ZArchiveSharp.Cli 1.0.2

.NET 8.0 This package targets .NET 8.0. The package is compatible with this framework or higher.

Requires NuGet 5.0 or higher.

dotnet tool install --global ZArchiveSharp.Cli --version 1.0.2
This package contains a .NET tool you can call from the shell/command line. 
dotnet new tool-manifest
                    


                            if you are setting up this repo
                        

                    

                
dotnet tool install --local ZArchiveSharp.Cli --version 1.0.2
This package contains a .NET tool you can call from the shell/command line. 
#tool dotnet:?package=ZArchiveSharp.Cli&version=1.0.2
                    


                    

                
nuke :add-package ZArchiveSharp.Cli --version 1.0.2

ZArchiveSharp.Cli

Command-line tool for creating and extracting ZArchive (.zar) files using ZArchiveSharp — pack a directory, extract an archive, convert Xbox ISOs (XISO), or batch-process a folder in parallel.

A pure-C# port of the zarchive.exe contract (ZArchive 0.1.2): same arguments, defaults, stdout chatter and exit codes, with three documented deviations where native behavior is a bug.

Install

dotnet tool install -g ZArchiveSharp.Cli

Usage

zar [options] [input] [output]
Command Description
zar <directory> [output.zar] Pack a directory to .zar
zar <archive.zar> [output_dir] Extract .zar to a directory
zar --iso <game.iso> [output.zar] Convert XISO to .zar (Redump-aware)
zar zstd <in> [out] Raw zstd compress/decompress (--dict, --stdout, --check)
zar seekable compress [in] [out] Seekable-zstd compress (-l, -s, --checksum, --seek-table-file)
zar seekable decompress [in] [out] Seekable-zstd decompress (--from/--to, --from-frame/--to-frame)
zar seekable list <file> Frame/seek-table detail tables

Outputs default to <stem>.zar / <stem>_extracted next to the input, like zarchive.exe.

Batch mode (-b/--batch) processes every file under the input directory: archives (.zip/.rar/.7z/.tar/.gz via an installed 7z, --seven-zip override) → ISO/dir → .zar; --mode auto/extract-archive/extract-iso/compress selects the legs, --keep-originals/--delete-source (default keep) controls cleanup, and --policy (fail/skip/overwrite/auto-rename) applies to batch collisions only.

Options

  -l, --level <N>       Compression level 1-22 (default: 6)
  -j, --jobs <N>        Parallel workers (default: 4)
  -p, --policy <P>      Collision policy: fail, skip, overwrite, auto-rename
  -b, --batch           Batch process all files in input directory
  -o, --output <path>   Output path
  -q, --quiet           Suppress output
      --no-compress     Store blocks without compression
  -v, --version         Show version
  -h, --help            Show this help

Examples

# Pack (zstd level 6 by default, deterministic order)
zar C:\game C:\game.zar

# Maximum compression
zar -l 19 C:\game C:\game.zar

# Extract
zar C:\game.zar C:\game_out

# Convert an Xbox ISO
zar --iso C:\game.iso C:\game.zar

# Batch-pack every processable file under C:\games with 8 workers
zar -b -j 8 C:\games C:\archives

Exit Codes

Identical to zarchive.exe (-2 and -5..-9 are unused upstream too):

Code Meaning
0 Success
-1 Usage error (too many paths; input neither file nor directory)
-3 Extract output path exists and is not a directory
-4 Extract output directory could not be created
-10 Archive not found; pack output exists and is not a regular file
-11 Archive failed to open; pack output already exists
-12 Extraction failed (corrupt archive or I/O)
-13 Pack failed on archive structure
-14 Pack failed to create an archive entry (duplicate or bad path)
-15 Pack failed to open an input file
-16 Pack failed on output I/O

Format Notes

  • .zar is the ZArchive 0.1.2 format: 64 KiB blocks, each independently zstd-compressed (raw fallback when compression does not shrink), big-endian structures, Windows-1252 names, footer SHA-256
  • Compression is byte-identical to libzstd 1.5.7; archives interop with zarchive.exe both ways
  • No native dependencies, no unsafe, trimmable and AOT-compatible

Documentation

Full documentation lives in the repository wiki (docs/): format spec, compression guide, pipeline API, benchmarks and FAQ.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Product Compatible and additional computed target framework versions.
.NET net8.0 is compatible.  net8.0-android was computed.  net8.0-browser was computed.  net8.0-ios was computed.  net8.0-maccatalyst was computed.  net8.0-macos was computed.  net8.0-tvos was computed.  net8.0-windows was computed.  net9.0 is compatible.  net9.0-android was computed.  net9.0-browser was computed.  net9.0-ios was computed.  net9.0-maccatalyst was computed.  net9.0-macos was computed.  net9.0-tvos was computed.  net9.0-windows was computed.  net10.0 is compatible.  net10.0-android was computed.  net10.0-browser was computed.  net10.0-ios was computed.  net10.0-maccatalyst was computed.  net10.0-macos was computed.  net10.0-tvos was computed.  net10.0-windows was computed. 
Compatible target framework(s)
Included target framework(s) (in package)
Learn more about Target Frameworks and .NET Standard.

This package has no dependencies.

Version Downloads Last Updated
1.0.2 41 9/11/2026
1.0.1 42 9/11/2026
1.0.0 46 9/11/2026

v1.0.2 fix: the v1.0.1 zar tool package failed at startup with FileNotFoundException (mixed build outputs packed; that version is unlisted, v1.0.0 was unaffected) — repacked from a clean Release build and install-verified (pack/extract roundtrip). No functional library changes since v1.0.1.