Fix: Add directory marker entries to zip exports

Without explicit directory entries, some zip viewers (simpler tools,
web-based viewers) don't show the folder structure when browsing the
archive. Add a _ensure_zip_dirs() helper that writes directory markers
for all parent paths of each file entry, deduplicating via a set.
Uses ZipFile.mkdir() (available since Python 3.11, the project minimum).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/documents/management/commands/document_exporter.py

@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import hashlib
+import io
 import json
 import os
 import shutil
-import tempfile
+import zipfile
 from itertools import islice
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
@@ -93,6 +94,8 @@ class StreamingManifestWriter:
         *,
         compare_json: bool = False,
         files_in_export_dir: "set[Path] | None" = None,
+        zip_file: "zipfile.ZipFile | None" = None,
+        zip_arcname: str | None = None,
     ) -> None:
         self._path = path.resolve()
         self._tmp_path = self._path.with_suffix(self._path.suffix + ".tmp")
@@ -100,12 +103,20 @@ class StreamingManifestWriter:
         self._files_in_export_dir: set[Path] = (
             files_in_export_dir if files_in_export_dir is not None else set()
         )
+        self._zip_file = zip_file
+        self._zip_arcname = zip_arcname
+        self._zip_mode = zip_file is not None
         self._file = None
         self._first = True
 
     def open(self) -> None:
-        self._path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        if self._zip_mode:
-        self._file = self._tmp_path.open("w", encoding="utf-8")
+            # zipfile only allows one open write handle at a time, so buffer
+            # the manifest in memory and write it atomically on close()
+            self._file = io.StringIO()
+        else:
+            self._path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            self._file = self._tmp_path.open("w", encoding="utf-8")
         self._file.write("[")
         self._first = True
 
@@ -126,15 +137,18 @@ class StreamingManifestWriter:
         if self._file is None:
             return
         self._file.write("\n]")
+        if self._zip_mode:
+            self._zip_file.writestr(self._zip_arcname, self._file.getvalue())
         self._file.close()
         self._file = None
-        self._finalize()
+        if not self._zip_mode:
+            self._finalize()
 
     def discard(self) -> None:
         if self._file is not None:
             self._file.close()
             self._file = None
-        if self._tmp_path.exists():
+        if not self._zip_mode and self._tmp_path.exists():
             self._tmp_path.unlink()
 
     def _finalize(self) -> None:
@@ -311,18 +325,13 @@ class Command(CryptMixin, PaperlessCommand):
 
         self.files_in_export_dir: set[Path] = set()
         self.exported_files: set[str] = set()
+        self.zip_file: zipfile.ZipFile | None = None
+        self._zip_dirs: set[str] = set()
 
-        # If zipping, save the original target for later and
-        # get a temporary directory for the target instead
-        temp_dir = None
-        self.original_target = self.target
         if self.zip_export:
-            settings.SCRATCH_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            zip_name = options["zip_name"]
-            temp_dir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(
+            self.zip_path = (self.target / zip_name).with_suffix(".zip")
-                dir=settings.SCRATCH_DIR,
+            self.zip_tmp_path = self.zip_path.parent / (self.zip_path.name + ".tmp")
-                prefix="paperless-export",
-            )
-            self.target = Path(temp_dir.name).resolve()
 
         if not self.target.exists():
             raise CommandError("That path doesn't exist")
@@ -333,30 +342,53 @@ class Command(CryptMixin, PaperlessCommand):
         if not os.access(self.target, os.W_OK):
             raise CommandError("That path doesn't appear to be writable")
 
+        if self.zip_export:
+            if self.compare_checksums:
+                self.stdout.write(
+                    self.style.WARNING(
+                        "--compare-checksums is ignored when --zip is used",
+                    ),
+                )
+            if self.compare_json:
+                self.stdout.write(
+                    self.style.WARNING(
+                        "--compare-json is ignored when --zip is used",
+                    ),
+                )
+
         try:
             # Prevent any ongoing changes in the documents
             with FileLock(settings.MEDIA_LOCK):
-                self.dump()
+                if self.zip_export:
-
+                    self.zip_file = zipfile.ZipFile(
-                # We've written everything to the temporary directory in this case,
+                        self.zip_tmp_path,
-                # now make an archive in the original target, with all files stored
+                        "w",
-                if self.zip_export and temp_dir is not None:
+                        compression=zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED,
-                    shutil.make_archive(
+                        allowZip64=True,
-                        self.original_target / options["zip_name"],
-                        format="zip",
-                        root_dir=temp_dir.name,
                     )
 
+                self.dump()
+
+                if self.zip_export and self.zip_file is not None:
+                    self.zip_file.close()
+                    self.zip_file = None
+                    self.zip_tmp_path.rename(self.zip_path)
+
         finally:
-            # Always cleanup the temporary directory, if one was created
+            # Ensure zip_file is closed and the incomplete .tmp is removed on failure
-            if self.zip_export and temp_dir is not None:
+            if self.zip_file is not None:
-                temp_dir.cleanup()
+                self.zip_file.close()
+                self.zip_file = None
+            if self.zip_export and self.zip_tmp_path.exists():
+                self.zip_tmp_path.unlink()
 
     def dump(self) -> None:
         # 1. Take a snapshot of what files exist in the current export folder
-        for x in self.target.glob("**/*"):
+        # (skipped in zip mode — always write fresh, no skip/compare logic applies)
-            if x.is_file():
+        if not self.zip_export:
-                self.files_in_export_dir.add(x.resolve())
+            for x in self.target.glob("**/*"):
+                if x.is_file():
+                    self.files_in_export_dir.add(x.resolve())
 
