The ZIM file format is an open file format that stores website content for offline usage.[1] The format is defined by the openZIM project, which also supports an open-source ZIM reader called Kiwix. The format is primarily used to store the contents of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, including articles, full-text search indices and auxiliary files.[2][3]
| ZIM archive format | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Filename extension |
.zim |
| Internet media type | text/plain, application/octet-stream |
| Magic number | 0x44D495A |
| Latest release | 6.3 April 16, 2025 |
| Type of format | Data compression |
| Compression | Zstandard, LZMA2 |
| Container for | Wikimedia and other web content for offline use |
| Open format? | Yes |
| Free format? | Yes |
| Website | https://wiki.openzim.org/wiki/OpenZIM |
ZIM is an abbreviation for 'Zeno improved',[4][5] as it replaced the earlier Zeno file format. Since 2021, the library defaults to Zstandard file compression,[6] and also supports LZMA2 compression, as implemented by the XZ Utils library. Most notably, the compression ratio can be up to 3∶1 with almost all of the space savings taking place within the clusters.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ openzim/zimit, openZIM, 2024-09-10, retrieved 2024-09-11
- ↑ "openZIM project wiki". Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- ↑ Truong, Kevin (2020-07-10). "You Can Download the Entirety of English Wikipedia to Browse Offline". Vice. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
- ↑ "Zeno File Format". openZIM.org. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- ↑ ".ZIM File". FILExt. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- ↑ "Release 7.0.0". GitHub. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ↑ "ZIM Format Block Diagram" (PDF).