What is Archive.zig? ​
Archive.zig is a comprehensive, high-performance compression and archive library for the Zig programming language. It provides a unified interface for working with multiple compression algorithms and archive formats, making it easy to handle compressed data in your Zig applications.
Key Features ​
🚀 High Performance ​
- Optimized implementations with minimal memory allocations
- Efficient streaming compression and decompression
- Zero-copy operations where possible
- Memory-efficient buffer management
🔧 Multiple Algorithms ​
Archive.zig supports 9 different compression algorithms:
- gzip - GNU zip format with CRC32 checksums
- zlib - Deflate compression with Adler32 checksums
- deflate - Raw deflate compression (fastest)
- zstd - Modern Zstandard compression (excellent ratio/speed)
- lz4 - Ultra-fast compression for real-time applications
- lzma - High compression ratio for archival
- xz - LZMA2-based compression
- tar.gz - TAR archives with gzip compression
- zip - Standard ZIP archive format
🌊 Streaming Support ​
- Process large files without loading everything into memory
- Real-time compression and decompression
- Configurable buffer sizes for memory optimization
- Support for incremental processing
🎯 Simple API ​
- Clean, intuitive function interface
- Builder pattern for advanced configuration
- Automatic algorithm detection from file headers
- Comprehensive error handling
Design Philosophy ​
Archive.zig is designed with several key principles:
Performance First: Every operation is optimized for speed and memory efficiency. The library uses minimal allocations and provides streaming interfaces for large data processing.
Safety: Built on Zig's memory safety guarantees, with comprehensive error handling and bounds checking.
Flexibility: Support for multiple algorithms with extensive configuration options, allowing you to choose the right tool for each use case.
Simplicity: Despite supporting many algorithms, the API remains clean and easy to use, with sensible defaults for common operations.
Use Cases ​
Archive.zig is perfect for:
- File Compression: Compress files and directories with various algorithms
- Data Archiving: Create compressed archives for long-term storage
- Network Protocols: Compress data for network transmission
- Database Storage: Compress data before storing in databases
- Log Processing: Compress log files and rotate archives
- Backup Systems: Create compressed backups with integrity checking
- Game Development: Compress game assets and save files
- Embedded Systems: Efficient compression for resource-constrained environments
Why Choose Archive.zig? ​
Compared to C Libraries ​
- Memory Safety: No buffer overflows or memory leaks
- Better Error Handling: Comprehensive error types and handling
- Zero Dependencies: No need to link external C libraries
- Cross-Platform: Works consistently across all Zig-supported platforms
Compared to Other Zig Libraries ​
- Comprehensive: Support for 9 different algorithms in one library
- Mature: Battle-tested implementations with extensive testing
- Documented: Complete documentation with examples
- Maintained: Active development and community support
Getting Started ​
Ready to start using Archive.zig? Check out the Installation guide and Getting Started tutorial to begin compressing data in your Zig applications.