diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index ae36265a..659dfdd6 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ SharpCompress supports multiple archive and compression formats:
 - **Archive Formats**: Zip, Tar, 7Zip, Rar (read-only)
 - **Compression**: DEFLATE, BZip2, LZMA/LZMA2, PPMd, ZStandard (decompress only), Deflate64 (decompress only)
 - **Combined Formats**: Tar.GZip, Tar.BZip2, Tar.LZip, Tar.XZ, Tar.ZStandard
-- See FORMATS.md for complete format support matrix
+- See [docs/FORMATS.md](docs/FORMATS.md) for complete format support matrix
 
 ### Stream Handling Rules
 - **Disposal**: As of version 0.21, SharpCompress closes wrapped streams by default
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 67cba2cd..ecaa15e4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ SharpCompress is a compression library in pure C# for .NET Framework 4.8, .NET 8
 
 The major feature is support for non-seekable streams so large files can be processed on the fly (i.e. download stream).
 
-**NEW:** All I/O operations now support async/await for improved performance and scalability. See the [USAGE.md](USAGE.md#async-examples) for examples.
+**NEW:** All I/O operations now support async/await for improved performance and scalability. See the [USAGE.md](docs/USAGE.md#async-examples) for examples.
 
 GitHub Actions Build -
 [![SharpCompress](https://github.com/adamhathcock/sharpcompress/actions/workflows/dotnetcore.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/adamhathcock/sharpcompress/actions/workflows/dotnetcore.yml)
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ GitHub Actions Build -
 
 Post Issues on Github!
 
-Check the [Supported Formats](FORMATS.md) and [Basic Usage.](USAGE.md)
+Check the [Supported Formats](docs/FORMATS.md) and [Basic Usage.](docs/USAGE.md)
 
 ## Recommended Formats
 
diff --git a/docs/API.md b/docs/API.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d22f723b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/API.md
@@ -0,0 +1,490 @@
+# API Quick Reference
+
+Quick reference for commonly used SharpCompress APIs.
+
+## Factory Methods
+
+### Opening Archives
+
+```csharp
+// Auto-detect format
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream))
+{
+    // Works with Zip, Tar, GZip, Rar, 7Zip, etc.
+}
+
+// Specific format - Archive API
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("file.zip"))
+using (var archive = TarArchive.Open("file.tar"))
+using (var archive = RarArchive.Open("file.rar"))
+using (var archive = SevenZipArchive.Open("file.7z"))
+using (var archive = GZipArchive.Open("file.gz"))
+
+// With options
+var options = new ReaderOptions 
+{ 
+    Password = "password",
+    LeaveStreamOpen = true,
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding { Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932) }
+};
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("encrypted.zip", options))
+```
+
+### Creating Archives
+
+```csharp
+// Writer Factory
+using (var writer = WriterFactory.Open(stream, ArchiveType.Zip, CompressionType.Deflate))
+{
+    // Write entries
+}
+
+// Specific writer
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Create())
+using (var archive = TarArchive.Create())
+using (var archive = GZipArchive.Create())
+
+// With options
+var options = new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate) 
+{ 
+    CompressionLevel = 9,
+    LeaveStreamOpen = false
+};
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Create())
+{
+    archive.SaveTo("output.zip", options);
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Archive API Methods
+
+### Reading/Extracting
+
+```csharp
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("file.zip"))
+{
+    // Get all entries
+    IEnumerable<IEntry> entries = archive.Entries;
+    
+    // Find specific entry
+    var entry = archive.Entries.FirstOrDefault(e => e.Key == "file.txt");
+    
+    // Extract all
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output", new ExtractionOptions
+    {
+        ExtractFullPath = true,
+        Overwrite = true
+    });
+    
+    // Extract single entry
+    var entry = archive.Entries.First();
+    entry.WriteToFile(@"C:\output\file.txt");
+    entry.WriteToFile(@"C:\output\file.txt", new ExtractionOptions { Overwrite = true });
+    
+    // Get entry stream
+    using (var stream = entry.OpenEntryStream())
+    {
+        stream.CopyTo(outputStream);
+    }
+}
+
+// Async variants
+await archive.WriteToDirectoryAsync(@"C:\output", options, cancellationToken);
+using (var stream = await entry.OpenEntryStreamAsync(cancellationToken))
+{
+    // ...
+}
+```
+
+### Entry Properties
+
+```csharp
+foreach (var entry in archive.Entries)
+{
+    string name = entry.Key;              // Entry name/path
+    long size = entry.Size;               // Uncompressed size
+    long compressedSize = entry.CompressedSize;
+    bool isDir = entry.IsDirectory;
+    DateTime? modTime = entry.LastModifiedTime;
+    CompressionType compression = entry.CompressionType;
+}
+```
+
+### Creating Archives
+
+```csharp
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Create())
+{
+    // Add file
+    archive.AddEntry("file.txt", "C:\\source\\file.txt");
+    
+    // Add multiple files
+    archive.AddAllFromDirectory("C:\\source");
+    archive.AddAllFromDirectory("C:\\source", "*.txt");  // Pattern
+    
+    // Save to file
+    archive.SaveTo("output.zip", CompressionType.Deflate);
+    
+    // Save to stream
+    archive.SaveTo(outputStream, new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate)
+    {
+        CompressionLevel = 9,
+        LeaveStreamOpen = true
+    });
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Reader API Methods
+
+### Forward-Only Reading
+
+```csharp
+using (var stream = File.OpenRead("file.zip"))
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream))
+{
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        IEntry entry = reader.Entry;
+        
+        if (!entry.IsDirectory)
+        {
+            // Extract entry
+            reader.WriteEntryToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+            reader.WriteEntryToFile(@"C:\output\file.txt");
+            
+            // Or get stream
+            using (var entryStream = reader.OpenEntryStream())
+            {
+                entryStream.CopyTo(outputStream);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// Async variants
+while (await reader.MoveToNextEntryAsync())
+{
+    await reader.WriteEntryToFileAsync(@"C:\output\" + reader.Entry.Key, cancellationToken);
+}
+
+// Async extraction
+await reader.WriteAllToDirectoryAsync(@"C:\output", 
+    new ExtractionOptions { ExtractFullPath = true, Overwrite = true },
+    cancellationToken);
+```
+
+---
+
+## Writer API Methods
+
+### Creating Archives (Streaming)
+
+```csharp
+using (var stream = File.Create("output.zip"))
+using (var writer = WriterFactory.Open(stream, ArchiveType.Zip, CompressionType.Deflate))
+{
+    // Write single file
+    using (var fileStream = File.OpenRead("source.txt"))
+    {
+        writer.Write("entry.txt", fileStream, DateTime.Now);
+    }
+    
+    // Write directory
+    writer.WriteAll("C:\\source", "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories);
+    writer.WriteAll("C:\\source", "*.txt", SearchOption.TopDirectoryOnly);
+    
+    // Async variants
+    using (var fileStream = File.OpenRead("source.txt"))
+    {
+        await writer.WriteAsync("entry.txt", fileStream, DateTime.Now, cancellationToken);
+    }
+    
+    await writer.WriteAllAsync("C:\\source", "*", SearchOption.AllDirectories, cancellationToken);
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Common Options
+
+### ReaderOptions
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    Password = "password",                          // For encrypted archives
+    LeaveStreamOpen = true,                         // Don't close wrapped stream
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding          // Custom character encoding
+    {
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932)
+    }
+};
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("file.zip", options))
+{
+    // ...
