ZiPatch File Structure

All ZiPatch files for FINAL FANTASY XIV share the same overall structure. This format was later expanded in 2012 for DRAGON QUEST X and FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn, which are more similar in their DAT structure. Many of the block types found in this version were deprecated, but still remain in the executable for A Realm Reborn.

ZiPatch File Header

91 5A 49 50 41 54 43 48 0D 0A 1A 0A            ‘ZIPATCH....

The ZiPatch File Header is followed immediately by n blocks, which carry specific instructions. Each block has the following structure:

[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, Pack=4)]
struct Block
{
    int dataSize; // Little Endian
    byte[] data;  // data.Length is dataSize + 4 (inclusive of block type identifier)
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValArray, SizeConst=4)]
    byte[] crc;   // crc is a standard CRC32 checksum (RFC 1952) of data
}

byte type[data[0..3]] "FHDR" (File Header) "APLY" "APFS" "ETRY" (Entry File) "ADIR" (Add Directory) "DELD" (Delete Directory)

>>FHDR byte version[4] byte result[4] uint numEtry (Little Endian) uint numAply (Little Endian) uint numDeld (Little Endian)

>>ADIR uint pathSize (Little Endian) byte path[pathSize]

>>DELD uint pathSize (Little Endian) byte path[pathSize]