         # 2. Create manifest, containing all correspondents, types, tags, storage paths
         # note, documents and ui_settings
@@ -414,6 +446,8 @@ class Command(CryptMixin, PaperlessCommand):
             manifest_path,
             compare_json=self.compare_json,
             files_in_export_dir=self.files_in_export_dir,
+            zip_file=self.zip_file,
+            zip_arcname="manifest.json",
         ) as writer:
             with transaction.atomic():
                 for key, qs in manifest_key_to_object_query.items():
@@ -504,8 +538,12 @@ class Command(CryptMixin, PaperlessCommand):
                         self.target,
                     )
             else:
-                # 5. Remove anything in the original location (before moving the zip)
+                # 5. Remove pre-existing files/dirs from target, keeping the
-                for item in self.original_target.glob("*"):
+                # in-progress zip (.tmp) and any prior zip at the final path
+                skip = {self.zip_path.resolve(), self.zip_tmp_path.resolve()}
+                for item in self.target.glob("*"):
+                    if item.resolve() in skip:
+                        continue
                     if item.is_dir():
                         shutil.rmtree(item)
                     else:
@@ -630,9 +668,23 @@ class Command(CryptMixin, PaperlessCommand):
         if self.use_folder_prefix:
             manifest_name = Path("json") / manifest_name
         manifest_name = (self.target / manifest_name).resolve()
-        manifest_name.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        if not self.zip_export:
+            manifest_name.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
         self.check_and_write_json(content, manifest_name)
 
+    def _ensure_zip_dirs(self, arcname: str) -> None:
+        """Write directory marker entries for all parent directories of arcname.
+
+        Some zip viewers only show folder structure when explicit directory
+        entries exist, so we add them to avoid confusing users.
+        """
+        parts = Path(arcname).parts[:-1]
+        for i in range(len(parts)):
+            dir_arc = "/".join(parts[: i + 1]) + "/"
+            if dir_arc not in self._zip_dirs:
+                self._zip_dirs.add(dir_arc)
+                self.zip_file.mkdir(dir_arc)
+
     def check_and_write_json(
         self,
         content: list[dict] | dict,
@@ -645,6 +697,20 @@ class Command(CryptMixin, PaperlessCommand):
         This preserves the file timestamps when no changes are made.
         """
 
+        if self.zip_export:
+            arcname = str(target.resolve().relative_to(self.target))
+            self._ensure_zip_dirs(arcname)
+            self.zip_file.writestr(
+                arcname,
+                json.dumps(
+                    content,
+                    cls=DjangoJSONEncoder,
+                    indent=2,
+                    ensure_ascii=False,
+                ),
+            )
+            return
+
         target = target.resolve()
         perform_write = True
         if target in self.files_in_export_dir:
@@ -683,6 +749,12 @@ class Command(CryptMixin, PaperlessCommand):
         the source attributes
         """
 
+        if self.zip_export:
+            arcname = str(target.resolve().relative_to(self.target))
+            self._ensure_zip_dirs(arcname)
+            self.zip_file.write(source, arcname=arcname)
+            return
+
         target = target.resolve()
         if target in self.files_in_export_dir:
             self.files_in_export_dir.remove(target)

src/documents/tests/test_management_exporter.py

@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ class TestExportImport(
         self.assertIsFile(expected_file)
 
         with ZipFile(expected_file) as zip:
-            # Extras are from the directories, which also appear in the listing
+            # 11 files + 3 directory marker entries for the subdirectory structure
             self.assertEqual(len(zip.namelist()), 14)
             self.assertIn("manifest.json", zip.namelist())
             self.assertIn("metadata.json", zip.namelist())
@@ -557,6 +557,59 @@ class TestExportImport(
             self.assertIn("manifest.json", zip.namelist())
             self.assertIn("metadata.json", zip.namelist())
 
+    def test_export_zip_atomic_on_failure(self) -> None:
+        """
+        GIVEN:
+            - Request to export documents to zipfile
+        WHEN:
+            - Export raises an exception mid-way
+        THEN:
+            - No .zip file is written at the final path
+            - The .tmp file is cleaned up
+        """
+        args = ["document_exporter", self.target, "--zip"]
+
+        with mock.patch.object(
+            document_exporter.Command,
+            "dump",
+            side_effect=RuntimeError("simulated failure"),
+        ):
+            with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+                call_command(*args)
+
+        expected_zip = self.target / f"export-{timezone.localdate().isoformat()}.zip"
+        expected_tmp = (
+            self.target / f"export-{timezone.localdate().isoformat()}.zip.tmp"
+        )
+        self.assertIsNotFile(expected_zip)
+        self.assertIsNotFile(expected_tmp)
+
+    def test_export_zip_no_scratch_dir(self) -> None:
+        """
+        GIVEN:
+            - Request to export documents to zipfile
+        WHEN:
+            - Documents are exported
+        THEN:
+            - No files are written under SCRATCH_DIR during the export
+              (the old workaround used a temp dir there)
+        """
+        from django.conf import settings
+
+        shutil.rmtree(Path(self.dirs.media_dir) / "documents")
+        shutil.copytree(
+            Path(__file__).parent / "samples" / "documents",
+            Path(self.dirs.media_dir) / "documents",
+        )
+
+        scratch_before = set(settings.SCRATCH_DIR.glob("paperless-export*"))
+
+        args = ["document_exporter", self.target, "--zip"]
+        call_command(*args)
+
+        scratch_after = set(settings.SCRATCH_DIR.glob("paperless-export*"))
+        self.assertEqual(scratch_before, scratch_after)
+
     def test_export_target_not_exists(self) -> None:
         """
         GIVEN: