Zip & Unzip
A ZIP archive packages files and folders into a single file for delivery or storage. Files.com can create an archive from selected content, inspect its contents, and extract some or all of its files into a destination folder.
On-demand Zip and Unzip operations are available through the Web Interface (Web UI), the Command Line Interface (CLI) App, and through SDKs & APIs.
Temporary ZIP Downloads
Downloading several files together as a ZIP creates a temporary download record. Files.com removes that record and its list of included paths 24 hours after creation, after which the temporary download URL no longer works. Starting another ZIP download creates a new record and URL.
This cleanup does not delete the source files or an archive already downloaded to your computer. A .zip file created and saved in a folder on your site follows that folder's file retention settings, rather than the temporary download's 24-hour lifetime.
Unzipping a Zip Archive
When unzipping, you can choose to extract one file from the archive or the entire contents. The default unzip behavior is to extract the full archive contents into the destination folder.
You can also browse the contents of a .zip archive before extracting it. You can see each file name and its uncompressed size.
Permissions Required
Zip and Unzip require read permission on the folder that contains the source content and write permission on the destination folder. Selecting Overwrite existing file allows a result to replace an existing file only when your folder permissions permit that replacement.
For zip, the source content is the set of files and folders you selected. For unzip, the source content is the .zip file.
Unzip File Limit
Unzip supports archives containing up to 10,000 files. Archives with more than 10,000 files cannot be unzipped. If this limit affects your workflow, contact Files.com support. We'd like to know if a higher limit would be useful.
Invalid Folder Names
When the archive contains a file or folder with an invalid name, Unzip won't extract the invalid items and continues extracting the rest of the archive.
Background Execution
Zip and Unzip run as asynchronous (backgrounded) operations.
During an unzip operation, each file is placed into the destination folder immediately after it is extracted, rather than all files being added at once. Files are added to the destination folder atomically.
When you zip files, the new .zip archive does not appear in the destination until the process is completed.
In the web interface, Files.com shows in-progress work under Actions In Progress.
Automatic ZIP Extraction
Site Administrators, Workspace Administrators, and Folder Admins can configure a folder to Automatically Unzip Files as they arrive, placing the extracted contents into a subfolder. This Folder Setting performs extraction without a person starting each operation. For an explicit extraction step in a larger workflow, use an Automation's Unzip action.