# 7z > A file archiver with high compression ratio. > More information: . - Archive a file or directory: `7z a {{archived.7z}} {{path/to/file_or_directory}}` - Encrypt an existing archive (including headers): `7z a {{encrypted.7z}} -p{{password}} -mhe=on {{archived.7z}}` - Extract an existing 7z file with original directory structure: `7z x {{archived.7z}}` - Extract an archive with user-defined output path: `7z x {{archived.7z}} -o{{path/to/output}}` - Extract an archive to stdout: `7z x {{archived.7z}} -so` - Archive using a specific archive type: `7z a -t{{zip|gzip|bzip2|tar}} {{archived.7z}} {{path/to/file_or_directory}}` - List available archive types: `7z i` - List the contents of an archive file: `7z l {{archived.7z}}`