(Node.js) Create a ZIP Archive with a Top-Level Directory Using PathPrefix

This example demonstrates how to use the PathPrefix property to ensure that all files in a ZIP archive are stored beneath a common top-level directory.

The example recursively adds files from:

c:/zipTest/directory_name

And stores them in the ZIP archive beneath:

directory_name/

For example, the local filesystem file:

c:/zipTest/directory_name/hello.txt

Will be stored in the ZIP archive as:

directory_name/hello.txt

This is useful when creating ZIP archives that should extract into a single parent directory rather than directly into the current extraction location.

The example also demonstrates that methods such as AppendFiles initially add references to filesystem files, and that the actual file reading and compression occur later when WriteZipAndClose is called.

Install Chilkat for Node.js and Electron using npm at Chilkat npm packages for Node.js Chilkat npm packages for Electron on Windows, Linux, MacOS

var os = require('os');
if (os.platform() == 'win32') {  
  var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node23-win64'); 
} else if (os.platform() == 'linux') {
    if (os.arch() == 'arm') {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node23-linux-arm');
    } else if (os.arch() == 'arm64') {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node23-linux-arm64');
    } else {
        var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node23-linux-x64');
    }
} else if (os.platform() == 'darwin') {
  var chilkat = require('@chilkat/ck-node23-mac-universal');
}

function chilkatExample() {

    var success = false;

    var zip = new chilkat.Zip();

    // Initialize the Zip object and set the output filename.
    // The .zip file is not created until WriteZip or WriteZipAndClose is called.
    success = zip.NewZip("qa_output/test.zip");
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(zip.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Prepend "directory_name/" to each ZIP entry added after this point.
    // 
    // For example, a file found at:
    // 
    //     c:/zipTest/directory_name/hello.txt
    // 
    // Will be stored in the ZIP as:
    // 
    //     directory_name/hello.txt
    // 
    // This is useful when you want the files to unzip beneath a specific
    // top-level directory.
    zip.PathPrefix = "directory_name/";

    // Recursively add references to all files beneath:
    // 
    //     c:/zipTest/directory_name
    // 
    // AppendFiles does not immediately read or compress the files.
    // It adds references to files in the local filesystem.
    // The referenced files are read and compressed when WriteZipAndClose is called.
    var recurse = true;

    success = zip.AppendFiles("c:/zipTest/directory_name/*",recurse);
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(zip.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    // Write the ZIP archive and close it.
    success = zip.WriteZipAndClose();
    if (success == false) {
        console.log(zip.LastErrorText);
        return;
    }

    console.log("Success.");

}

chilkatExample();