📦 Zip Viewer
Peek inside zip files without ever extracting them!
Zip Viewer brings seamless zip file browsing directly into VS Code's Explorer. Browse, preview, and inspect archived files as if they were part of your workspace—no extraction required.
📥 Installation
Or search for "Zip Viewer" in the VS Code Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
✨ Features
| Feature |
Description |
| 🗂️ Explorer Integration |
Zip files appear in a dedicated "Zip Files" panel in your Explorer sidebar |
| 🔍 Browse Without Extracting |
Expand archives to navigate their full directory structure |
| 📄 Syntax-Highlighted Preview |
Open any text file with full language support—JS, TS, JSON, CSS, Markdown, and more |
| 🖼️ Image Preview |
View PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, SVG, and other images using VS Code's native viewer |
| 🎨 Theme-Aware Icons |
Files and folders display icons from your current file icon theme |
| ⚡ Live Updates |
Tree automatically refreshes when zip files are added, removed, or changed |
| 📍 Quick Navigation |
Right-click any zip to reveal it in the workspace Explorer |
🚀 Getting Started
- Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
- Open a workspace containing
.zip files
- Find the "Zip Files" panel in your Explorer sidebar
- Click any zip file to expand and browse its contents
- Select a file to preview it instantly
📁 Supported File Types
Text Files
All text-based files open with proper syntax highlighting based on their extension—.js, .ts, .py, .css, .json, .xml, .md, .html, .yaml, and hundreds more.
Images
Images open in VS Code's built-in image viewer with full zoom and pan support:
- PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, ICO, WebP, SVG
Binary Files
Other binary files (executables, PDFs, archives) are listed in the tree but cannot be previewed.
⚙️ Configuration
Fine-tune the extension's behavior in your VS Code settings:
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
zipView.maxFileSize |
10 |
Max file size (MB) that can be previewed |
zipView.maxCompressionRatio |
100 |
Max compression ratio before blocking (zip bomb protection) |
zipView.maxCacheSize |
50 |
Number of file contents to cache for faster access |
zipView.logLevel |
info |
Logging verbosity: off, error, warn, info, debug, trace |
💡 Tip: Defaults are optimized for security and performance. Increase with caution.
🔒 Security
Zip Viewer includes built-in protections:
- Path traversal prevention — Blocks malicious paths like
../../../etc/passwd
- Zip bomb detection — Refuses to open files with suspicious compression ratios
- File size limits — Prevents memory exhaustion from oversized files
📋 Requirements
- Visual Studio Code 1.107.0 or higher
📄 License
MIT — Made with ☕ by Tim Heuer
