php_ref_zip

PHP Zip Functions (ZipArchive Class)

PHP Zip Extension Introduction

PHP’s Zip extension allows you to create, read, and modify ZIP archives directly within your scripts. The primary way to interact with ZIP files is through the object-oriented ZipArchive class.

Installation / Enabling the Extension

The Zip extension is commonly included but may not be enabled by default in all PHP installations.

• Linux Systems (using package managers): Often installed via a package like php-zip (Debian/Ubuntu) or php-pecl-zip (CentOS/RHEL). Example: sudo apt-get install php-zip or sudo yum install php-pecl-zip. You might need to restart your web server (Apache/Nginx) and PHP-FPM afterwards.
• Windows Systems: The php_zip.dll file should be included with your PHP distribution. You need to enable it in your php.ini file by uncommenting or adding the line: extension=zip. Ensure the extension_dir directive in php.ini points to the directory containing the DLL file. Restart your web server.
• Docker: Official PHP Docker images often require installing the extension within the Dockerfile. Example instructions can usually be found on the Docker Hub page for the PHP image.
• Checking: You can verify if the extension is enabled by running php -m in your terminal or by looking for a ‘zip’ section in the output of phpinfo();.

Consult your specific operating system or hosting environment documentation for the precise steps.

Using the ZipArchive Class

The ZipArchive class provides methods for working with ZIP files.

Common Workflow:

1. Create a ZipArchive object: $zip = new ZipArchive();
2. Open an existing ZIP file or create a new one: $zip->open('myarchive.zip', ZipArchive::CREATE);
3. Perform operations: Add files (addFile()), add directories (addEmptyDir()), extract files (extractTo()), get information (numFiles, statIndex()), etc.
4. Close the archive to save changes: $zip->close();

Example: Creating a Zip Archive

<?php
$zip = new ZipArchive();
$filename = "./my_new_archive.zip";

// Open the archive for creation or overwrite
if ($zip->open($filename, ZipArchive::CREATE | ZipArchive::OVERWRITE) === TRUE) {
    // Add a file using its path
    // Second parameter is the name it will have inside the archive
    if (file_exists('file1.txt')) {
        $zip->addFile('file1.txt', 'document.txt');
    }

    // Add a file from a string
    $zip->addFromString('generated.txt', 'This content was generated on the fly.');

    // Add an empty directory
    $zip->addEmptyDir('new_folder');

    // Add all files from a directory (recursive example)
    $sourceDir = './files_to_zip'; // Directory containing files
    if (is_dir($sourceDir)) {
        $files = new RecursiveIteratorIterator(
            new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($sourceDir, RecursiveDirectoryIterator::SKIP_DOTS),
            RecursiveIteratorIterator::LEAVES_ONLY
        );

        foreach ($files as $name => $file) {
            // Skip directories (they would be added automatically)
            if (!$file->isDir()) {
                $filePath = $file->getRealPath();
                // Get relative path to store correctly in zip
                $relativePath = substr($filePath, strlen($sourceDir) + 1);
                $zip->addFile($filePath, $relativePath);
            }
        }
    }

    // Close and save the archive
    $zip->close();
    echo 'Archive created successfully.';
} else {
    echo 'Failed to create the archive.';
}
?>

Example: Extracting a Zip Archive

<?php
$zip = new ZipArchive();
$filename = "./my_new_archive.zip";
$extractToPath = "./extracted_files";

// Open the archive for reading
if ($zip->open($filename) === TRUE) {
    // Create extraction directory if it doesn't exist
    if (!is_dir($extractToPath)) {
        mkdir($extractToPath, 0755, true);
    }

    // Extract all contents to the specified path
    if ($zip->extractTo($extractToPath)) {
        echo 'Archive extracted successfully.';
    } else {
        echo 'Failed to extract archive.';
    }

    // Close the archive
    $zip->close();
} else {
    echo 'Failed to open the archive.';
}
?>

Example: Reading File List from Archive

<?php
$zip = new ZipArchive();
$filename = "./my_new_archive.zip";

if ($zip->open($filename) === TRUE) {
    echo "Archive '{$filename}' contains: " . $zip->numFiles . " files/directories.\n";
    echo "-------------------------------------\n";

    for ($i = 0; $i < $zip->numFiles; $i++) {
        $stats = $zip->statIndex($i);
        if (!$stats) continue;

        echo "Name: " . $stats['name'] . "\n";
        echo "Size (uncompressed): " . $stats['size'] . " bytes\n";
        echo "Size (compressed): " . $stats['comp_size'] . " bytes\n";
        echo "-------------------------------------\n";
    }

    $zip->close();
} else {
    echo 'Failed to open the archive.';
}
?>

Key ZipArchive Methods

Here are some commonly used methods:

For a complete list and detailed descriptions, consult the official PHP ZipArchive documentation.