---
id: zipfile36
version: "0.1.3"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# zipfile36 — Read and write ZIP files - backport of the zipfile module from Python 3.6

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 1.4M/mo

## What it is and what it does

zipfile36 is a backport of the zipfile module from Python 3.6 to earlier Python versions. It allows developers working on older Python releases to access improvements and bug fixes that were introduced in the 3.6 standard library version, rather than relying on the older built-in zipfile module.

The package is designed as a conditional import: code can check the Python version and use the standard library zipfile on 3.6 and later while falling back to zipfile36 on earlier versions. It has no runtime dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel, making installation straightforward.

Use it for:

- Support older Python codebases that need 3.6-era zipfile improvements without upgrading the Python version.
- Ensure consistent ZIP file handling behavior across a range of Python versions in legacy projects.
- Access bug fixes or enhancements in the 3.6 zipfile that were not present in earlier standard library versions.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides a backport of Python 3.6's zipfile module for use on earlier Python versions, enabling access to improvements made in that release.

No. The package has been abandoned since October 2016 and will receive no maintenance or security updates. Modern Python versions include the improvements natively, and older versions are themselves end-of-life. If you need to support older Python, consider upgrading instead; if you're already on 3.6 or later, use the standard library directly.

## Install

pip install zipfile36
uv add zipfile36
poetry add zipfile36

## Installing zipfile36

Before you install: Package is abandoned as of October 2016 with no maintenance since its final release. Installation is frictionless (pure Python wheel), but the lack of maintenance means it will not receive security updates or compatibility fixes.

License in practice: Licensed under the Python Software Foundation License (permissive), which allows use with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install zipfile36

import sys
if sys.version_info >= (3, 6):
    import zipfile
else:
    import zipfile36 as zipfile

Only useful on Python versions older than 3.6; on Python 3.6 and later, the standard library zipfile should be used instead.

Verify before relying:

- Whether this backport remains compatible with Python versions released after October 2016.
- Whether security issues in the 3.6 zipfile implementation have been discovered and patched in later standard library releases.
- Current viability for production use given the abandoned maintenance status.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 1.4M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

zipfile backport python 3.6, read write zip files, zip archive handling, python 3.6 zipfile, compression archiving, backwards compatible zipfile, backport, legacy

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/zipfile36) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/zipfile36/)