📦 ZIP File Lister & Extractor
Professional ZIP file viewer and extractor that lists all files in ZIP archives with detailed metadata. Features drag-and-drop upload, file tree navigation, compression analysis, and individual file downloads for selective extraction.
ZIP File Contents:
project-files.zip → 24 files, 3 folders
2.4 MB total (compressed: 1.8 MB)
📁 File Structure
⚡ Quick Actions
🔧 Archive Details
Standard Archive
Compression Type
Efficiency
💡 Pro Tip:
Individual file extraction saves bandwidth and storage space. Only download the files you actually need from the archive.
How to Use This ZIP File Lister & Extractor
How to Use the ZIP File Content Lister
- Select ZIP File: Click "Choose File" or drag and drop your ZIP archive directly onto the upload area
- Enable File Details: Check "Show detailed file information" to display file sizes, compression ratios, and modification dates
- Choose Sorting Method: Select how to organize files - by name (A-Z), size (largest first), date (newest first), folder structure, or file type
- Set Display Limit: Choose how many files to show at once for optimal performance with large archives
- Process Archive: Click "List ZIP Contents" to analyze the archive and display its complete file structure
- Browse File Tree: Navigate through folders and subfolders to see the complete directory structure
- View File Metadata: Review detailed information for each file including size, compression ratio, and file type
- Analyze Compression: Review which files benefit most from ZIP compression using the ratio information
- Export File Lists: Use quick actions to copy the file list to clipboard or export as CSV for documentation
- View Technical Details: Check compression statistics, file counts, and archive metadata in the technical details section
💡 Pro Tips for Efficient ZIP Analysis
- Large Archives: Use display limits (50-100 files) for faster initial loading of archives with hundreds of files
- Finding Files: Sort by file type to quickly locate all images, documents, or code files in mixed archives
- Content Analysis: Analyze file types and sizes to understand archive composition before deciding on extraction
- Folder Organization: Review folder structure to understand how files are organized in the archive
- Documentation: Export CSV file lists for project documentation or backup cataloging
How It Works
How ZIP File Analysis & Content Listing Works
🔍 Native ZIP File Parsing
The ZIP File Lister uses pure JavaScript with DataView APIs to parse ZIP archives entirely within your browser without any external libraries. When you upload a file, it reads the ZIP's End of Central Directory record and central directory entries to extract comprehensive file metadata including names, paths, sizes, compression methods, and modification dates. All processing happens client-side - no files are uploaded to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security.
📊 File System Reconstruction
The tool reconstructs the original folder hierarchy by analyzing file paths within the ZIP archive's central directory. It builds a virtual file tree that mirrors the original directory structure, allowing you to navigate folders and subfolders exactly as they were organized. This includes proper handling of nested directories, empty folders, and complex path structures with special characters.
📦 Binary Format Analysis & Metadata
For each file, the tool analyzes ZIP metadata by parsing DOS date/time stamps, compression statistics, and CRC32 checksums directly from the binary format. It calculates compression ratios, identifies compression methods used (typically DEFLATE), and provides detailed file type classification based on extensions. This gives you insights into which files benefit most from ZIP compression.
💾 Content Information Display
The tool displays comprehensive file information including original sizes, compressed sizes, compression ratios, and modification dates parsed from the ZIP's binary structure. While individual file extraction would require implementing complex DEFLATE decompression algorithms, the tool provides all the metadata you need to understand archive contents before deciding which files to extract using other tools.
⚡ Performance Optimization
The tool includes intelligent performance controls for large archives. Display limits prevent browser slowdown with hundreds of files, while efficient binary parsing ensures fast processing of ZIP metadata. File tree rendering is optimized to handle deep directory structures efficiently, and memory management prevents crashes with large ZIP files up to 50MB.
🛡️ Security & Privacy Features
All ZIP processing occurs entirely in your browser using native Web APIs and DataView binary parsing. No data is transmitted to external servers, no files are stored remotely, and no personal information is collected. The tool includes protection against ZIP bombs through file count limits and size validation. Filenames are sanitized for display to prevent XSS attacks while preserving original metadata accuracy.
When You Might Need This
- • Preview ZIP file contents before extracting to save storage space and bandwidth
- • Catalog and inventory files in large software packages or document archives
- • Verify ZIP archive integrity and check file listings before extraction
- • Analyze compression ratios to identify which files benefit most from ZIP compression
- • Browse folder structure in downloaded archives without extracting everything locally
- • Inspect configuration files or logs in backup archives to plan selective extraction
- • Preview email attachment contents without downloading the entire ZIP to your device
- • Survey assets, images, or documents in project archives before deciding what to extract
- • Check file sizes and dates in shared ZIP files to find the most recent versions
- • Explore compressed software libraries or code repositories to understand their structure
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the maximum ZIP file size I can process?
The tool can handle ZIP files up to 50MB for optimal browser performance. Larger files may cause memory issues or slow processing. For very large archives, consider using desktop software or splitting the ZIP into smaller parts.
Is it safe to upload ZIP files to this tool?
Yes, absolutely safe. All ZIP processing happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript - no files are uploaded to any server. Your ZIP contents remain completely private and never leave your device.
Can I extract password-protected or encrypted ZIP files?
Currently, the tool only supports standard ZIP files without password protection or encryption. Encrypted ZIP files require special handling that isn't supported in browser-based processing.
Why can't I download individual files from the ZIP?
This version focuses on ZIP content analysis and listing rather than extraction. Individual file extraction would require implementing complex DEFLATE decompression algorithms. The tool provides comprehensive metadata to help you understand archive contents before using extraction tools.
What file information can I see for each file in the ZIP?
The tool displays comprehensive metadata including file paths, original sizes, compressed sizes, compression ratios, modification dates, file types, and folder structure. All information is parsed directly from the ZIP's binary format.