+}
+```
+
+### WriterOptions
+
+```csharp
+var options = new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate)
+{
+    CompressionLevel = 9,                           // 0-9 for Deflate
+    LeaveStreamOpen = true,                         // Don't close stream
+};
+archive.SaveTo("output.zip", options);
+```
+
+### ExtractionOptions
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ExtractionOptions
+{
+    ExtractFullPath = true,                         // Recreate directory structure
+    Overwrite = true,                               // Overwrite existing files
+    PreserveFileTime = true                         // Keep original timestamps
+};
+archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output", options);
+```
+
+---
+
+## Compression Types
+
+### Available Compressions
+
+```csharp
+// For creating archives
+CompressionType.None       // No compression (store)
+CompressionType.Deflate    // DEFLATE (default for ZIP/GZip)
+CompressionType.BZip2      // BZip2
+CompressionType.LZMA       // LZMA (for 7Zip, LZip, XZ)
+CompressionType.PPMd       // PPMd (for ZIP)
+CompressionType.Rar        // RAR compression (read-only)
+
+// For Tar archives
+// Use CompressionType in TarWriter constructor
+using (var writer = TarWriter(stream, CompressionType.GZip))  // Tar.GZip
+using (var writer = TarWriter(stream, CompressionType.BZip2)) // Tar.BZip2
+```
+
+### Archive Types
+
+```csharp
+ArchiveType.Zip
+ArchiveType.Tar
+ArchiveType.GZip
+ArchiveType.BZip2
+ArchiveType.Rar
+ArchiveType.SevenZip
+ArchiveType.XZ
+ArchiveType.ZStandard
+```
+
+---
+
+## Patterns & Examples
+
+### Extract with Error Handling
+
+```csharp
+try
+{
+    using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip", 
+        new ReaderOptions { Password = "password" }))
+    {
+        archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output", new ExtractionOptions
+        {
+            ExtractFullPath = true,
+            Overwrite = true
+        });
+    }
+}
+catch (PasswordRequiredException)
+{
+    Console.WriteLine("Password required");
+}
+catch (InvalidArchiveException)
+{
+    Console.WriteLine("Archive is invalid");
+}
+catch (SharpCompressException ex)
+{
+    Console.WriteLine($"Error: {ex.Message}");
+}
+```
+
+### Extract with Progress
+
+```csharp
+var progress = new Progress<ProgressReport>(report =>
+{
+    Console.WriteLine($"Extracting {report.EntryPath}: {report.PercentComplete}%");
+});
+
+var options = new ReaderOptions { Progress = progress };
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip", options))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+```
+
+### Async Extract with Cancellation
+
+```csharp
+var cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
+cts.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
+
+try
+{
+    using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+    {
+        await archive.WriteToDirectoryAsync(@"C:\output",
+            new ExtractionOptions { ExtractFullPath = true, Overwrite = true },
+            cts.Token);
+    }
+}
+catch (OperationCanceledException)
+{
+    Console.WriteLine("Extraction cancelled");
+}
+```
+
+### Create with Custom Compression
+
+```csharp
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Create())
+{
+    archive.AddAllFromDirectory(@"D:\source");
+    
+    // Fastest
+    archive.SaveTo("fast.zip", new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate) 
+    { 
+        CompressionLevel = 1 
+    });
+    
+    // Balanced (default)
+    archive.SaveTo("normal.zip", CompressionType.Deflate);
+    
+    // Best compression
+    archive.SaveTo("best.zip", new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate) 
+    { 
+        CompressionLevel = 9 
+    });
+}
+```
+
+### Stream Processing (No File I/O)
+
+```csharp
+using (var outputStream = new MemoryStream())
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Create())
+{
+    // Add content from memory
+    using (var contentStream = new MemoryStream(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("Hello")))
+    {
+        archive.AddEntry("file.txt", contentStream);
+    }
+    
+    // Save to memory
+    archive.SaveTo(outputStream, CompressionType.Deflate);
+    
+    // Get bytes
+    byte[] archiveBytes = outputStream.ToArray();
+}
+```
+
+### Extract Specific Files
+
+```csharp
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+{
+    var filesToExtract = new[] { "file1.txt", "file2.txt" };
+    
+    foreach (var entry in archive.Entries.Where(e => filesToExtract.Contains(e.Key)))
+    {
+        entry.WriteToFile(@"C:\output\" + entry.Key);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### List Archive Contents
+
+```csharp
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+{
+    foreach (var entry in archive.Entries)
+    {
+        if (entry.IsDirectory)
+            Console.WriteLine($"[DIR]  {entry.Key}");
+        else
+            Console.WriteLine($"[FILE] {entry.Key} ({entry.Size} bytes)");
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Common Mistakes
+
+### ✗ Wrong - Stream not disposed
+
+```csharp
+var stream = File.OpenRead("archive.zip");
+var archive = ZipArchive.Open(stream);
+archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+// stream not disposed - leaked resource
+```
+
+### ✓ Correct - Using blocks
+
+```csharp
+using (var stream = File.OpenRead("archive.zip"))
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(stream))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+// Both properly disposed
+```
+
+### ✗ Wrong - Mixing API styles
+
+```csharp
+// Loading entire archive then iterating
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("large.zip"))
+{
+    var entries = archive.Entries.ToList();  // Loads all in memory
+    foreach (var e in entries)
+    {
+        e.WriteToFile(...);  // Then extracts each
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### ✓ Correct - Use Reader for large files
+
+```csharp
+// Streaming iteration
+using (var stream = File.OpenRead("large.zip"))
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream))
+{
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        reader.WriteEntryToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Related Documentation
+
+- [USAGE.md](USAGE.md) - Complete code examples
+- [FORMATS.md](FORMATS.md) - Supported formats
+- [PERFORMANCE.md](PERFORMANCE.md) - API selection guide
+- [ERRORS.md](ERRORS.md) - Exception handling
diff --git a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ed96eda0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,660 @@
+# SharpCompress Architecture Guide
+
+This guide explains the internal architecture and design patterns of SharpCompress for contributors.
+
+## Overview
+
+SharpCompress is organized into three main layers:
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│     User-Facing APIs (Top Layer)        │
+│  Archive, Reader, Writer Factories      │
+├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
+│     Format-Specific Implementations     │
+│  ZipArchive, TarReader, GZipWriter,     │
+│  RarArchive, SevenZipArchive, etc.      │
+├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
+│     Compression & Crypto (Bottom Layer) │
+│  Deflate, LZMA, BZip2, AES, CRC32       │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+## Directory Structure
+
+### `src/SharpCompress/`
+
+#### `Archives/` - Archive Implementations
+Contains `IArchive` implementations for seekable, random-access APIs.
+
+**Key Files:**
+- `AbstractArchive.cs` - Base class for all archives
+- `IArchive.cs` - Archive interface definition
+- `ArchiveFactory.cs` - Factory for opening archives
+- Format-specific: `ZipArchive.cs`, `TarArchive.cs`, `RarArchive.cs`, `SevenZipArchive.cs`, `GZipArchive.cs`
+
+**Use Archive API when:**
+- Stream is seekable (file, memory)
+- Need random access to entries
+- Archive fits in memory
+- Simplicity is important
+
+#### `Readers/` - Reader Implementations
+Contains `IReader` implementations for forward-only, non-seekable APIs.
