Here are the steps,

Step 1:

Create a simple Windows Project. New Project, Visual C#, Windows 8, Windows, then click Blank App (Windows 8.1).

new

Step 2:

Let's add a button in MainPage.xaml :

Complete MainPage.xaml code snippet is:

  1. <Page
  2. x:Class="ZipFolderContents.MainPage"
  3. xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  4. xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
  5. xmlns:local="using:ZipFolderContents"
  6. xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
  7. xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
  8. mc:Ignorable="d">
  10. <Grid Background="#FF5D3FE4">
  11. <Button x:Name="btn_ZipContents" Content="Zip Folder" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="451,144,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Click="btn_ZipContents_Click" Height="60" Width="204"/>
  12. </Grid>
  13. </Page>
Step 3:

For testing purposes, we will read a folder from Documents Library, zip its content and save it in our application local folder.

So lets create a folder named ‘TestFolder’ in Documents Library. Inside the ‘TestFolder’, add some folders, text files, images, videos, etc.

file

folder

testfolder

Step 4:

For accessing Documents Library, we have to declar it in app capabilities. Right click on Package.appmanifest > View Code

View Code

In Package.appmanifest XML, update the Capabilities node with:
  1. <Capabilities>
  2. <Capability Name="internetClient" />
  3. <Capability Name="documentsLibrary" />
  4. </Capabilities>
code

Step 5:

Now again in the Package.appmanifest designer view, we have to add File Type Association declarations as discussed here:

Package

Step 6:

In the code behind: MainPage.xaml.cs

Update your code with this:
  1. using System;
  2. using System.Collections.Generic;
  3. using System.Diagnostics;
  4. using System.IO;
  5. using System.IO.Compression;
  6. using System.Linq;
  7. using System.Runtime.InteropServices.WindowsRuntime;
  8. using System.Threading.Tasks;
  9. using Windows.Foundation;
  10. using Windows.Foundation.Collections;
  11. using Windows.Storage;
  12. using Windows.UI.Popups;
  13. using Windows.UI.Xaml;
  14. using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;
  15. using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Primitives;
  16. using Windows.UI.Xaml.Data;
  17. using Windows.UI.Xaml.Input;
  18. using Windows.UI.Xaml.Media;
  19. using Windows.UI.Xaml.Navigation;
  21. // The Blank Page item template is documented at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=234238
  23. namespace ZipFolderContents
  24. {
  25. /// <summary>
  26. /// An empty page that can be used on its own or navigated to within a Frame.
  27. /// </summary>
  28. public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
  29. {
  30. public MainPage()
  31. {
  32. this.InitializeComponent();
  33. }
  35. private async void btn_ZipContents_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
  36. {
  37. try
  38. {
  39. string appFolderPath = ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder.Path;
  40. StorageFolder destinationFolder = await StorageFolder.GetFolderFromPathAsync(appFolderPath);
  42. //Gets the folder named TestFolder from Documents Library Folder
  43. StorageFolder sourceFolder = await KnownFolders.DocumentsLibrary.GetFolderAsync("TestFolder");
  45. //Creates a zip file named TestFolder.zip in Local Folder
  46. StorageFile zipFile = await destinationFolder.CreateFileAsync("TestFolder.zip", CreationCollisionOption.ReplaceExisting);
  47. Stream zipToCreate = await zipFile.OpenStreamForWriteAsync();
  48. ZipArchive archive = new ZipArchive(zipToCreate, ZipArchiveMode.Update);
  50. await ZipFolderContentsHelper(sourceFolder, archive, sourceFolder.Path);
  51. archive.Dispose();
  52. MessageDialog msg = new MessageDialog("Success");
  53. await msg.ShowAsync();
  54. }
  55. catch (Exception ex)
  56. {
  57. Debug.WriteLine(ex.ToString());
  58. }
  59. }
  61. private async Task ZipFolderContentsHelper(StorageFolder sourceFolder, ZipArchive archive, string sourceFolderPath)
  62. {
  63. IReadOnlyList<StorageFile> files = await sourceFolder.GetFilesAsync();
  65. foreach (StorageFile file in files)
  66. {
  67. ZipArchiveEntry readmeEntry = archive.CreateEntry(file.Path.Remove(0, sourceFolderPath.Length));
  68. byte[] buffer = WindowsRuntimeBufferExtensions.ToArray(await FileIO.ReadBufferAsync(file));
  69. using (Stream entryStream = readmeEntry.Open())
  70. {
  71. await entryStream.WriteAsync(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
  72. }
  73. }
  75. IReadOnlyList<StorageFolder> subFolders = await sourceFolder.GetFoldersAsync();
  77. if (subFolders.Count() == 0)
  78. {
  79. return;
  80. }
  82. foreach (StorageFolder subfolder in subFolders)
  83. {
  84. await ZipFolderContentsHelper(subfolder, archive, sourceFolderPath);
  85. }
  86. }
  87. }
  88. }

Step 7:

Run the application and click on Zip Folder button, you will get a success message if everything is OK. And ‘TestFolder.zip’ is created in: This PC, C , Users > [Your User Name] > AppData, Local, Packages, [App package name] > LocalState

LocalState

That’s it.
Thanks, Happy Coding!

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