zip_source

A Python script that zips a codebase's source files while intelligently skipping everything that doesn't belong; build artifacts, dependency folders, secrets, compiled outputs, and more.

No third-party dependencies. Pure Python stdlib.

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Usage

Interactive mode - the script will prompt you for everything:

python zip_source.py

CLI mode - pass arguments directly:

python zip_source.py --path ./my-project --dest ~/Desktop
python zip_source.py --path ./my-project --dest ~/Desktop/my-project.zip
python zip_source.py --path ./my-project --dest ~/Desktop --verbose

If no destination is provided, the zip is placed in the parent directory of the source folder.

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What gets excluded

Category	Examples
Dependency dirs	node_modules, .venv, vendor, site-packages
Build outputs	dist, build, out, .next, .nuxt, target
Caches	__pycache__, .cache, .turbo, .parcel-cache
IDE & VCS	.git, .idea, .vscode, .svn
Compiled files	.pyc, .class, .o, .dll, .exe, .wasm
Secrets	.env, .env.local, .env.production, etc.
Lock files	package-lock.json, poetry.lock, yarn.lock, etc.
OS junk	.DS_Store, Thumbs.db, desktop.ini
Large files	Any single file over 50 MB (configurable)

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Options

Flag	Default	Description
--path, -p	prompted	Path to the codebase directory
--dest, -d	parent dir	Output path or directory for the zip
--verbose, -v	off	Auto-show all excluded items without prompting
--max-file-mb	50	Per-file size cap in MB

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Media files

By default, images, video, and audio are excluded. To include them (e.g. for projects with a public/ assets folder), open the script and set:

INCLUDE_MEDIA: bool = True

When enabled, media files bypass the size cap and are always included regardless of size.

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Safety features

• No overwrite - if the output zip already exists, a counter suffix is appended (_1, _2, …)
• No self-zip - aborts if the destination is inside the source directory
• Interrupted zips cleaned up - Ctrl+C removes any partial file automatically
• Secrets protected - .env* files are always excluded, even if media or other flags are enabled