Programmatically Extract or Unzip Zip, Rar Files And Check

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In this post, we will see how we can extract or unzip the uploaded files and check for some files in it in a programmatic manner. We will use a normal MVC application to work with this demo. We will use Microsoft System.IO.Compression, System.IO.Compression.FileSystem namespaces and the classes, for example ZipArchive, in the namespace for extracting or unzipping the files we upload. Once it is uploaded, we will check the same by looping through it. For the client side coding, we uses jQuery. I guess this is enough for the introduction, now we will move on to our application. Let us create it. I hope you will like this article.

Background

As you are aware, most websites accept only .zip or any other zipped formats, this is for ensuring that only less amount of data is being uploaded to the server. We can reduce almost 60 percent of the size if we zipped the same. Now the problem is, how can you validate any zipped item which is uploaded to your site? How can you check for any particular file in that zipped item? For example, if you need to find out any files with extension of .sql, .ico or .txt? What if you want to intimate user that the uploaded items do not have any particular file that must be needed? You need to loop through the contents available in it, right? This is what we are going to discuss in this post. I had a situation of uploading my old back ups of my personal website (http://sibeeshpassion.com/) and after uploading, I wanted to check whether the uploaded .zip file has .ico file in it. The process we are going to do is listed below:

• Create an MVC application
• Install jQuery
• Create Controller and View
• Upload Action Using jQuery
• Add System.IO.Compression, System.IO.Compression.FileSystem references
• Checks for the file using ZipArchive class

Using the Code

Now, we will move into the coding part. I hope your MVC application is ready for action with all the needed packages.

Create a Controller

Now we will create a controller, view with an action in it as follows:

public ActionResult Index()
        {
            return View();
        }

Update the View

Now in the view, we will add a file upload and other needed elements:

<input type="file" name="FileUpload1" 
id="fileUpload" placeholder="Please select the file" /><br />
<input id="btnUploadFile" type="button" value="Upload File" />
<div id="message"></div>

Add the JS References

Add the references as follows.

<script src="~/scripts/jquery-1.10.2.min.js"></script>
<script src="~/scripts/MyScript.js"></script>

Here MyScript.js is where we are going to write some scripts.

Style the Elements (Optional)

You can style your view as follows. This step is absolutely optional, for me the view should not be as simple as the default one. And to be frank, I am not a good designer.

<style>
    #fileUpload {
        border: 1px solid #ccc;
        padding: 10px;
        border-radius: 5px;
        font-size: 14px;
        font-family: cursive;
        color: blue;
    }

    #btnUploadFile {
        border: 1px solid #ccc;
        padding: 10px;
        border-radius: 5px;
        font-size: 14px;
        font-family: cursive;
        color: blue;
    }

    #message {
        border-radius: 5px;
        font-size: 14px;
        font-family: cursive;
        color: blue;
        margin-top: 15px;
    }
    h2 {
        border-radius: 5px;
        font-size: 20px;
        font-family: cursive;
        color: blue;
        margin-top: 15px;
    }
</style>

Add the Upload Action in Script

Now, it is time to create upload action. For that, please go to the script file MyScript.js and do the coding as follows:

$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#btnUploadFile').on('click', function () {
        var data = new FormData();
        var files = $("#fileUpload").get(0).files;
        // Add the uploaded image content to the form data collection
        if (files.length > 0) {
            data.append("UploadedImage", files[0]);
        }
        // Make Ajax request with the contentType = false, and procesDate = false
        var ajaxRequest = $.ajax({
            type: "POST",
            url: "Home/Upload",           
            contentType: false,
            processData: false,
            data: data,
            success: function (data) {
                $('#message').html(data);               
            },
            error: function (e)
            {
                console.log('Oops, Something went wrong!.' + e.message);
            }
        });
        ajaxRequest.done(function (xhr, textStatus) {
            // Do other operation
        });
    });
});

If you are not aware of uploading and downloading in MVC, I strongly recommend you to have a look here: Uploading and Downloading in MVC Step-by-Step.

So we have set Home/Upload as the URL action in our Ajax function right? So we are going to create that action. Go to your controller and create a JsonResult action as follows:

public JsonResult Upload()
        {
            string isValid = checkIsValid(Request.Files);
            return Json(isValid, JsonRequestBehavior.AllowGet);
        }

So we have done that too, now stop for a while. To work with ZipArchive class, you must include the namespace as listed below:

using System.IO.Compression;

Now, you will be shown an error as “Are you missing an assembly reference?” Yes we are. We have not added that reference right? So now, we are going to add the references for System.IO.Compression and System.IO.Compression.FileSystem.

Right click on Reference in your project and browse for the references. If you use Visual Studio 2015, the references will be in C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.6.

Please note that the folder names will differ according to your framework version.

Now, we will go back to our controller and write the code for the function checkIsValid(Request.Files).

private string checkIsValid(HttpFileCollectionBase files)
        {
            string isValid = string.Empty;
            try
            {
                foreach (string upload in Request.Files)
                {
                    if (Request.Files[upload].ContentType == 
                    "application/octet-stream") //Content type for .zip is application/octet-stream
                    {
                        if (Request.Files[upload].FileName != "")
                        {
                            string path = AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory + 
                            "/ App_Data / uploads /";
                            if (!Directory.Exists(path))
                            {
                                // Try to create the directory.
                                DirectoryInfo di = Directory.CreateDirectory(path);
                            }

                            string filename = Path.GetFileName(Request.Files[upload].FileName);
                            string pth = Path.Combine(path, filename);
                            Request.Files[upload].SaveAs(pth);
                            isValid = CheckForTheIcon(pth);
                        }
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        isValid = "Only .zip files are accepted.";
                    }
                }
                return isValid;
            }
            catch (Exception)
            {
                return "Oops!. Something went wrong";
            }
        }

As you can see, we are looping through the HttpFileCollectionBase files and check for the content type first.

Please note that the content type for the .zip file is application/octet-stream.

Once the checking is done, we will save the files to a folder, we will send the path to the function CheckForTheIcon(pth). So our next thing we need to do is to create the function CheckForTheIcon().

private string CheckForTheIcon(string strPath)
      {
          string result = string.Empty;
          try
          {
              using (ZipArchive za = ZipFile.OpenRead(strPath))
              {
                  foreach (ZipArchiveEntry zaItem in za.Entries)
                  {
                      if (zaItem.FullName.EndsWith(".ico", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
                      {
                          result = "Success";
                      }
                      else
                      {
                          result = "No ico files has been found";
                      }
                  }
              }
              return result;
          }
          catch (Exception)
          {
              result = "Oops!. Something went wrong";
              return result;
          }
      }

As you can see, we are looping through each ZipArchive class items and checks for the ‘.ico’ file in it. So if there is no error and there is an ‘.ico’ file in the uploaded item zip item, you will get the message as “Success: or if it does not contain the ‘.ico’ file, you will get the message as “No ico files has been found”.

Now it is time to see our output. Please run your application.

Output

Conclusion

Did I miss anything that you think is needed? Have you ever wanted to do this? Could you find this post useful? I hope you liked this article. Please share me your valuable suggestions and feedback.

Your Turn. What Do You Think?

A blog isn’t a blog without comments, but do try to stay on topic. If you have a question unrelated to this post, you’re better off posting it on C# Corner, Code Project, Stack Overflow, ASP.NET Forum instead of commenting here. Tweet or email me a link to your question there and I’ll definitely try to help if I can.