async Iterator Reading

Use readZipStream when you want a for await...of style reader.

import { readZipStream } from "web-jszipp";

for await (const entry of readZipStream(zipBlob.stream())) {
  if (entry.isDirectory) {
    await entry.skip();
    continue;
  }

  if (entry.path.endsWith(".txt")) {
    console.log(entry.path, await entry.text());
  } else {
    await entry.skip();
  }
}

ZipStreamEntry payloads are single-use. For each entry, call exactly one of:

  • entry.stream()
  • entry.text()
  • entry.bytes()
  • entry.arrayBuffer()
  • entry.skip()

If you need to read the same entry more than once, use openZip instead.

API Reference

new ZipWriter(options?)

High-level ZIP writer.

const writer = new ZipWriter({
  level: 6,
  zip64: "auto",
  outputAs: "blob"
});

Properties and methods:

  • writer.output: ReadableStream<Uint8Array>
  • writer.add(entry: ZipInputEntry): Promise<void>
  • writer.writeSync(entry: ZipSyncInputEntry): void
  • writer.close(): Promise<ReadableStream<Uint8Array> | Blob | Response | Uint8Array | ArrayBuffer>
  • writer.closeSync(): ReadableStream<Uint8Array> | Blob | Response | Uint8Array | ArrayBuffer

The writer rejects duplicate normalized entry paths. It does not emit archives where two records target the same path.

close() returns a more specific type when outputAs is known:

const stream = await new ZipWriter().close();
const blob = await new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "blob" }).close();
const response = await new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "response" }).close();
const bytes = await new ZipWriter({ outputAs: "uint8array" }).close();

Options:

interface ZipWriterOptions {
  level?: number;
  zip64?: "auto" | "force" | "off";
  comment?: string;
  timestamps?: number; // bitmask of TimestampMode flags (Dos=1, Unix=2, Ntfs=4)
  pathMode?: "strict" | "sanitize" | "unsafe" | "strict-package";
  signal?: AbortSignal;
  onProgress?: (progress: ZipProgress) => void;
  explicitDirectoryEntries?: boolean;
  outputAs?: "stream" | "blob" | "response" | "uint8array" | "arraybuffer";
  mimeType?: string;
}

new ZipTransformStream(options?)

Native transform stream from ZipInputEntry objects to ZIP bytes.

const stream = new ZipTransformStream({ level: 0, zip64: "off" });

It extends:

TransformStream<ZipInputEntry, Uint8Array>

openZip(source, options?)

Random-access reader for Blob, File, Uint8Array, or ArrayBuffer.

const reader = await openZip(file, {
  filenameEncoding: "utf-8",
  pathMode: "strict-package",
  maxArchiveSize: 50 * 1024 * 1024,
  maxEntrySize: 10 * 1024 * 1024
});

Options:

interface ZipReadOptions {
  filenameEncoding?: "cp437" | StandardFilenameEncoding | {
    encoding: string;
    fatal: boolean;
    ignoreBOM: boolean;
    decode(bytes: Uint8Array): string;
  };
  pathMode?: "strict" | "sanitize" | "unsafe" | "strict-package";
  maxArchiveSize?: number;
  maxEntrySize?: number;
  signal?: AbortSignal;
  onProgress?: (progress: ZipProgress) => void;
}

Returns:

interface ZipRandomAccessReader {
  readonly comment?: string;
  readonly entries: readonly ZipRandomAccessEntry[];
  get(path: string): ZipRandomAccessEntry | undefined;
  close(): Promise<void>;
}

readZipStream(zipStream, options?)

Async iterable reader.

for await (const entry of readZipStream(zipBlob.stream())) {
  await entry.skip();
}

Returns:

AsyncIterable<ZipStreamEntry>

ZipInputEntry

interface ZipInputEntry {
  path: string;
  data: string | Uint8Array | ArrayBuffer | Blob | ReadableStream<Uint8Array>;
  method?: "store" | "deflate";
  level?: number;
  meta?: ZipEntryMeta;
}

ZipSyncInputEntry

interface ZipSyncInputEntry extends Omit<ZipInputEntry, "data"> {
  data: string | Uint8Array | ArrayBuffer;
}

