How to compress files

Question

I want to compress a file and a directory in C#. I found some solution in Internet but they are so complex and I couldn't run them in my project. Can anybody suggest me a clear and effective solution?

Answer 1

You could use GZipStream in the System.IO.Compression namespace

.NET 2.0.

public static void CompressFile(string path)
{
    FileStream sourceFile = File.OpenRead(path);
    FileStream destinationFile = File.Create(path + ".gz");

    byte[] buffer = new byte[sourceFile.Length];
    sourceFile.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);

    using (GZipStream output = new GZipStream(destinationFile,
        CompressionMode.Compress))
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Compressing {0} to {1}.", sourceFile.Name,
            destinationFile.Name, false);

        output.Write(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
    }

    // Close the files.
    sourceFile.Close();
    destinationFile.Close();
}

.NET 4

public static void Compress(FileInfo fi)
    {
        // Get the stream of the source file.
        using (FileStream inFile = fi.OpenRead())
        {
            // Prevent compressing hidden and 
            // already compressed files.
            if ((File.GetAttributes(fi.FullName) 
                & FileAttributes.Hidden)
                != FileAttributes.Hidden & fi.Extension != ".gz")
            {
                // Create the compressed file.
                using (FileStream outFile = 
                            File.Create(fi.FullName + ".gz"))
                {
                    using (GZipStream Compress = 
                        new GZipStream(outFile, 
                        CompressionMode.Compress))
                    {
                        // Copy the source file into 
                        // the compression stream.
                    inFile.CopyTo(Compress);

                        Console.WriteLine("Compressed {0} from {1} to {2} bytes.",
                            fi.Name, fi.Length.ToString(), outFile.Length.ToString());
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms404280.aspx

Answer 2

I'm adding this answer as I've found an easier way than any of the existing answers:

1. Install DotNetZip DLLs in your solution (easiest way is to install the package from nuget)
2. Add a reference to the DLL.
3. Import the namespace by adding: using Ionic.Zip;
4. Zip your file

Code:

using (ZipFile zip = new ZipFile())
{
    zip.AddFile("C:\test\test.txt");
    zip.AddFile("C:\test\test2.txt");
    zip.Save("C:\output.zip");
}

If you don't want the original folder structure mirrored in the zip file, then look at the overrides for AddFile() and AddFolder() etc.

Answer 3

For .Net Framework 4.5 this is the most clear example I found:

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;

namespace ConsoleApplication
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string startPath = @"c:\example\start";
            string zipPath = @"c:\example\result.zip";
            string extractPath = @"c:\example\extract";

            ZipFile.CreateFromDirectory(startPath, zipPath);

            ZipFile.ExtractToDirectory(zipPath, extractPath);
        }
    }
}

You'll need to add a reference to System.IO.Compression.FileSystem

From: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/standard/io/how-to-compress-and-extract-files

Answer 4

There is a built-in class in System.IO.Packaging called the ZipPackage:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.io.packaging.zippackage(v=vs.100).aspx

Answer 5

http://www.icsharpcode.net/opensource/sharpziplib/

Answer 6

You can just use ms-dos command line program compact.exe. Look on a parameters compact.exe in cmd and start this process using .NET method Process.Start().

Answer 7

Using DotNetZip http://dotnetzip.codeplex.com/, there's an AddDirectory() method on the ZipFile class that does what you want:

using (var zip = new Ionic.Zip.ZipFile())
{
    zip.AddDirectory("DirectoryOnDisk", "rootInZipFile");
    zip.Save("MyFile.zip");
}

Bonne continuation...

Answer 8

just use following code for compressing a file.

       public void Compressfile()
        {
             string fileName = "Text.txt";
             string sourcePath = @"C:\SMSDBBACKUP";
             DirectoryInfo di = new DirectoryInfo(sourcePath);
             foreach (FileInfo fi in di.GetFiles())
             {
                 //for specific file 
                 if (fi.ToString() == fileName)
                 {
                     Compress(fi);
                 }
             } 
        }

public static void Compress(FileInfo fi)
        {
            // Get the stream of the source file.
            using (FileStream inFile = fi.OpenRead())
            {
                // Prevent compressing hidden and 
                // already compressed files.
                if ((File.GetAttributes(fi.FullName)
                    & FileAttributes.Hidden)
                    != FileAttributes.Hidden & fi.Extension != ".gz")
                {
                    // Create the compressed file.
                    using (FileStream outFile =
                                File.Create(fi.FullName + ".gz"))
                    {
                        using (GZipStream Compress =
                            new GZipStream(outFile,
                            CompressionMode.Compress))
                        {
                            // Copy the source file into 
                            // the compression stream.
                            inFile.CopyTo(Compress);

                            Console.WriteLine("Compressed {0} from {1} to {2} bytes.",
                                fi.Name, fi.Length.ToString(), outFile.Length.ToString());
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }

    }

Answer 9

Use http://dotnetzip.codeplex.com/ to ZIP files or directory, there is no builtin class to do it directly in .NET

Answer 10

Source code taken from MSDN that is compatible to .Net 2.0 and above

public static void CompressFile(string path)
        {
            FileStream sourceFile = File.OpenRead(path);
            FileStream destinationFile = File.Create(path + ".gz");

            byte[] buffer = new byte[sourceFile.Length];
        sourceFile.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);

        using (GZipStream output = new GZipStream(destinationFile,
            CompressionMode.Compress))
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Compressing {0} to {1}.", sourceFile.Name,
                destinationFile.Name, false);

            output.Write(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
        }

        // Close the files.
        sourceFile.Close();
        destinationFile.Close();
    }