+
+**Key Files:**
+- `AbstractReader.cs` - Base reader class
+- `IReader.cs` - Reader interface
+- `ReaderFactory.cs` - Auto-detection factory
+- `ReaderOptions.cs` - Configuration for readers
+- Format-specific: `ZipReader.cs`, `TarReader.cs`, `GZipReader.cs`, `RarReader.cs`, etc.
+
+**Use Reader API when:**
+- Stream is non-seekable (network, pipe, compressed)
+- Processing large files
+- Memory is limited
+- Forward-only processing is acceptable
+
+#### `Writers/` - Writer Implementations
+Contains `IWriter` implementations for forward-only writing.
+
+**Key Files:**
+- `AbstractWriter.cs` - Base writer class
+- `IWriter.cs` - Writer interface
+- `WriterFactory.cs` - Factory for creating writers
+- `WriterOptions.cs` - Configuration for writers
+- Format-specific: `ZipWriter.cs`, `TarWriter.cs`, `GZipWriter.cs`
+
+#### `Factories/` - Format Detection
+Factory classes for auto-detecting archive format and creating appropriate readers/writers.
+
+**Key Files:**
+- `Factory.cs` - Base factory class
+- `IFactory.cs` - Factory interface
+- Format-specific: `ZipFactory.cs`, `TarFactory.cs`, `RarFactory.cs`, etc.
+
+**How It Works:**
+1. `ReaderFactory.Open(stream)` probes stream signatures
+2. Identifies format by magic bytes
+3. Creates appropriate reader instance
+4. Returns generic `IReader` interface
+
+#### `Common/` - Shared Types
+Common types, options, and enumerations used across formats.
+
+**Key Files:**
+- `IEntry.cs` - Entry interface (file within archive)
+- `Entry.cs` - Entry implementation
+- `ArchiveType.cs` - Enum for archive formats
+- `CompressionType.cs` - Enum for compression methods
+- `ArchiveEncoding.cs` - Character encoding configuration
+- `ExtractionOptions.cs` - Extraction configuration
+- Format-specific headers: `Zip/Headers/`, `Tar/Headers/`, `Rar/Headers/`, etc.
+
+#### `Compressors/` - Compression Algorithms
+Low-level compression streams implementing specific algorithms.
+
+**Algorithms:**
+- `Deflate/` - DEFLATE compression (Zip default)
+- `BZip2/` - BZip2 compression
+- `LZMA/` - LZMA compression (7Zip, XZ, LZip)
+- `PPMd/` - Prediction by Partial Matching (Zip, 7Zip)
+- `ZStandard/` - ZStandard compression (decompression only)
+- `Xz/` - XZ format (decompression only)
+- `Rar/` - RAR-specific unpacking
+- `Arj/`, `Arc/`, `Ace/` - Legacy format decompression
+- `Filters/` - BCJ/BCJ2 filters for executable compression
+
+**Each Compressor:**
+- Implements a `Stream` subclass
+- Provides both compression and decompression
+- Some are read-only (decompression only)
+
+#### `Crypto/` - Encryption & Hashing
+Cryptographic functions and stream wrappers.
+
+**Key Files:**
+- `Crc32Stream.cs` - CRC32 calculation wrapper
+- `BlockTransformer.cs` - Block cipher transformations
+- AES, PKWare, WinZip encryption implementations
+
+#### `IO/` - Stream Utilities
+Stream wrappers and utilities.
+
+**Key Classes:**
+- `SharpCompressStream` - Base stream class
+- `ProgressReportingStream` - Progress tracking wrapper
+- `MarkingBinaryReader` - Binary reader with position marks
+- `BufferedSubStream` - Buffered read-only substream
+- `ReadOnlySubStream` - Read-only view of parent stream
+- `NonDisposingStream` - Prevents wrapped stream disposal
+
+---
+
+## Design Patterns
+
+### 1. Factory Pattern
+
+**Purpose:** Auto-detect format and create appropriate reader/writer.
+
+**Example:**
+```csharp
+// User calls factory
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream))  // Returns IReader
+{
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        // Process entry
+    }
+}
+
+// Behind the scenes:
+// 1. Factory.Open() probes stream signatures
+// 2. Detects format (Zip, Tar, Rar, etc.)
+// 3. Creates appropriate reader (ZipReader, TarReader, etc.)
+// 4. Returns as generic IReader interface
+```
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/SharpCompress/Factories/ReaderFactory.cs`
+- `src/SharpCompress/Factories/WriterFactory.cs`
+- `src/SharpCompress/Factories/ArchiveFactory.cs`
+
+### 2. Strategy Pattern
+
+**Purpose:** Encapsulate compression algorithms as swappable strategies.
+
+**Example:**
+```csharp
+// Different compression strategies
+CompressionType.Deflate     // DEFLATE
+CompressionType.BZip2       // BZip2
+CompressionType.LZMA        // LZMA
+CompressionType.PPMd        // PPMd
+
+// Writer uses strategy pattern
+var archive = ZipArchive.Create();
+archive.SaveTo("output.zip", CompressionType.Deflate);   // Use Deflate
+archive.SaveTo("output.bz2", CompressionType.BZip2);    // Use BZip2
+```
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/SharpCompress/Compressors/` - Strategy implementations
+
+### 3. Decorator Pattern
+
+**Purpose:** Wrap streams with additional functionality.
+
+**Example:**
+```csharp
+// Progress reporting decorator
+var progressStream = new ProgressReportingStream(baseStream, progressReporter);
+progressStream.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);  // Reports progress
+
+// Non-disposing decorator
+var nonDisposingStream = new NonDisposingStream(baseStream);
+using (var compressor = new DeflateStream(nonDisposingStream))
+{
+    // baseStream won't be disposed when compressor is disposed
+}
+```
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/SharpCompress/IO/ProgressReportingStream.cs`
+- `src/SharpCompress/IO/NonDisposingStream.cs`
+
+### 4. Template Method Pattern
+
+**Purpose:** Define algorithm skeleton in base class, let subclasses fill details.
+
+**Example:**
+```csharp
+// AbstractArchive defines common archive operations
+public abstract class AbstractArchive : IArchive
+{
+    // Template methods
+    public virtual void WriteToDirectory(string destinationDirectory, ExtractionOptions options)
+    {
+        // Common extraction logic
+        foreach (var entry in Entries)
+        {
+            // Call subclass method
+            entry.WriteToFile(destinationPath, options);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    // Subclasses override format-specific details
+    protected abstract Entry CreateEntry(EntryData data);
+}
+```
+
+**Files:**
+- `src/SharpCompress/Archives/AbstractArchive.cs`
+- `src/SharpCompress/Readers/AbstractReader.cs`
+
+### 5. Iterator Pattern
+
+**Purpose:** Provide sequential access to entries.
+
+**Example:**
+```csharp
+// Archive API - provides collection
+IEnumerable<IEntry> entries = archive.Entries;
+foreach (var entry in entries)
+{
+    // Random access - entries already in memory
+}
+
+// Reader API - provides iterator
+IReader reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream);
+while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+{
+    // Forward-only iteration - one entry at a time
+    var entry = reader.Entry;
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Key Interfaces
+
+### IArchive - Random Access API
+
+```csharp
+public interface IArchive : IDisposable
+{
+    IEnumerable<IEntry> Entries { get; }
+    
+    void WriteToDirectory(string destinationDirectory, 
+                         ExtractionOptions options = null);
+    
+    IEntry FirstOrDefault(Func<IEntry, bool> predicate);
+    
+    // ... format-specific methods
+}
+```
+
+**Implementations:** `ZipArchive`, `TarArchive`, `RarArchive`, `SevenZipArchive`, `GZipArchive`
+
+### IReader - Forward-Only API
+
+```csharp
+public interface IReader : IDisposable
+{
+    IEntry Entry { get; }
+    
+    bool MoveToNextEntry();
+    
+    void WriteEntryToDirectory(string destinationDirectory,
+                              ExtractionOptions options = null);
+    
+    Stream OpenEntryStream();
+    
+    // ... async variants
+}
+```
+
+**Implementations:** `ZipReader`, `TarReader`, `RarReader`, `GZipReader`, etc.
