7-Zip Documentation

7-Zip can be compiled on Unix-like systems using gcc or clang via the makefile.gcc file. For optimal performance, it is recommended to use an assembler (Asmc or UASM for x86/x64) to enable optimized code paths.

To compile the standalone version (7zz.exe equivalent) using make:

1. Navigate to the Alone2 bundle directory.
2. Run make with the -f makefile.gcc flag.

Use the -j flag to enable parallel builds.

cd CPP/7zip/Bundles/Alone2
make -j -f makefile.gcc

You can use specific .mak files to compile 7-Zip with optimized code and settings. Navigate to CPP/7zip/Bundles/Alone2 and use the following commands:

• GCC without assembler: make -j -f ../../cmpl_gcc.mak
• CLANG without assembler: make -j -f ../../cmpl_clang.mak
• x86-64 with asmc assembler: make -j -f ../../cmpl_gcc_x64.mak
• arm64 with assembler: make -j -f ../../cmpl_gcc_arm64.mak
• arm64 for macOS: make -j -f ../../cmpl_mac_arm64.mak

cd CPP/7zip/Bundles/Alone2
# Example: Compile for x86-64 with asmc
make -j -f ../../cmpl_gcc_x64.mak

To compile 7-Zip binaries for Windows, you need the Visual Studio compiler (2017, 2019, or 2022) and the Windows SDK. You can compile for x86, x64, arm64, and arm platforms.

To compile the full x64 version using Visual Studio 2022, use the following command sequence in a command prompt:

1. Navigate to the source directory.
2. Initialize the environment using vcvars64.bat.
3. Run nmake.

For other platforms, use the corresponding vcvars*.bat files from the VS2022\VC\Auxiliary\Build directory (e.g., vcvarsamd64_arm64.bat).

cd SRC\CPP\7zip
%comspec% /k "C:\Program Files\VS2022\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat"
nmake

To compile a single standalone binary like 7za.exe on Windows, navigate to the specific bundle directory and use nmake.

cd SRC\CPP\7zip\Bundles\Alone\
nmake

When compiling with makefile.gcc, you can pass several variables to modify the build:

• USE_JWASM=1: Uses JWasm instead of Asmc (Note: JWasm does not support AES instructions, so C-based AES will be used).
• DISABLE_RAR=1: Removes all RAR-related code from the compilation.
• DISABLE_RAR_COMPRESS=1: Removes RAR decompression codecs. 7-Zip will still be able to open RAR archives to list files or extract uncompressed files, but cannot decompress them.
• IS_X64=1 USE_ASM=1 MY_ASM="$UASM": Used to specify a custom path to the UASM assembler for x86-64 builds.

# Example: Using UASM for x86-64
UASM="$PWD/GccUnixR/uasm"
cd "7zip-src/CPP/7zip/Bundles/Alone2"
make -f makefile.gcc -j IS_X64=1 USE_ASM=1 MY_ASM="$UASM"

The 7-Zip Benchmark dialog allows users to configure specific parameters for performance testing. The following settings are available via the user interface:

• Dictionary size: Selectable via a combobox (IDC_BENCH_DICTIONARY).
• Number of CPU threads: Selectable via a combobox (IDC_BENCH_NUM_THREADS).
• Number of passes: Selectable via a combobox (IDC_BENCH_NUM_PASSES).

Users can also control the benchmark execution using the following buttons:

• Restart (IDB_RESTART)
• Stop (IDB_STOP)
• Help (IDHELP)
• Cancel (IDCANCEL)

When using the Windows makefile via nmake, the following macros can be defined:

• PLATFORM: Target architecture. Possible values: x64, x86, arm64, arm, ia64.
• OLD_COMPILER: Used for older VC compilers (e.g., MSCV 6.0).
• MY_DYNAMIC_LINK: Enables dynamic linking to the run-time library (msvcrt.dll). The default is static linking.

The 7-Zip source repository is organized into several key directories:

• Asm: Optimized assembler code (CRC, SHA, AES, LZMA decoding).
• C: C source code.
• CPP: C++ source code.
• Bundles: Modules that group other modules into specific binaries:
  • Alone: 7za.exe (supports 7z/xz/cab/zip/gzip/bzip2/tar).
  • Alone2: 7zz.exe (supports all formats).
  • Alone7z: 7zr.exe (supports only 7z).
  • Format7z: 7za.dll (standalone .7z support).
  • Format7z: 7z.dll (all formats support).
• UI: User Interface components:
  • Console: 7z.exe (Console version).
  • GUI: 7zG.exe (GUI version).
  • FileManager: 7zFM.exe (File Manager).

The CApp class allows programmatic control over the appearance of the application toolbars. These settings can be toggled and saved to persist across sessions.

Toolbar Options:

• ShowStandardToolbar: Toggles the standard toolbar.
• ShowArchiveToolbar: Toggles the archive-specific toolbar.
• ShowButtonsLables: Toggles whether buttons display text labels.
• LargeButtons: Toggles between standard and large button sizes.

Methods to apply changes:

• SwitchStandardToolbar(): Toggles and saves the standard toolbar state.
• SwitchArchiveToolbar(): Toggles and saves the archive toolbar state.
• SwitchButtonsLables(): Toggles and saves the button label state.
• SwitchLargeButtons(): Toggles and saves the large button state.
• SaveToolbarChanges(): Explicitly persists current toolbar settings.