How to create a zip archive of a directory in Python?

Question

How can I create a zip archive of a directory structure in Python?

Answer 1

I've made some changes to code given by Mark Byers. Below function will also adds empty directories if you have them. Examples should make it more clear what is the path added to the zip.

#!/usr/bin/env python
import os
import zipfile

def addDirToZip(zipHandle, path, basePath=""):
    """
    Adding directory given by \a path to opened zip file \a zipHandle

    @param basePath path that will be removed from \a path when adding to archive

    Examples:
        # add whole "dir" to "test.zip" (when you open "test.zip" you will see only "dir")
        zipHandle = zipfile.ZipFile('test.zip', 'w')
        addDirToZip(zipHandle, 'dir')
        zipHandle.close()

        # add contents of "dir" to "test.zip" (when you open "test.zip" you will see only it's contents)
        zipHandle = zipfile.ZipFile('test.zip', 'w')
        addDirToZip(zipHandle, 'dir', 'dir')
        zipHandle.close()

        # add contents of "dir/subdir" to "test.zip" (when you open "test.zip" you will see only contents of "subdir")
        zipHandle = zipfile.ZipFile('test.zip', 'w')
        addDirToZip(zipHandle, 'dir/subdir', 'dir/subdir')
        zipHandle.close()

        # add whole "dir/subdir" to "test.zip" (when you open "test.zip" you will see only "subdir")
        zipHandle = zipfile.ZipFile('test.zip', 'w')
        addDirToZip(zipHandle, 'dir/subdir', 'dir')
        zipHandle.close()

        # add whole "dir/subdir" with full path to "test.zip" (when you open "test.zip" you will see only "dir" and inside it only "subdir")
        zipHandle = zipfile.ZipFile('test.zip', 'w')
        addDirToZip(zipHandle, 'dir/subdir')
        zipHandle.close()

        # add whole "dir" and "otherDir" (with full path) to "test.zip" (when you open "test.zip" you will see only "dir" and "otherDir")
        zipHandle = zipfile.ZipFile('test.zip', 'w')
        addDirToZip(zipHandle, 'dir')
        addDirToZip(zipHandle, 'otherDir')
        zipHandle.close()
    """
    basePath = basePath.rstrip("\\/") + ""
    basePath = basePath.rstrip("\\/")
    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(path):
        # add dir itself (needed for empty dirs
        zipHandle.write(os.path.join(root, "."))
        # add files
        for file in files:
            filePath = os.path.join(root, file)
            inZipPath = filePath.replace(basePath, "", 1).lstrip("\\/")
            #print filePath + " , " + inZipPath
            zipHandle.write(filePath, inZipPath)

Above is a simple function that should work for simple cases. You can find more elegant class in my Gist: https://gist.github.com/Eccenux/17526123107ca0ac28e6