7zip/README.md

# 7-Zip 

Welcome to the **7-Zip** repository! 7-Zip is a widely used open-source file archiver known for its high compression efficiency. It supports various file formats and is available for Windows and command-line usage.

[![License: LGPL](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-LGPL-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-3.0)  [![GitHub Release](https://img.shields.io/github/release/ip7z/7Zip.svg)](https://github.com/ip7z/7Zip/releases)  [![Downloads](https://img.shields.io/sourceforge/dm/sevenzip.svg)](https://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/)  

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## About 7-Zip

7-Zip is a powerful tool for compressing and extracting files, offering a high compression ratio, especially with the **7z** format using LZMA and LZMA2 algorithms. It is completely free to use and is released under the **GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).**

### Key Features
- High compression ratio using 7z format with **LZMA/LZMA2** compression.
- Supports a wide range of formats:
  - **Packing & Unpacking:** 7z, XZ, BZIP2, GZIP, TAR, ZIP, WIM.
  - **Unpacking Only:** ARJ, CAB, CHM, CPIO, CramFS, DMG, EXT, FAT, GPT, HFS, IHEX, ISO, LZH, LZMA, MBR, MSI, NSIS, NTFS, QCOW2, RAR, RPM, SquashFS, UDF, UEFI, VDI, VHD, VMDK, WIM, XAR, Z.
- Integration with **Windows Shell** (drag-and-drop, context menu support).
- **Command-line version** for advanced users.
- Available in **87+ languages** for global accessibility.

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## Installation

To install 7-Zip, head over to the official website: **[7-zip.org](https://7-zip.org)**. Download the version suitable for your operating system and follow the installation guide.

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## How to Use 7-Zip

### Graphical User Interface (GUI)
1. Open 7-Zip from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
2. Use the interface to browse, compress, or extract files with ease.

### Command-Line Interface (CLI)
For power users, 7-Zip provides a command-line tool (`7z.exe`). Here are a few basic commands:

- **Compress a file/folder:**
  ```bash
  7z a archive_name.7z folder_or_file
  ```

- **Extract an archive:**
  ```bash
  7z x archive_name.7z
  ```

- **List contents of an archive:**
  ```bash
  7z l archive_name.7z
  ```

For more commands, check out the **[7-Zip documentation](https://7-zip.org/docs.html)**.

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## Contributing

Want to contribute to 7-Zip? Follow these steps:
1. **Fork** this repository.
2. **Create a new branch** for your updates.
3. **Make your changes** and test them.
4. **Submit a pull request** with a clear description of your modifications.

Your contributions help improve 7-Zip for everyone!

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## License

7-Zip is licensed under the **GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL)**. For details, see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file in the repository.

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## Support & Community

Need help or want to report a bug? You can:
- Visit the **[7-Zip forum](https://sourceforge.net/p/sevenzip/discussion/)**.
- Open an **issue on GitHub**.

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## Useful Links

- **Official Website:** [7-zip.org](https://7-zip.org)  
- **Documentation:** [7-Zip Docs](https://7-zip.org/docs.html)  
- **SourceForge Project:** [7-Zip on SourceForge](https://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/)  

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## Copyright & Credits

© 1999-2023 **Igor Pavlov**. All rights reserved.

7-Zip is developed and maintained by **Igor Pavlov** and distributed under the **LGPL** license. For more details, visit the [official website](https://7-zip.org).

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Thank you for choosing **7-Zip**! We hope it makes file compression easier and more efficient for you.