+
+### IWriter - Writing API
+
+```csharp
+public interface IWriter : IDisposable
+{
+    void Write(string entryPath, Stream source, 
+              DateTime? modificationTime = null);
+    
+    void WriteAll(string sourceDirectory, string searchPattern,
+                 SearchOption searchOption);
+    
+    // ... async variants
+}
+```
+
+**Implementations:** `ZipWriter`, `TarWriter`, `GZipWriter`
+
+### IEntry - Archive Entry
+
+```csharp
+public interface IEntry
+{
+    string Key { get; }
+    uint Size { get; }
+    uint CompressedSize { get; }
+    bool IsDirectory { get; }
+    DateTime? LastModifiedTime { get; }
+    CompressionType CompressionType { get; }
+    
+    void WriteToFile(string fullPath, ExtractionOptions options = null);
+    void WriteToStream(Stream destinationStream);
+    Stream OpenEntryStream();
+    
+    // ... async variants
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Adding Support for a New Format
+
+### Step 1: Understand the Format
+- Research format specification
+- Understand compression/encryption used
+- Study existing similar formats in codebase
+
+### Step 2: Create Format Structure Classes
+
+**Create:** `src/SharpCompress/Common/NewFormat/`
+
+```csharp
+// Headers and data structures
+public class NewFormatHeader
+{
+    public uint Magic { get; set; }
+    public ushort Version { get; set; }
+    // ... other fields
+    
+    public static NewFormatHeader Read(BinaryReader reader)
+    {
+        // Deserialize from binary
+    }
+}
+
+public class NewFormatEntry
+{
+    public string FileName { get; set; }
+    public uint CompressedSize { get; set; }
+    public uint UncompressedSize { get; set; }
+    // ... other fields
+}
+```
+
+### Step 3: Create Archive Implementation
+
+**Create:** `src/SharpCompress/Archives/NewFormat/NewFormatArchive.cs`
+
+```csharp
+public class NewFormatArchive : AbstractArchive
+{
+    private NewFormatHeader _header;
+    private List<NewFormatEntry> _entries;
+    
+    public static NewFormatArchive Open(Stream stream)
+    {
+        var archive = new NewFormatArchive();
+        archive._header = NewFormatHeader.Read(stream);
+        archive.LoadEntries(stream);
+        return archive;
+    }
+    
+    public override IEnumerable<IEntry> Entries => _entries.Select(e => new Entry(e));
+    
+    protected override Stream OpenEntryStream(Entry entry)
+    {
+        // Return decompressed stream for entry
+    }
+    
+    // ... other abstract method implementations
+}
+```
+
+### Step 4: Create Reader Implementation
+
+**Create:** `src/SharpCompress/Readers/NewFormat/NewFormatReader.cs`
+
+```csharp
+public class NewFormatReader : AbstractReader
+{
+    private NewFormatHeader _header;
+    private BinaryReader _reader;
+    
+    public NewFormatReader(Stream stream)
+    {
+        _reader = new BinaryReader(stream);
+        _header = NewFormatHeader.Read(_reader);
+    }
+    
+    public override bool MoveToNextEntry()
+    {
+        // Read next entry header
+        if (!_reader.BaseStream.CanRead) return false;
+        
+        var entryData = NewFormatEntry.Read(_reader);
+        // ... set this.Entry
+        return entryData != null;
+    }
+    
+    // ... other abstract method implementations
+}
+```
+
+### Step 5: Create Factory
+
+**Create:** `src/SharpCompress/Factories/NewFormatFactory.cs`
+
+```csharp
+public class NewFormatFactory : Factory, IArchiveFactory, IReaderFactory
+{
+    // Archive format magic bytes (signature)
+    private static readonly byte[] NewFormatSignature = new byte[] { 0x4E, 0x46 };  // "NF"
+    
+    public static NewFormatFactory Instance { get; } = new();
+    
+    public IArchive CreateArchive(Stream stream) 
+        => NewFormatArchive.Open(stream);
+    
+    public IReader CreateReader(Stream stream, ReaderOptions options)
+        => new NewFormatReader(stream) { Options = options };
+    
+    public bool Matches(Stream stream, ReadOnlySpan<byte> signature) 
+        => signature.StartsWith(NewFormatSignature);
+}
+```
+
+### Step 6: Register Factory
+
+**Update:** `src/SharpCompress/Factories/ArchiveFactory.cs`
+
+```csharp
+private static readonly IFactory[] Factories = 
+{
+    ZipFactory.Instance,
+    TarFactory.Instance,
+    RarFactory.Instance,
+    SevenZipFactory.Instance,
+    GZipFactory.Instance,
+    NewFormatFactory.Instance,  // Add here
+    // ... other factories
+};
+```
+
+### Step 7: Add Tests
+
+**Create:** `tests/SharpCompress.Test/NewFormat/NewFormatTests.cs`
+
+```csharp
+public class NewFormatTests : TestBase
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void NewFormat_Extracts_Successfully()
+    {
+        var archivePath = Path.Combine(TEST_ARCHIVES_PATH, "archive.newformat");
+        using (var archive = NewFormatArchive.Open(archivePath))
+        {
+            archive.WriteToDirectory(SCRATCH_FILES_PATH);
+            // Assert extraction
+        }
+    }
+    
+    [Fact]
+    public void NewFormat_Reader_Works()
+    {
+        var archivePath = Path.Combine(TEST_ARCHIVES_PATH, "archive.newformat");
+        using (var stream = File.OpenRead(archivePath))
+        using (var reader = new NewFormatReader(stream))
+        {
+            Assert.True(reader.MoveToNextEntry());
+            Assert.NotNull(reader.Entry);
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Step 8: Add Test Archives
+
+Place test files in `tests/TestArchives/Archives/NewFormat/` directory.
+
+### Step 9: Document
+
+Update `docs/FORMATS.md` with format support information.
