diff --git a/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes.csproj b/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes.csproj
index 777c64f84..adcf12614 100644
--- a/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes.csproj
+++ b/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes.csproj
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Geometry.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Interfaces\IChecksum.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Interfaces\IFilesystem.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Interfaces\IArchive.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Interfaces\IFilter.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Interfaces\IFloppyImage.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Interfaces\IMediaImage.cs" />
@@ -127,4 +128,4 @@
       </Properties>
     </MonoDevelop>
   </ProjectExtensions>
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes/Interfaces/IArchive.cs b/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes/Interfaces/IArchive.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b71dab40e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DiscImageChef.CommonTypes/Interfaces/IArchive.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,253 @@
+// /***************************************************************************
+// The Disc Image Chef
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// Filename       : IArchive.cs
+// Author(s)      : Michael Drüing <michael@drueing.de>
+//
+// Component      : Archives.
+//
+// --[ Description ] ----------------------------------------------------------
+//
+//     Defines the interface for an Archive.
+//
+// --[ License ] --------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+//     This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+//     it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as
+//     published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the
+//     License, or (at your option) any later version.
+//
+//     This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+//     WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+//     MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
+//     Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+//     You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+//     License along with this library; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+//
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Copyright © 2018-2019 Michael Drüing
+// Copyright © 2011-2019 Natalia Portillo
+// ****************************************************************************/
+
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+
+namespace DiscImageChef.CommonTypes.Interfaces
+{
+    [Flags]
+    public enum ArchiveSupportedFeature : uint
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     The archive supports filenames for its entries. If this flag is not set, 
+        ///     files can only be accessed by number.
+        /// </summary>
+        SupportsFilenames         = 1 << 0,
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     The archive supports compression. If this flag is not set, compressed and 
+        ///     uncompressed lengths are always the same.
+        /// </summary>
+        SupportsCompression       = 1 << 1,
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     The archive supports subdirectories. If this flag is not set, all filenames are 
+        ///     guaranteed to not contain any "/" character.
+        /// </summary>
+        SupportsSubdirectories    = 1 << 2,
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     The archive supports explicit entries for directories (like Zip, for example).
+        ///     If this flag is not set, directories are implicit by the relative name of the files.
+        /// </summary>
+        HasExplicitDirectories    = 1 << 3,
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     The archive stores a timestamp with each entry if this flag is set.
+        /// </summary>
+        HasEntryTimestamp         = 1 << 4,
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     If this flag is set, individual files or the whole archive might be encrypted or
+        ///     password-protected.
+        /// </summary>
+        SupportsProtection        = 1 << 5,  // TODO: not implemented yet
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     If this flag is set, the archive supports returning extended attributes (Xattrs) for each entry.
+        /// </summary>
+        SupportsXAttrs            = 1 << 6,
+    };
+
+    public interface IArchive
+    {
+        /// <summary>Descriptive name of the plugin</summary>
+        string Name { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>Unique UUID of the plugin</summary>
+        Guid Id { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Identifies if the specified path contains data recognizable by this archive instance
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="path">Path.</param>
+        bool Identify(string path);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Identifies if the specified stream contains data recognizable by this archive instance
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="stream">Stream.</param>
+        bool Identify(Stream stream);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Identifies if the specified buffer contains data recognizable by this archive instance
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="buffer">Buffer.</param>
+        bool Identify(byte[] buffer);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Opens the specified path with this archive instance
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="path">Path.</param>
+        void Open(string path);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Opens the specified stream with this archive instance
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="stream">Stream.</param>
+        void Open(Stream stream);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Opens the specified buffer with this archive instance
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="buffer">Buffer.</param>
+        void Open(byte[] buffer);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Returns true if the archive has a file/stream/buffer currently opened and no
+        ///     <see cref="M:DiscImageChef.Filters.Filter.Close" /> has been issued.
+        /// </summary>
+        bool IsOpened();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Closes all opened streams.
+        /// </summary>
+        void Close();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Return a bitfield indicating the features supported by this archive type.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <returns>The <c>ArchiveSupportedFeature</c> bitfield.</returns>
+        /// <remarks>
+        ///     This should be a constant, tied to the archive type, not to the particular
+        ///     features used by the currently-opened archive file.
