zipp
Backport of pathlib-compatible object wrapper for zip files
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. zipp is a lightweight, actively maintained backport with no dependencies, permissive licensing, and zero known vulnerabilities. It solves a real problem—consistent pathlib-style access to zip files across Python versions—and ranks in the top 100 most-downloaded packages, indicating broad adoption and reliability. Install it if you need to work with zip files using Path-like syntax.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Low install friction with no runtime dependencies.
- Actively maintained as of May 2026, with regular updates flowing back into CPython's standard library.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.
last release 2026-05-18 (88 days) · last repo commit 2026-05-19 · 67 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 531,220,461 downloads/mo, #77 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install zipp
import zipp
with zipp.Path('archive.zip') as zp:
for item in zp.iterdir():
print(item)- Whether zipp.Path offers performance characteristics suitable for large zip files or frequent access patterns.
- Specific differences in behavior between zipp.Path and the standard library zipfile.Path across Python versions.
What it is and what it does
zipp is a backport of Python's standard library zipfile.Path object, allowing you to treat zip file contents as a directory tree and navigate them using pathlib-style syntax. It exists to provide consistent Path-like access to zip files across Python versions, with new features tested here before being merged into CPython itself.
The package has no runtime dependencies and installs cleanly. It's designed as a drop-in replacement for zipfile.Path, so you can use zipp.Path anywhere you'd normally use the standard library version, gaining access to features that may not yet be available in older Python releases or getting bug fixes ahead of the next CPython release.
Use it for
- Extract and inspect files from zip archives using familiar pathlib methods instead of zipfile's lower-level API.
- Write code that works consistently across Python versions by using zipp.Path as a stable interface to zip file contents.
- Iterate over directory structures inside zip files without manually unpacking them to disk.
- Test new zipfile.Path features before they land in the standard library by using zipp as an early-access backport.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
zipp is a lightweight, actively maintained backport with no dependencies, permissive licensing, and zero known vulnerabilities. It solves a real problem—consistent pathlib-style access to zip files across Python versions—and ranks in the top 100 most-downloaded packages, indicating broad adoption and reliability. Install it if you need to work with zip files using Path-like syntax.
Install
zipp on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained as of May 2026, with regular updates flowing back into CPython's standard library.
Requires Python 3.10 or later.
License in practice
MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.
Quickstart
pip install zipp
import zipp
with zipp.Path('archive.zip') as zp:
for item in zp.iterdir():
print(item)Verify before relying
- Whether zipp.Path offers performance characteristics suitable for large zip files or frequent access patterns.
- Specific differences in behavior between zipp.Path and the standard library zipfile.Path across Python versions.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 88 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 531,220,461 / month, #77 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only |
Evidence: zipp-4.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pyzipper · path.py · seekablehttpfile · importlib-metadata