System API for generating ZIP-compatible archive?

The AppleArchive library produces archives in the AppleArchive format, optionally compressed (with LZMA, LZFSE, LZ4 depending on your needs for speed/compression ratio) or encrypted using our new AppleEncryptedArchive format.

To generate ZIP archives, use third party libraries like libarchive.

I only need to create a simple archive containing some files which can be opened using any zip decompression program.

While ebainville is correct that you can’t create zip archives using Apple Archive, it is possible to create a basic one using NSFileCoordinator. Here’s a quick example:

let originalURL: URL = … your input directory …
let coordinator = NSFileCoordinator()
let zipIntent = NSFileAccessIntent.readingIntent(with: originalURL, options: [.forUploading])
coordinator.coordinate(with: [zipIntent], queue: .main) { errorQ in
    if let error = errorQ {
        … handle the error …
        return
    }
    let zipURL = zipIntent.url
    … work with the URL before returning …
    … if necessary, copying it elsewhere …
}

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—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

@eskimo: Your solution would be enough for me, if the parent directory would not be stored in the zip file.

If the URL is .documentDirectory then the extracted zip includes a "Documents" folder.

After some time of researching, I don't think, there is a solution for my problem. I don't want to use a big third party library, only to remove the "Documents" folder.

After some time of researching, I don't think, there is a solution for my problem.

I presume you’re working on iOS here. If so, the .forUploading technique is the only platform API available to you. It has no mechanism to remove that top-level path entry. If you need to do that, the only alternative is to use a third-party zip library (or write such a library yourself, which is not super hard).

Also, I’d appreciate you filing an enhancement request for a full-feature zip archive API. While we have seen similar requests many times before, a fresh bug report will allow you to express your needs in your own terms, and allow iOS engineering to gauge the level of demand.

Please post your bug number, just for the record

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—
Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@" + "apple.com"

Thanks for you comment.

I talked to the backend guys and they will accept nested files in a ZIP, so we don't need third party libraries.