How to create an in-memory zip file with directories without touching the disk?

Question

In a python web application, I'm packaging up some stuff in a zip-file. I want to do this completely on the fly, in memory, without touching the disk. This goes fine using ZipFile.writestr as long as I'm creating a flat directory structure, but how do I create directories inside the zip?

I'm using python2.4.

http://docs.python.org/library/zipfile.html

Have you tried simply setting the filename of a file to add to 'directory/filename.ext'? — theomega
– theomega, Commented Aug 31, 2010 at 15:01

pthulin · Accepted Answer · 2010-09-01 09:51:48Z

35

What 'theomega' said in the comment to my original post, adding a '/' in the filename does the trick. Thanks!

from zipfile import ZipFile
from StringIO import StringIO

inMemoryOutputFile = StringIO()

zipFile = ZipFile(inMemoryOutputFile, 'w') 
zipFile.writestr('OEBPS/content.xhtml', 'hello world')
zipFile.close()

inMemoryOutputFile.seek(0)

answered Sep 1, 2010 at 9:51

pthulin

4,1813 gold badges23 silver badges23 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

Panda Over a year ago

Note that if you're using python 3 then you'll want to use BytesIO.

Guillaume Lebreton Over a year ago

And if you just want to have folders without files, leave a / at the end.

Quinten C Over a year ago

Important is that inMemoryOutputFile is actually sent and not the zipFile object.

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:53:30Z

1

Use a StringIO. It is apparently OK to use them for zipfiles.

edited May 23, 2017 at 11:53

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Aug 31, 2010 at 15:46

Katriel

124k19 gold badges141 silver badges172 bronze badges

2 Comments

S.Lott Over a year ago

We do this also. Works very nicely.

Gillespie Over a year ago

@AnotherParker If you have a more modern solution, please post and I will upvote

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to create an in-memory zip file with directories without touching the disk?

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related