ZipEntryMeta

interface ZipEntryMeta {
  comment?: string;          // per-entry comment (informational)
  extraField?: Uint8Array;   // raw, well-formed ZIP extra-field bytes — ⚠ unchecked override
  modifiedAt?: Date;         // mtime; defaults to write time; must be a valid Date ≥ 1970
  createdAt?: Date;          // defaults to modifiedAt when timestamps includes TimestampMode.Ntfs
  lastAccess?: Date;         // defaults to modifiedAt when timestamps includes TimestampMode.Ntfs
  unixPermissions?: number;  // Unix permission bits 0o000–0o777; needs the Unix timestamp mode
  dosAttributes?: number;    // MS-DOS attribute byte 0x00–0xff; 0x10 must match entry kind; not allowed in Dos|Unix
  externalAttributes?: number; // raw 32-bit external attributes — ⚠ unchecked override
}

comment is an informational per-entry comment. It does not affect extraction.

modifiedAt is the main entry timestamp and defaults to the current write time when omitted. createdAt and lastAccess are stored only when the timestamps mode includes TimestampMode.Ntfs; in that mode, omitted creation/access times default to modifiedAt.

unixPermissions stores the permission portion of a Unix mode, such as 0o644 for a regular file or 0o755 for a script or directory. JSZipp adds the file-type bits from the entry kind. Use unixPermissions: 0o755 when that permission should survive extraction.

dosAttributes stores the MS-DOS attribute byte, such as read-only, hidden, archive, or directory flags. Use it when you need Windows/DOS-style attributes; for ordinary Unix permission restoration, prefer unixPermissions.

externalAttributes is the raw 32-bit Central Directory attribute field behind Unix permissions and DOS attributes. Set it only when you need to round-trip an exact value from another archive; it overrides the higher-level permission fields.

extraField appends raw ZIP extra-field records for callers that already know the ZIP extra format. It is useful for exact metadata preservation, but most callers should leave it unset.

externalAttributes and extraField are unchecked manual overrides. JSZipp writes them as supplied and cannot detect every conflict with the entry kind or with generated metadata, so prefer unixPermissions, dosAttributes, and the timestamps option for normal writes.

For field validation and timestamp-mode interactions, see the API reference. For ZIP-format background on what metadata adds bytes, see ZIP optional metadata.

ZipRandomAccessEntry

interface ZipRandomAccessEntry extends ZipEntryMeta {
  readonly path: string;
  readonly size: number;
  readonly compressedSize: number;
  readonly crc32: number;
  readonly isDirectory: boolean;
  stream(): ReadableStream<Uint8Array>;
  text(): Promise<string>;
  bytes(): Promise<Uint8Array>;
  arrayBuffer(): Promise<ArrayBuffer>;
}

ZipStreamEntry

interface ZipStreamEntry extends ZipEntryMeta {
  readonly path: string;
  readonly size: number | null;
  readonly compressedSize: number | null;
  readonly crc32: number | null;
  readonly isDirectory: boolean;
  stream(): ReadableStream<Uint8Array>;
  text(): Promise<string>;
  bytes(): Promise<Uint8Array>;
  arrayBuffer(): Promise<ArrayBuffer>;
  skip(): Promise<void>;
}

Timestamp Modes and Archive Size

ZIP stores timestamps in more than one place, and JSZipp lets you choose which with the timestamps bitmask (TimestampMode.Dos = 1, Unix = 2, Ntfs = 4; default Dos | Unix; values outside 07 are rejected). The legacy MS-DOS date/time pair lives in the normal ZIP headers and is always written.

Every ZIP entry already has two per-entry metadata locations: a local file header before the file data, and a Central Directory header near the end of the archive. The byte counts below are the additional timestamp extra-field bytes JSZipp writes into those existing locations. They do not include the base local header, Central Directory header, filename bytes, comments, ZIP64 records, EOCD records, or compressed file data. For a broader breakdown of ZIP metadata size, see ZIP optional metadata.

