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Python Bz2 Module

The bz2 module provides a comprehensive interface for the bzip2 compression algorithm. It implements a complete file interface, one-shot (de)compression functions, and types for sequential (de)compression.

Importing the Module

import bz2

Reading Compressed Files

To open a bzip2-compressed file for reading, use bz2.open().

import bz2

with bz2.open('file.txt.bz2', 'rt') as f:
    file_content = f.read()
    print(file_content)

Writing Compressed Files

To open a bzip2-compressed file for writing, use bz2.open() with mode 'wt' (for text) or 'wb' (for binary).

import bz2

content = "Hello, world!"
with bz2.open('file.txt.bz2', 'wt') as f:
    f.write(content)

Compressing Data

You can compress data directly using bz2.compress().

import bz2

data = b"Hello, world!"
compressed_data = bz2.compress(data)
print(compressed_data)

Decompressing Data

You can decompress data using bz2.decompress().

decompressed_data = bz2.decompress(compressed_data)
print(decompressed_data)

programming/python/python

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