+
+---
+
+## Compression Algorithm Implementation
+
+### Creating a New Compression Stream
+
+**Example:** Creating `CustomStream` for a custom compression algorithm
+
+```csharp
+public class CustomStream : Stream
+{
+    private readonly Stream _baseStream;
+    private readonly bool _leaveOpen;
+    
+    public CustomStream(Stream baseStream, bool leaveOpen = false)
+    {
+        _baseStream = baseStream;
+        _leaveOpen = leaveOpen;
+    }
+    
+    public override int Read(byte[] buffer, int offset, int count)
+    {
+        // Decompress data from _baseStream into buffer
+        // Return number of decompressed bytes
+    }
+    
+    public override void Write(byte[] buffer, int offset, int count)
+    {
+        // Compress data from buffer into _baseStream
+    }
+    
+    protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
+    {
+        if (disposing && !_leaveOpen)
+        {
+            _baseStream?.Dispose();
+        }
+        base.Dispose(disposing);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Stream Handling Best Practices
+
+### Disposal Pattern
+
+```csharp
+// Correct: Nested using blocks
+using (var fileStream = File.OpenRead("archive.zip"))
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(fileStream))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+// Both archive and fileStream properly disposed
+
+// Correct: Using with options
+var options = new ReaderOptions { LeaveStreamOpen = true };
+var stream = File.OpenRead("archive.zip");
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(stream, options))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+stream.Dispose();  // Manually dispose if LeaveStreamOpen = true
+```
+
+### NonDisposingStream Wrapper
+
+```csharp
+// Prevent unwanted stream closure
+var baseStream = File.OpenRead("data.bin");
+var nonDisposing = new NonDisposingStream(baseStream);
+
+using (var compressor = new DeflateStream(nonDisposing))
+{
+    // Compressor won't close baseStream when disposed
+}
+
+// baseStream still usable
+baseStream.Position = 0;  // Works
+baseStream.Dispose();  // Manual disposal
+```
+
+---
+
+## Performance Considerations
+
+### Memory Efficiency
+
+1. **Avoid loading entire archive in memory** - Use Reader API for large files
+2. **Process entries sequentially** - Especially for solid archives
+3. **Use appropriate buffer sizes** - Larger buffers for network I/O
+4. **Dispose streams promptly** - Free resources when done
+
+### Algorithm Selection
+
+1. **Archive API** - Fast for small archives with random access
+2. **Reader API** - Efficient for large files or streaming
+3. **Solid archives** - Sequential extraction much faster
+4. **Compression levels** - Trade-off between speed and size
+
+---
+
+## Testing Guidelines
+
+### Test Coverage
+
+1. **Happy path** - Normal extraction works
+2. **Edge cases** - Empty archives, single file, many files
+3. **Corrupted data** - Handle gracefully
+4. **Error cases** - Missing passwords, unsupported compression
+5. **Async operations** - Both sync and async code paths
+
+### Test Archives
+
+- Use `tests/TestArchives/` for test data
+- Create format-specific subdirectories
+- Include encrypted, corrupted, and edge case archives
+- Don't recreate existing archives
+
+### Test Patterns
+
+```csharp
+[Fact]
+public void Archive_Extraction_Works()
+{
+    // Arrange
+    var testArchive = Path.Combine(TEST_ARCHIVES_PATH, "test.zip");
+    
+    // Act
+    using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(testArchive))
+    {
+        archive.WriteToDirectory(SCRATCH_FILES_PATH);
+    }
+    
+    // Assert
+    Assert.True(File.Exists(Path.Combine(SCRATCH_FILES_PATH, "file.txt")));
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Related Documentation
+
+- [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) - How to contribute
+- [AGENTS.md](../AGENTS.md) - Development guidelines
+- [FORMATS.md](FORMATS.md) - Supported formats
diff --git a/docs/ENCODING.md b/docs/ENCODING.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b421000d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ENCODING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,611 @@
+# SharpCompress Character Encoding Guide
+
+This guide explains how SharpCompress handles character encoding for archive entries (filenames, comments, etc.).
+
+## Overview
+
+Most archive formats store filenames and metadata as bytes. SharpCompress must convert these bytes to strings using the appropriate character encoding.
+
+**Common Problem:** Archives created on systems with non-UTF8 encodings (especially Japanese, Chinese systems) appear with corrupted filenames when extracted on systems that assume UTF8.
+
+---
+
+## ArchiveEncoding Class
+
+### Basic Usage
+
+```csharp
+using SharpCompress.Common;
+using SharpCompress.Readers;
+
+// Configure encoding before opening archive
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932)  // cp932 for Japanese
+    }
+};
+
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("japanese.zip", options))
+{
+    foreach (var entry in archive.Entries)
+    {
+        Console.WriteLine(entry.Key);  // Now shows correct characters
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### ArchiveEncoding Properties
+
+| Property | Purpose |
+|----------|---------|
+| `Default` | Default encoding for filenames (fallback) |
+| `CustomDecoder` | Custom decoding function for special cases |
+
+### Setting for Different APIs
+
+**Archive API:**
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding { Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932) }
+};
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("file.zip", options))
+{
+    // Use archive with correct encoding
+}
+```
+
+**Reader API:**
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding { Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932) }
+};
+using (var stream = File.OpenRead("file.zip"))
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream, options))
+{
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        // Filenames decoded correctly
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Common Encodings
+
+### Asian Encodings
+
+#### cp932 (Japanese)
+```csharp
+// Windows-31J, Shift-JIS variant used on Japanese Windows
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932)
+    }
+};
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("japanese.zip", options))
+{
+    // Correctly decodes Japanese filenames
+}
+```
+
+**When to use:**
+- Archives from Japanese Windows systems
+- Files with Japanese characters in names
+
+#### gb2312 (Simplified Chinese)
+```csharp
+// Simplified Chinese
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("gb2312")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+#### gbk (Extended Simplified Chinese)
+```csharp
+// Extended Simplified Chinese (more characters than gb2312)
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("gbk")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+#### big5 (Traditional Chinese)
+```csharp
+// Traditional Chinese (Taiwan, Hong Kong)
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("big5")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+#### euc-jp (Japanese, Unix)
+```csharp
+// Extended Unix Code for Japanese
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("eucjp")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+#### euc-kr (Korean)
+```csharp
+// Extended Unix Code for Korean
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("euc-kr")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+### Western European Encodings
+
+#### iso-8859-1 (Latin-1)
+```csharp
+// Western European (includes accented characters)
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("iso-8859-1")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+**When to use:**
+- Archives from French, German, Spanish systems
+- Files with accented characters (é, ñ, ü, etc.)
+
+#### cp1252 (Windows-1252)
+```csharp
+// Windows Western European
+// Very similar to iso-8859-1 but with additional printable characters
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("cp1252")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+**When to use:**
+- Archives from older Western European Windows systems
+- Files with smart quotes and other Windows-specific characters
+
+#### iso-8859-15 (Latin-9)
+```csharp
+// Western European with Euro symbol support
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("iso-8859-15")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+### Cyrillic Encodings
+
+#### cp1251 (Windows Cyrillic)
+```csharp
+// Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, etc.
