The zar command-line tool provides pack, extract, convert, and batch operations. It matches the zarchive.exe exit codes and behavior for compatibility.

dotnet tool install -g ZArchiveSharp.Cli

zar [options] [input] [output]

zar <directory> [output.zar]

Packs the specified directory into a .zar archive. If no output path is specified, creates <directory_name>.zar in the same location.

Examples:

# Pack with default settings
zar C:\game

# Pack to specific output
zar C:\game C:\archives\game.zar

# Pack with custom compression level
zar -l 9 C:\game C:\game.zar

zar <archive.zar> [output_dir]

Extracts the archive to the specified directory. If no output path is specified, creates <archive_name>_extracted in the same location.

Examples:

# Extract with default output
zar C:\game.zar

# Extract to specific directory
zar C:\game.zar C:\extracted\game

zar --iso <game.iso> [output.zar]

Converts an Xbox ISO (XISO) file to a .zar archive. Requires the XISOSharp dependency.

Examples:

# Convert with default output
zar --iso C:\game.iso

# Convert to specific output
zar --iso C:\game.iso C:\game.zar

zar --batch <input_dir> [output_dir]

Processes all eligible files in the input directory in parallel.

Examples:

# Batch process with defaults
zar --batch C:\games

# Batch process with 8 workers
zar -b -j 8 C:\games C:\archives

The CLI returns the same exit codes as zarchive.exe for compatibility:

When the output file already exists, the --policy option controls behavior:

# Pack a directory
zar C:\myproject C:\myproject.zar

# Verify the archive
zar C:\myproject.zar C:\verify

# Use level 19 for maximum compression
zar -l 19 C:\data C:\data.zar

# Process all directories in a folder with 8 workers
zar -b -j 8 C:\games C:\archives

# Overwrite existing archives
zar -b -p overwrite C:\games C:\archives

# Convert Xbox ISO to ZAR
zar --iso C:\games\game.iso C:\games\game.zar

# Suppress all output
zar -q C:\data C:\data.zar

The CLI produces output matching zarchive.exe:

Pack mode:

Outputting to: C:\data.zar
Adding file1.txt
Adding subdir/file2.dat

Extract mode:

Extracting to: C:\data_extracted
/file1.txt
/subdir
/subdir/file2.dat

Note: Extract entry lines include a leading / (the native quirk) and use OS-native path separators for the Adding display line only.

ZArchiveSharp's CLI is intentionally compatible but has three documented deviations where native behavior is a bug:

1. Unopenable extract output — Throws an exception (native writes into the dead stream)
2. Mid-file read errors — Fails the pack with -16 (native silently truncates)
3. Error string paths — Uses / on every OS (native uses \ on Windows)