Chapter 5 Compressing
Chapter 5 Compressing
5.1 Creating a new archive
“File → New Archive” (Ctrl+N), or the toolbar “Save” button when no archive is open, opens the “New Archive” dialog:
- File name: a bare file name (no path). Without an extension it
is completed from the chosen format (
backup+ ZIP →backup.zip); any extension you type is kept as-is. - Save path: the directory for the archive; the 📁 button picks one (the last directory is remembered).
- Format: ZIP / 7Z / TAR.GZ / TAR.BZ2 / TAR.XZ / TAR.ZST.
- Compression level (ZIP / 7Z only): Fastest / Fast / Standard / Maximum.
- Password: leave empty for no encryption (ZIP / 7Z only).
Click “Create” to start the background compression with a progress dialog; when it finishes the new archive is loaded automatically — you land in browse mode and can keep adding files or extract right away.
5.2 Sources
Sources are managed in the main window file table (source-list mode), not in the dialog:
- File-manager context menu: select files/folders → “Compress with WxArc”. WxArc starts, loads the sources into the file table and opens the New Archive dialog.
- Drag and drop: drop files/folders into the window with no archive open and they join the source list (anything dropped becomes a compression source — no content sniffing).
- Tidying up: entries in source-list mode have no checkboxes; right-click “Remove” drops a single source.
5.3 Choosing a format
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| ZIP | Maximum compatibility — native on Windows/macOS, opens anywhere |
| 7Z | Better compression ratio, AES-256 encryption; receivers need 7-Zip/WxArc |
| TAR.GZ | The Unix lingua franca; preserves permissions and symlinks |
| TAR.BZ2 / TAR.XZ | Higher ratio than GZ; XZ balances speed and ratio |
| TAR.ZST | Fast decompression, good for frequently read data |
Multiple files and folders can be added at once and packed together.
5.4 Compression levels
(ZIP and 7Z only; TAR-family formats have no level setting.)
- Fastest: lowest ratio, highest speed, for quick packing.
- Fast: a balance skewed toward speed.
- Standard: the recommended default.
- Maximum: best ratio; noticeably slower on large inputs.
5.5 Encryption
ZIP and 7Z support password encryption (AES-256). Two notes:
- TAR-family formats do not support encryption (leave the field empty).
- 7Z hides the file list only with header encryption — archives created by WxArc default to entry-level encryption (file names visible).