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Python Lzma Module

The lzma module provides classes and convenience functions for compression and decompression using the LZMA compression algorithm. It includes support for the .xz and .lzma file formats.

Importing the Module

import lzma

Reading Compressed Files

To open an LZMA-compressed file for reading, use lzma.open().

import lzma

with lzma.open('file.txt.xz', 'rt') as f:
    file_content = f.read()
    print(file_content)

Writing Compressed Files

To open an LZMA-compressed file for writing, use lzma.open() with mode 'wt' (for text) or 'wb' (for binary).

import lzma

content = "Hello, world!"
with lzma.open('file.txt.xz', 'wt') as f:
    f.write(content)

Compressing Data

You can compress data directly using lzma.compress().

import lzma

data = b"Hello, world!"
compressed_data = lzma.compress(data)
print(compressed_data)

Decompressing Data

You can decompress data using lzma.decompress().

decompressed_data = lzma.decompress(compressed_data)
print(decompressed_data)

programming/python/python

Created: March 17, 2026 • Last Modified: January 27, 2026