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("cp1251")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+#### koi8-r (KOI8 Russian)
+```csharp
+// Russian (Unix standard)
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("koi8-r")
+    }
+};
+```
+
+### UTF Encodings (Modern)
+
+#### UTF-8 (Default)
+```csharp
+// Modern standard - usually correct for new archives
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.UTF8
+    }
+};
+```
+
+#### UTF-16
+```csharp
+// Unicode - rarely used in archives
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.Unicode
+    }
+};
+```
+
+---
+
+## Encoding Auto-Detection
+
+SharpCompress attempts to auto-detect encoding, but this isn't always reliable:
+
+```csharp
+// Auto-detection (default)
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("file.zip"))  // Uses UTF8 by default
+{
+    // May show corrupted characters if archive uses different encoding
+}
+
+// Explicit encoding (more reliable)
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding { Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932) }
+};
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("file.zip", options))
+{
+    // Correct characters displayed
+}
+```
+
+### When Manual Override is Needed
+
+| Situation | Solution |
+|-----------|----------|
+| Archive shows corrupted characters | Specify the encoding explicitly |
+| Archives from specific region | Use that region's encoding |
+| Mixed encodings in archive | Use CustomDecoder |
+| Testing with international files | Try different encodings |
+
+---
+
+## Custom Decoder
+
+For complex scenarios where a single encoding isn't sufficient:
+
+### Basic Custom Decoder
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding
+    {
+        CustomDecoder = (data, offset, length) =>
+        {
+            // Custom decoding logic
+            var bytes = new byte[length];
+            Array.Copy(data, offset, bytes, 0, length);
+            
+            // Try UTF8 first
+            try
+            {
+                return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(bytes);
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Fallback to cp932 if UTF8 fails
+                return Encoding.GetEncoding(932).GetString(bytes);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("mixed.zip", options))
+{
+    foreach (var entry in archive.Entries)
+    {
+        Console.WriteLine(entry.Key);  // Uses custom decoder
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Advanced: Detect Encoding by Content
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding
+    {
+        CustomDecoder = DetectAndDecode
+    }
+};
+
+private static string DetectAndDecode(byte[] data, int offset, int length)
+{
+    var bytes = new byte[length];
+    Array.Copy(data, offset, bytes, 0, length);
+    
+    // Try UTF8 (most modern archives)
+    try
+    {
+        var str = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(bytes);
+        // Verify it decoded correctly (no replacement characters)
+        if (!str.Contains('\uFFFD'))
+            return str;
+    }
+    catch { }
+    
+    // Try cp932 (Japanese)
+    try
+    {
+        var str = Encoding.GetEncoding(932).GetString(bytes);
+        if (!str.Contains('\uFFFD'))
+            return str;
+    }
+    catch { }
+    
+    // Fallback to iso-8859-1 (always succeeds)
+    return Encoding.GetEncoding("iso-8859-1").GetString(bytes);
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Code Examples
+
+### Extract Archive with Japanese Filenames
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932)  // cp932
+    }
+};
+
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("japanese_files.zip", options))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output", new ExtractionOptions
+    {
+        ExtractFullPath = true,
+        Overwrite = true
+    });
+}
+// Files extracted with correct Japanese names
+```
+
+### Extract Archive with Western European Filenames
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("iso-8859-1")
+    }
+};
+
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("french_files.zip", options))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+// Accented characters (é, è, ê, etc.) display correctly
+```
+
+### Extract Archive with Chinese Filenames
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("gbk")  // Simplified Chinese
+    }
+};
+
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("chinese_files.zip", options))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+```
+
+### Extract Archive with Russian Filenames
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("cp1251")  // Windows Cyrillic
+    }
+};
+
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("russian_files.zip", options))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+```
+
+### Reader API with Encoding
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding(932)
+    }
+};
+
+using (var stream = File.OpenRead("japanese.zip"))
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream, options))
+{
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        if (!reader.Entry.IsDirectory)
+        {
+            Console.WriteLine(reader.Entry.Key);  // Correct characters
+            reader.WriteEntryToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Creating Archives with Correct Encoding
+
+When creating archives, SharpCompress uses UTF8 by default (recommended):
+
+```csharp
+// Create with UTF8 (default, recommended)
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Create())
+{
+    archive.AddAllFromDirectory(@"D:\my_files");
+    archive.SaveTo("output.zip", CompressionType.Deflate);
+    // Archives created with UTF8 encoding
+}
+```
+
+If you need to create archives for systems that expect specific encodings:
+
+```csharp
+// Note: SharpCompress Writer API uses UTF8 for encoding
+// To create archives with other encodings, consider:
+// 1. Let users on those systems create archives
+// 2. Use system tools (7-Zip, WinRAR) with desired encoding
+// 3. Post-process archives if absolutely necessary
+
+// For now, recommend modern UTF8-based archives
+```
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting Encoding Issues
+
+### Filenames Show Question Marks (?)
+
+```
+✗ Wrong encoding detected
+test文件.txt → test???.txt
+```
+
+**Solution:** Specify correct encoding explicitly
+
+```csharp
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding 
+    { 
+        Default = Encoding.GetEncoding("gbk")  // Try different encodings
+    }
+};
+```
+
+### Filenames Show Replacement Character (￿)
+
+```
+✗ Invalid bytes for selected encoding
+café.txt → caf￿.txt
+```
+
+**Solution:**
+1. Try a different encoding (see Common Encodings table)
+2. Use CustomDecoder with fallback encoding
+3. Archive might be corrupted
+
+### Mixed Encodings in Single Archive
+
+```csharp
+// Use CustomDecoder to handle mixed encodings
+var options = new ReaderOptions
+{
+    ArchiveEncoding = new ArchiveEncoding
+    {
+        CustomDecoder = (data, offset, length) =>
+        {
+            // Try multiple encodings in priority order
+            var bytes = new byte[length];
+            Array.Copy(data, offset, bytes, 0, length);
+            
+            foreach (var encoding in new[] 
+            {
+                Encoding.UTF8,
+                Encoding.GetEncoding(932),
+                Encoding.GetEncoding("iso-8859-1")
+            })
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    var str = encoding.GetString(bytes);
+                    if (!str.Contains('\uFFFD'))
+                        return str;
+                }
+                catch { }
+            }
+            
+            // Final fallback
+            return Encoding.GetEncoding("iso-8859-1").GetString(bytes);
+        }
+    }
+};
+```
+
+---
+
+## Encoding Reference Table
+
+| Encoding | Code | Use Case |
+|----------|------|----------|
+| UTF-8 | (default) | Modern archives, recommended |
+| cp932 | 932 | Japanese Windows |
+| gb2312 | "gb2312" | Simplified Chinese |
+| gbk | "gbk" | Extended Simplified Chinese |
+| big5 | "big5" | Traditional Chinese |
+| iso-8859-1 | "iso-8859-1" | Western European |
+| cp1252 | "cp1252" | Windows Western European |
+| cp1251 | "cp1251" | Russian/Cyrillic |
+| euc-jp | "eucjp" | Japanese Unix |
+| euc-kr | "euc-kr" | Korean |
+
+---
+
+## Best Practices
+
+1. **Use UTF-8 for new archives** - Most modern systems support it
+2. **Ask the archive creator** - When receiving archives with corrupted names
+3. **Provide encoding options** - If your app handles user archives
+4. **Document your assumption** - Tell users what encoding you're using
+5. **Test with international files** - Before releasing production code
+
+---
+
+## Related Documentation
+
+- [TROUBLESHOOTING.md](TROUBLESHOOTING.md#garbled-filenames) - Encoding troubleshooting
+- [USAGE.md](USAGE.md#extract-zip-which-has-non-utf8-encoded-filenamycp932) - Usage examples
diff --git a/FORMATS.md b/docs/FORMATS.md
similarity index 100%
rename from FORMATS.md
rename to docs/FORMATS.md
diff --git a/OLD_CHANGELOG.md b/docs/OLD_CHANGELOG.md
similarity index 100%
rename from OLD_CHANGELOG.md
rename to docs/OLD_CHANGELOG.md
diff --git a/docs/PERFORMANCE.md b/docs/PERFORMANCE.md
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/docs/PERFORMANCE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,557 @@
+# SharpCompress Performance Guide
+
+This guide helps you optimize SharpCompress for performance in various scenarios.
