The Main Window

In this area all the folders and files in the archive are displayed in a Finder-like list. To view a file just double-click it, to extract it drag it to the Finder window where you want to put it.
The filesystem browser shows your filesystem (hard discs and network places). The big difference to the Finder is that it is filtered to only show folders and archives. All other files are hidden. Double-click an archive to show its contents in the main window.
The transcript drawer shows the output of the external helper programs that BetterZip calls.
This is the search field. Enter a few letters to filter the archive's contents and only display files and folders containing the entered text; it works like the search field in iTunes.

The Save Panel

I show you BetterZip's save panel, because it holds an important part of the functionality (50 percent or so).

In the save panel you can select which archive format to use for your new archive. Currently these formats are supported:
  • ZIP
  • TAR, uncompressed
  • TAR, GZip compressed (TGZ)
  • TAR, BZip2 compressed (TBZ2)
  • 7-zip
  • RAR (needs external rar component)
Some of these formats support encryption, some can be split into multiple volumes, and some let you choose the compression level.

The Preferences Window

To be honest, I don't like screenshots of preference windows, because either I think, "Wow, there are a lot of settings to learn. This is going to be really tiresome." Or it's a preference window with two settings which often gives me the feeling that the application is too simple to be useful. Anyway, BetterZip's preference window is -- or so I hope -- somewhere in between. If you think it's too simple or overly complex, head over to the community section and let me know.