  • Dos (always on). Two bytes of date plus two of time are already reserved in every local header and Central Directory header, so it adds no extra bytes beyond the normal per-entry ZIP headers. The tradeoff is fidelity: 2-second granularity, no time zone (interpreted as local wall-clock), and a representable range of 1980–2107. Dates before 1980 clamp upward; the writer rejects pre-1970 (negative) dates outright.
  • Unix (0x5455 Extended Timestamp). Whole-second UTC mtime. JSZipp writes a 9-byte extra-field record in both the local header and Central Directory header (+18 timestamp bytes per entry). It also lets you set unixPermissions and makes the archive advertise the Unix host. Skipped for dates outside the unsigned 32-bit Unix range (then only DOS applies).
  • Ntfs (0x000a NTFS extra). 100-nanosecond UTC modification, access, and creation times. JSZipp writes a 36-byte extra-field record in both headers (+72 timestamp bytes per entry). When this flag is set, a missing createdAt or lastAccess defaults to modifiedAt. It also lets you set dosAttributes.
timestamps Extra timestamp bytes/entry mtime precision createdAt / lastAccess unixPermissions dosAttributes
Dos 0 2 s, local not stored rejected allowed
Dos | Unix (default) +18 1 s, UTC not stored allowed rejected
Dos | Ntfs +72 100 ns, UTC stored (default to mtime) rejected allowed
Dos | Unix | Ntfs +90 100 ns, UTC stored (default to mtime) allowed allowed

dosAttributes is rejected for Dos | Unix specifically: a Unix-host archive that also carried DOS attribute bits would confuse Unix-oriented tools. On read, an NTFS extra carrying both creation and last-access times is authoritative; otherwise JSZipp prefers the 0x5455 mtime and falls back to the DOS fields. For the smallest archive use Dos alone; for portable UTC mtime use the default Dos | Unix; reach for Ntfs only when you need sub-second or creation/access times, since it is the largest of the three.

Important Notes

  • ZipWriter defaults to outputAs: "stream". Use outputAs: "blob" for the easiest browser download flow.
  • writer.output is still available for advanced streaming integrations, but most apps should use the value returned by writer.close().
  • ZipWriter, ZipTransformStream, and readZipStream expose Web Streams shapes but currently consume each entry payload, compression result, and read archive into memory before emitting the next ZIP structure.
  • ZipWriter, openZip, and readZipStream accept AbortSignal; large operations can also report coarse progress with onProgress.
  • Encrypted ZIP files are not supported.
  • Unsupported compression methods are rejected.
  • ZIP64 records are supported with JavaScript number precision limits.
  • Modification times are always written to the legacy DOS fields. The timestamps option controls which UTC timestamp extras are added; see Timestamp Modes and Archive Size and docs/timezone.md for the detailed timezone model.
  • explicitDirectoryEntries (default false) controls whether the writer materializes a standalone entry for every parent directory implied by an entry's path (a/b/c.txt also emits a/ and a/b/). The default keeps the historical behavior — only the directory entries you add yourself are written. JSZipp never scans for empty directories, so an empty folder must still be added explicitly regardless of this flag.
  • All options that affect the ZIP file specification itself — level, zip64, comment, timestamps, pathMode, and explicitDirectoryEntries — live on ZipEncoderOptions, shared by ZipWriter and ZipTransformStream. Only the output-shaping options (outputAs, mimeType) are ZipWriter-specific.
  • openZip and readZipStream reject a negative or non-finite maxArchiveSize or maxEntrySize.
  • readZipStream currently exposes the forward-iteration API by collecting the input stream and parsing the Central Directory first.

See CONTRACT.md for the detailed implementation contract and current runtime boundaries. See docs/timezone.md for the timestamp timezone model.

Build

pnpm install
pnpm test
pnpm build

The npm package points at generated files under dist/. prepack runs the build and test suite before pnpm pack / pnpm publish, so the published tarball contains those generated artifacts even if the source repository omits them.

Build output:

  • dist/jszipp.mjs
  • dist/jszipp.cjs
  • dist/jszipp.umd.js
  • dist/jszipp.writer.umd.js
  • dist/jszipp.reader.umd.js
  • dist/cr61ff58/jszipp.mjs
  • dist/cr61ff58/jszipp.cjs
  • dist/cr61ff58/jszipp.umd.js
  • dist/cr61ff58/jszipp.reader.umd.js
  • dist/cr61ff58/jszipp.writer.umd.js
  • dist/cr86ff68/jszipp.mjs
  • dist/cr86ff68/jszipp.cjs
  • dist/cr86ff68/jszipp.umd.js
  • dist/cr86ff68/jszipp.reader.umd.js
  • dist/cr86ff68/jszipp.writer.umd.js
  • dist/index.d.ts
  • dist/types.d.ts
  • dist/writer.d.ts
  • dist/reader.d.ts

License

MIT