+        /// </remarks>
+        ArchiveSupportedFeature GetArchiveFeatures();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Gets the number of entries (i.e. files) that are contained in this archive.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        ///     Entries in this context can also mean directories or volume labels, for some types of
+        ///     archives that store these explicitly. Do not rely on all entries being regular files!
+        /// </remarks>
+        /// <returns>The number of files.</returns>
+        int GetNumberOfEntries();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Gets the file name (and path) of the given entry in the archive.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        ///     The path components are separated by a forward slash "/". <br />
+        ///     The path should not start with a leading slash (i.e. it should be relative, not absolute).
+        /// </remarks>
+        /// <seealso cref="Stat(int)"/>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry in the archive for which to return the file name.</param>
+        /// <returns>The file name, with (relative) path</returns>
+        string GetFilename(int entryNumber);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Gets the entry number for a particular file path in the archive. <c>fileName</c> is
+        ///     the relative path of the file in the archive. If the file cannot be found, -1 is returned.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        ///     The path should be relative (no leading slash), using regular slashes as path separator, and be
+        ///     normalized, i.e. no "foo//bar" or "foo/../bar" path components.
+        /// </remarks>
+        /// <param name="fileName">The relative path for which to get the entry number.</param>
+        /// <param name="caseInsensitiveMatch">If set, do a case insensitive matching and return the first file that matches.</param>
+        /// <returns>The number of the entry corresponding to the given path, or -1 if the path does not exist.</returns>
+        int GetEntryNumber(string fileName, bool caseInsensitiveMatch);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Gets the (compressed) size of the given entry.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry for which to get the compressed size.</param>
+        /// <returns>The compressed size of the entry, or 0 if the entry is not a regular file.</returns>
+        /// <remarks>
+        ///     The return value is equal to the return value of <c>GetUncompressedSize()</c> if the file is not compressed.
+        /// </remarks>
+        /// <seealso cref="GetUncompressedSize(int)"/>
+        long GetCompressedSize(int entryNumber);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Gets the uncompressed size of the given entry.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry for which to get the uncompressed size.</param>
+        /// <returns>The uncompressed size of the entry, or 0 if the entry is not a regular file.</returns>
+        /// <remarks>
+        ///     The return value is equal to the return value of <c>GetCompressedSize()</c> if the file is not compressed.
+        /// </remarks>
+        /// <seealso cref="GetCompressedSize(int)"/>
+        long GetUncompressedSize(int entryNumber);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Gets the attributes of a file or directory.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <seealso cref="Stat(int)"/>
+        /// <returns>Error number.</returns>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry in the archive for which to retreive the attributes.</param>
+        /// <returns>File attributes, or zero if the archive does not support attributes.</returns>
+        FileAttributes GetAttributes(int entryNumber);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Lists all extended attributes, alternate data streams and forks of the given file.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry in the archive for which to retreive the list of attributes.</param>
+        /// <returns>List of extended attributes, alternate data streams and forks.</returns>
+        List<string> GetXAttrs(int entryNumber);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Reads an extended attribute, alternate data stream or fork from the given file.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <returns>Error number.</returns>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry in the archive for which to retreive the XAttr.</param>
+        /// <param name="xattr">Extended attribute, alternate data stream or fork name.</param>
+        /// <returns>Buffer with the XAttr data.</returns>
+        byte[] GetXattr(int entryNumber, string xattr);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Gets information about an entry in the archive.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        ///     Note that some of the data might be incomplete or not available at all, depending on the type of
+        ///     archive.
+        /// </remarks>
+        /// <seealso cref="GetAttributes(int)"/>
+        /// <seealso cref="GetFilename(int)"/>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry int he archive for which to get the information</param>
+        /// <returns>The available information about the entry in the archive</returns>
+        FileSystemInfo Stat(int entryNumber);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        ///     Returns the Filter for the given entry. It will return <c>null</c> if the entry in question
+        ///     is not a regular file (i.e. directory, volume label, etc.)
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="entryNumber">The entry for which the Filter should be returned.</param>
+        /// <returns>The Filter for the given entry.</returns>
+        IFilter GetEntry(int entryNumber);
+    }
+}
+