+
+## API Selection Guide
+
+### Archive API vs Reader API
+
+Choose the right API based on your use case:
+
+| Aspect | Archive API | Reader API |
+|--------|------------|-----------|
+| **Stream Type** | Seekable only | Non-seekable OK |
+| **Memory Usage** | All entries in memory | One entry at a time |
+| **Random Access** | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
+| **Best For** | Small-to-medium archives | Large or streaming data |
+| **Performance** | Fast for random access | Better for large files |
+
+### Archive API (Fast for Random Access)
+
+```csharp
+// Use when:
+// - Archive fits in memory
+// - You need random access to entries
+// - Stream is seekable (file, MemoryStream)
+
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+{
+    // Random access - all entries available
+    var specific = archive.Entries.FirstOrDefault(e => e.Key == "file.txt");
+    if (specific != null)
+    {
+        specific.WriteToFile(@"C:\output\file.txt");
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**Performance Characteristics:**
+- ✓ Instant entry lookup
+- ✓ Parallel extraction possible
+- ✗ Entire archive in memory
+- ✗ Can't process while downloading
+
+### Reader API (Best for Large Files)
+
+```csharp
+// Use when:
+// - Processing large archives (>100 MB)
+// - Streaming from network/pipe
+// - Memory is constrained
+// - Forward-only processing is acceptable
+
+using (var stream = File.OpenRead("large.zip"))
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(stream))
+{
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        // Process one entry at a time
+        reader.WriteEntryToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**Performance Characteristics:**
+- ✓ Minimal memory footprint
+- ✓ Works with non-seekable streams
+- ✓ Can process while downloading
+- ✗ Forward-only (no random access)
+- ✗ Entry lookup requires iteration
+
+---
+
+## Buffer Sizing
+
+### Understanding Buffers
+
+SharpCompress uses internal buffers for reading compressed data. Buffer size affects:
+- **Speed:** Larger buffers = fewer I/O operations = faster
+- **Memory:** Larger buffers = higher memory usage
+
+### Recommended Buffer Sizes
+
+| Scenario | Size | Notes |
+|----------|------|-------|
+| Embedded/IoT devices | 4-8 KB | Minimal memory usage |
+| Memory-constrained | 16-32 KB | Conservative default |
+| Standard use (default) | 64 KB | Recommended default |
+| Large file streaming | 256 KB | Better throughput |
+| High-speed SSD | 512 KB - 1 MB | Maximum throughput |
+
+### How Buffer Size Affects Performance
+
+```csharp
+// SharpCompress manages buffers internally
+// You can't directly set buffer size, but you can:
+
+// 1. Use Stream.CopyTo with explicit buffer size
+using (var entryStream = reader.OpenEntryStream())
+using (var fileStream = File.Create(@"C:\output\file.txt"))
+{
+    // 64 KB buffer (default)
+    entryStream.CopyTo(fileStream);
+    
+    // Or specify larger buffer for faster copy
+    entryStream.CopyTo(fileStream, bufferSize: 262144);  // 256 KB
+}
+
+// 2. Use custom buffer for writing
+using (var entryStream = reader.OpenEntryStream())
+using (var fileStream = File.Create(@"C:\output\file.txt"))
+{
+    byte[] buffer = new byte[262144];  // 256 KB
+    int bytesRead;
+    while ((bytesRead = entryStream.Read(buffer, 0, buffer.Length)) > 0)
+    {
+        fileStream.Write(buffer, 0, bytesRead);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Streaming Large Files
+
+### Non-Seekable Stream Patterns
+
+For processing archives from downloads or pipes:
+
+```csharp
+// Download stream (non-seekable)
+using (var httpStream = await httpClient.GetStreamAsync(url))
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(httpStream))
+{
+    // Process entries as they arrive
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        if (!reader.Entry.IsDirectory)
+        {
+            reader.WriteEntryToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**Performance Tips:**
+- Don't try to buffer the entire stream
+- Process entries immediately
+- Use async APIs for better responsiveness
+
+### Download-Then-Extract vs Streaming
+
+Choose based on your constraints:
+
+| Approach | When to Use |
+|----------|------------|
+| **Download then extract** | Moderate size, need random access |
+| **Stream during download** | Large files, bandwidth limited, memory constrained |
+
+```csharp
+// Download then extract (requires disk space)
+var archivePath = await DownloadFile(url, @"C:\temp\archive.zip");
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(archivePath))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+
+// Stream during download (on-the-fly extraction)
+using (var httpStream = await httpClient.GetStreamAsync(url))
+using (var reader = ReaderFactory.Open(httpStream))
+{
+    while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+    {
+        reader.WriteEntryToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Solid Archive Optimization
+
+### Why Solid Archives Are Slow
+
+Solid archives (Rar, 7Zip) group files together in a single compressed stream:
+
+```
+Solid Archive Layout:
+[Header] [Compressed Stream] [Footer]
+         ├─ File1 compressed data
+         ├─ File2 compressed data
+         ├─ File3 compressed data
+         └─ File4 compressed data
+```
+
+Extracting File3 requires decompressing File1 and File2 first.
+
+### Sequential vs Random Extraction
+
+**Random Extraction (Slow):**
+```csharp
+using (var archive = RarArchive.Open("solid.rar"))
+{
+    foreach (var entry in archive.Entries)
+    {
+        entry.WriteToFile(@"C:\output\" + entry.Key);  // ✗ Slow!
+        // Each entry triggers full decompression from start
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**Sequential Extraction (Fast):**
+```csharp
+using (var archive = RarArchive.Open("solid.rar"))
+{
+    // Method 1: Use WriteToDirectory (recommended)
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output", new ExtractionOptions
+    {
+        ExtractFullPath = true,
+        Overwrite = true
+    });
+    
+    // Method 2: Use ExtractAllEntries
+    archive.ExtractAllEntries();
+    
+    // Method 3: Use Reader API (also sequential)
+    using (var reader = RarReader.Open(File.OpenRead("solid.rar")))
+    {
+        while (reader.MoveToNextEntry())
+        {
+            reader.WriteEntryToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**Performance Impact:**
+- Random extraction: O(n²) - very slow for many files
+- Sequential extraction: O(n) - 10-100x faster
+
+### Best Practices for Solid Archives
+
+1. **Always extract sequentially** when possible
+2. **Use Reader API** for large solid archives
+3. **Process entries in order** from the archive
+4. **Consider using 7Zip command-line** for scripted extractions
+
+---
+
+## Compression Level Trade-offs
+
+### Deflate/GZip Levels
+
+```csharp
+// Level 1 = Fastest, largest size
+// Level 6 = Default (balanced)
+// Level 9 = Slowest, best compression
+
+// Write with different compression levels
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Create())
+{
+    archive.AddAllFromDirectory(@"D:\data");
+    
+    // Fast compression (level 1)
+    archive.SaveTo("fast.zip", new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate)
+    {
+        CompressionLevel = 1
+    });
+    
+    // Default compression (level 6)
+    archive.SaveTo("default.zip", CompressionType.Deflate);
+    
+    // Best compression (level 9)
+    archive.SaveTo("best.zip", new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate)
+    {
+        CompressionLevel = 9
+    });
+}
+```
+
+**Speed vs Size:**
+| Level | Speed | Size | Use Case |
+|-------|-------|------|----------|
+| 1 | 10x | 90% | Network, streaming |
+| 6 | 1x | 75% | Default (good balance) |
+| 9 | 0.1x | 65% | Archival, static storage |
+
+### BZip2 Block Size
+
+```csharp
+// BZip2 block size affects memory and compression
+// 100K to 900K (default 900K)
+
+// Smaller block size = lower memory, faster
+// Larger block size = better compression, slower
+
