---
id: arcp
version: "0.2.1"
license: Apache License, Version 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# arcp — arcp (Archive and Package) URI parser and generator

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 268.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

arcp is a URI generation and parsing library for the arcp scheme, which provides a way to reference resources inside archives or packages without extracting them to disk. It creates unique base URIs using different authority forms—UUID, hash, or name—allowing relative references within bundled hypermedia to resolve within the archive context. The library handles both creation (arcp_random, arcp_hash, arcp_location, arcp_name) and parsing (parse_arcp, is_arcp_uri) of arcp URIs.

The package has no runtime dependencies and integrates with standard library tools like urllib.parse. It is designed for scenarios where you need to isolate resources across multiple archives, enforce security constraints to prevent escaping the archive, or externally identify sub-resources in bundled formats. The library only provides URI mechanics; it does not integrate with any particular archive or URL handling modules.

Use it for:

- Generate unique URIs for resources inside archives to enable relative link resolution without extraction
- Parse arcp URIs to extract archive metadata (UUID, hash, path, fragment) for resource identification
- Create isolated URI namespaces when consuming multiple archives to prevent naming conflicts
- Enforce security boundaries so bundled resources cannot reference files outside their archive
- Reference hypermedia sub-resources in application packages for external identification

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Generate and parse arcp (Archive and Package) URIs, which identify resources within archives or packages using a standardized URI scheme.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 2020-02-12, no commits since) and marked Alpha. While it has no dependencies and the code may work for simple arcp URI generation and parsing, there is no maintenance path for compatibility issues or security concerns. Use only if you have a specific legacy integration requirement and can maintain a local fork if needed.

## Install

pip install arcp
uv add arcp
poetry add arcp

## Installing arcp

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. However, the package has been abandoned since 2020-02-12 with no maintenance activity, so expect no bug fixes or updates.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

from arcp import arcp_random, parse_arcp

uri = arcp_random("/doc.html")
print(uri)

parsed = parse_arcp(uri)
print(parsed.path)

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works correctly with Python versions beyond 3.8, given the last release was 2020-02-12
- Real-world integration patterns with zipfile or urllib.request, since the description states the library does not integrate with these modules

## Package facts

- License: Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 268.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

archive uri scheme, package uri parser, arcp uri creator, bundled resource identification, archive path resolver, uri parsing for packages, zip file uri generation, uri-scheme, archive-handling

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/arcp) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/arcp/)