ERC has universal interface to any archive in EEPM style mode.
ERC is realised as wrapper against patool.
Just use it as any of popular command line archive tools.

Examples:
 # erc a archive.zip file(s)... - pack files to archive.zip
 # erc file(s)...  zip: - pack file(s) to zip archive
 # erc [x] archive.zip - unpack archive to the current dir
 # erc l archive.zip - list files of the archive
 # erc [repack] archive1.zip... archive2.rar 7z: - repack all to 7z
 # erc [repack] archive.zip archive.7z - repack zip to 7z

Also you can use ercat tool for cat any single file archive.
Examples:
 # ercat /var/log/message.1.bz2 | grep "some word"
 # ercat message message.?.bz2 | grep "some word"

EEPM: http://wiki.etersoft.ru/EEPM
patool: https://github.com/wummel/patool

With any problem please make issue at
https://github.com/vitlav/erc