+using (var archive = TarArchive.Create())
+{
+    archive.AddAllFromDirectory(@"D:\data");
+    
+    // These are preset in WriterOptions via CompressionLevel
+    archive.SaveTo("archive.tar.bz2", CompressionType.BZip2);
+}
+```
+
+### LZMA Settings
+
+LZMA compression is very powerful but memory-intensive:
+
+```csharp
+// LZMA (7Zip, .tar.lzma):
+// - Dictionary size: 16 KB to 1 GB (default 32 MB)
+// - Faster preset: smaller dictionary
+// - Better compression: larger dictionary
+
+// Preset via CompressionType
+using (var archive = TarArchive.Create())
+{
+    archive.AddAllFromDirectory(@"D:\data");
+    archive.SaveTo("archive.tar.xz", CompressionType.LZMA);  // Default settings
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Async Performance
+
+### When Async Helps
+
+Async is beneficial when:
+- **Long I/O operations** (network, slow disks)
+- **UI responsiveness** needed (Windows Forms, WPF, Blazor)
+- **Server applications** (ASP.NET, multiple concurrent operations)
+
+```csharp
+// Async extraction (non-blocking)
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+{
+    await archive.WriteToDirectoryAsync(
+        @"C:\output",
+        new ExtractionOptions { ExtractFullPath = true, Overwrite = true },
+        cancellationToken
+    );
+}
+// Thread can handle other work while I/O happens
+```
+
+### When Async Doesn't Help
+
+Async doesn't improve performance for:
+- **CPU-bound operations** (already fast)
+- **Local SSD I/O** (I/O is fast enough)
+- **Single-threaded scenarios** (no parallelism benefit)
+
+```csharp
+// Sync extraction (simpler, same performance on fast I/O)
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(
+        @"C:\output",
+        new ExtractionOptions { ExtractFullPath = true, Overwrite = true }
+    );
+}
+// Simple and fast - no async needed
+```
+
+### Cancellation Pattern
+
+```csharp
+var cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
+
+// Cancel after 5 minutes
+cts.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
+
+try
+{
+    using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+    {
+        await archive.WriteToDirectoryAsync(
+            @"C:\output",
+            new ExtractionOptions { ExtractFullPath = true, Overwrite = true },
+            cts.Token
+        );
+    }
+}
+catch (OperationCanceledException)
+{
+    Console.WriteLine("Extraction cancelled");
+    // Clean up partial extraction if needed
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Memory Efficiency
+
+### Reducing Allocations
+
+```csharp
+// ✗ Wrong - creates new options object each iteration
+foreach (var archiveFile in archiveFiles)
+{
+    using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(archiveFile))
+    {
+        archive.WriteToDirectory(outputDir, new ExtractionOptions
+        {
+            ExtractFullPath = true,
+            Overwrite = true
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+// ✓ Better - reuse options object
+var options = new ExtractionOptions
+{
+    ExtractFullPath = true,
+    Overwrite = true
+};
+foreach (var archiveFile in archiveFiles)
+{
+    using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(archiveFile))
+    {
+        archive.WriteToDirectory(outputDir, options);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Object Pooling for Repeated Operations
+
+```csharp
+// For very high-throughput scenarios, consider pooling
+public class ArchiveExtractionPool
+{
+    private readonly ArrayPool<byte> _bufferPool = ArrayPool<byte>.Shared;
+    
+    public void ExtractMany(IEnumerable<string> archiveFiles, string outputDir)
+    {
+        var options = new ExtractionOptions
+        {
+            ExtractFullPath = true,
+            Overwrite = true
+        };
+        
+        foreach (var archiveFile in archiveFiles)
+        {
+            using (var stream = File.OpenRead(archiveFile))
+            using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open(stream))
+            {
+                archive.WriteToDirectory(outputDir, options);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Practical Performance Tips
+
+### 1. Choose the Right API
+
+| Scenario | API | Why |
+|----------|-----|-----|
+| Small archives | Archive | Faster random access |
+| Large archives | Reader | Lower memory |
+| Streaming | Reader | Works on non-seekable streams |
+| Download streams | Reader | Async extraction while downloading |
+
+### 2. Batch Operations
+
+```csharp
+// ✗ Slow - opens each archive separately
+foreach (var file in files)
+{
+    using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+    {
+        archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+    }
+}
+
+// ✓ Better - process multiple entries at once
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("archive.zip"))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+```
+
+### 3. Use Appropriate Compression
+
+```csharp
+// For distribution/storage: Best compression
+archive.SaveTo("archive.zip", new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate)
+{
+    CompressionLevel = 9
+});
+
+// For daily backups: Balanced compression
+archive.SaveTo("backup.zip", CompressionType.Deflate);  // Default level 6
+
+// For temporary/streaming: Fast compression
+archive.SaveTo("temp.zip", new WriterOptions(CompressionType.Deflate)
+{
+    CompressionLevel = 1
+});
+```
+
+### 4. Profile Your Code
+
+```csharp
+var sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+using (var archive = ZipArchive.Open("large.zip"))
+{
+    archive.WriteToDirectory(@"C:\output");
+}
+sw.Stop();
+
+Console.WriteLine($"Extraction took {sw.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");
+
+// Measure memory before/after
+var beforeMem = GC.GetTotalMemory(true);
+// ... do work ...
+var afterMem = GC.GetTotalMemory(true);
+Console.WriteLine($"Memory used: {(afterMem - beforeMem) / 1024 / 1024}MB");
+```
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting Performance
+
+### Extraction is Slow
+
+1. **Check if solid archive** → Use sequential extraction
+2. **Check API** → Reader API might be faster for large files
+3. **Check compression level** → Higher levels are slower to decompress
+4. **Check I/O** → Network drives are much slower than SSD
+5. **Check buffer size** → May need larger buffers for network
+
+### High Memory Usage
+
+1. **Use Reader API** instead of Archive API
+2. **Process entries immediately** rather than buffering
+3. **Reduce compression level** if writing
+4. **Check for memory leaks** in your code
+
+### CPU Usage at 100%
+
+1. **Normal for compression** - especially with high compression levels
+2. **Consider lower level** for faster processing
+3. **Reduce parallelism** if processing multiple archives
+4. **Check if awaiting properly** in async code
+
+---
+
+## Related Documentation
+
+- [PERFORMANCE.md](USAGE.md) - Usage examples with performance considerations
+- [FORMATS.md](FORMATS.md) - Format-specific performance notes
+- [TROUBLESHOOTING.md](TROUBLESHOOTING.md) - Solving common issues
diff --git a/USAGE.md b/docs/USAGE.md
similarity index 99%
rename from USAGE.md
rename to docs/USAGE.md
index 11d31a9c..8e636cab 100644
--- a/USAGE.md
+++ b/docs/USAGE.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # SharpCompress Usage
 
-## Async/Await Support
+## Async/Await Support (Beta)
 
 SharpCompress now provides full async/await support for all I/O operations. All `Read`, `Write`, and extraction operations have async equivalents ending in `Async` that accept an optional `CancellationToken`. This enables better performance and scalability for I/O-bound operations.
 
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ SharpCompress now provides full async/await support for all I/O operations. All
 
 See [Async Examples](#async-examples) section below for usage patterns.
 
-## Stream Rules (changed with 0.21)
+## Stream Rules
 
 When dealing with Streams, the rule should be that you don't close a stream you didn't create. This, in effect, should mean you should always put a Stream in a using block to dispose it.