Various data compression techniques are used to reduce the size of files and folders for storage or transmission. Two commonly used compression formats are TAR and ZIP, each with its own strengths and use cases. But what if you need to combine these formats? In this blog post, we will explore how to merge TAR with ZIP in Python.
Python Library to Merge TAR with ZIP
Aspose.ZIP for Python is a feature-rich library that allows you to work with various archive formats including ZIP and TAR. You can use the library for creating, adding, extracting, and manipulating archives effortlessly. We will use this library to merge TAR file with the ZIP archive.
You can download the library or install it from PyPI.
> pip install aspose-zip
Why Merge TAR with ZIP?
Before we dive into the technical details, let’s briefly discuss why you might want to merge TAR with ZIP. Both TAR and ZIP have their unique advantages:
TAR: TAR is a file archiving format commonly used in Unix and Linux systems. It is ideal for bundling multiple files and directories into a single file without compression. TAR archives are often used for backups and packaging files for distribution.
ZIP: ZIP is a widely used compression format that not only bundles files and directories but also compresses them to reduce storage space and speed up file transfers. ZIP is supported on multiple platforms and is compatible with various archiving tools.
Merging TAR with ZIP can be beneficial in scenarios where you want to preserve the directory structure of TAR files while gaining the compression benefits of ZIP.
Merge TAR with ZIP in Python
The following are the steps to merge TAR with ZIP in Python.
- First, load the TAR file using the TarArchive class.
- Then, load the ZIP archive using the Archive class.
- After that, loop through the entries of the TAR using Archive.entries collection.
- Extract each entry from TAR into a BytesIO object using Archive.entries[index].extract(BytesIO) method.
- Add the extracted entry to the ZIP archive using Archive.create_entry(string, BytesIO) method.
- Finally, save ZIP archive using Archive.save(string) method.
The following code sample shows how to merge TAR with the ZIP archive in Python.
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Learning Resources
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Conclusion
Merging TAR with ZIP using Aspose.ZIP for Python is a straightforward process that allows you to harness the strengths of both archiving formats. Whether you need to package files for distribution, create backups, or simply reduce storage space, Aspose.ZIP simplifies the task and gives you fine-grained control over the process. You can easily follow the guidelines provided in this blog post and merge TAR with ZIP archives in your Python applications.