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Welcome to Xzip - Robust Archive Format for Games

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Xzip is a custom file archive utility for GameMaker Studio 2. Don't store your external files where anyone can see and edit them, use Xzip!

Features#

Robust#

Xzip is built using native GML functions for the widest platform compatibility. Unlike zip_unzip, which offers no flexibility, Xzip can create, read, and extract archives with individual file access. You can even access and modify files inside the archive--no extraction required!

Flexible#

Xzip supports adding and manipulating files individually, as folders, or as arrays. All relative paths are preserved in the archive--but you don't need to remember that. Automatic folder management means a file name and extension are all you need to access data anywhere in the archive.

Can't remember that much? Numerical indices are supported too!

Optimal#

Using a combination of custom metadata and compressed binary data, Xzip balances speed and security to serve the broadest possible uses for your external file needs. You can also read and write regular game data to the same archives as your files!

Secure#

While anyone can access zip files included with your game, data stored in Xzip cannot be read with conventional archive software. To further protect against unwanted tampering, extracted files can be verified against their original archived copies and overwritten if any changes are detected.

For maximum security, combine with GameMaker's built-in MD5 encoding to determine if the archive itself has been tampered with, and your files are bullet-proof.

In this reference guide, you'll learn...#

  • Xzip archive basics, such as creating and extracting archives
  • Advanced Xzip functions, such as direct archive access and modification
  • Protecting archive integrity with data verification
  • Individual script arguments, and what they mean

To get started, choose a topic from the navigation menu to learn more.