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1993-09-14
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ZIP'R For DOS Version 4.1
Copyright 1993
by
Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI)
108 Second Avenue West
Bertha MN 56437-0297
Phone: (218) 924-2050
FAX: (218) 924-2050 (Ext. 11)
The Bertha BBS: (218) 924-2060, 8,N,1
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Welcome! │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Thank you for trying ZIP'R For DOS Version 4.1! ZIP'R is a program designed
to use an existing compression program, such as PKZIP/PKUNZIP, ARJ, LHA, or
SQZ to automatically compress entire programs (including sub-directories) when
programs are exited, and decompress them prior to execution. This process
saves valuable hard drive space by compressing programs when they are not in
use. ZIP'R even achieves a substantial amount of compression on hard drives
that already use an on-the-fly compression program, such as SuperStor or
Stacker! ZIP'R is unique because it not only compresses and decompresses
entire programs, but it launches them as well! This feature makes it possible
to fully integrate ZIP'R into most, if not all menuing systems.
If you appreciate ZIP'R For DOS, you are encouraged to call The Bertha BBS at
(218) 924-2060, and let us know! Comments, suggestions, and enhancement
requests are always welcome!
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Requirements │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
To run ZIP'R reliably, you will need the following:
∙ DOS 3.3 or Higher
∙ IBM PC, PC-Compatible or MS-DOS Computer with a Hard Drive and 640K RAM
∙ Any one of the following compression programs: ARJ, LHA, SQZ, PKZIP/PKUNZIP
∙ CGA Color, EGA Color, or VGA Color Monitor
Page 1
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Table of Contents: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Title Page & Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
Quick-Start Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4
Disclaimer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
What Is ZIP'R? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6
Why Was ZIP'R Created? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7
How Does ZIP'R Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8
Installing ZIP'R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8
Using The ZIF Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8
Executing The ZIF Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9
The File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10
Browsing For Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16
The In Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19
The Out Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 20
The Settings Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21
The Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 24
Using ZIP'R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 24
Using ZIP'R With A Menuing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 25
What Happens When I Execute ZIP'R? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 25
Help Screens And Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 28
Advanced Compression Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 30
Using ZIP'R With DESQview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32
DESQview Tips & Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 33
Using ZIP'R With Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 34
Using ZIP'R With Doorway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 35
Using ZIP'R With Command Line Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 35
How Effective Is ZIP'R? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 37
Page 2
Cautions When Using ZIP'R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 38
Troubleshooting / Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 39
Questions And Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 41
Programs Mentioned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 43
ZIP'R Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 44
Page 3
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Quick-Start Instructions: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
If you are in a hurry to get ZIP'R up and running, follow these Quick-Start
instructions:
1. Run the Install program by logging to the correct drive and directory, and
type "INSTALL".
2. If you installed ZIP'R to a directory other than C:\ZIPR, edit your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file and add the following statement:
SET ZIPR=DRIVE:\PATH (Replace with your drive and path.)
3. Reboot your machine to ensure that the new changes to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file have taken effect.
4. Copy the compression program(s) of your choice into the ZIP'R sub-
directory. If you use ZIP, copy the files PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE into
the ZIP'R sub-directory. If you use ARJ, copy the file ARJ.EXE into the
ZIP'R sub-directory. If you use LHA, copy the file LHA.EXE into the ZIP'R
sub-directory, and if you use SQZ, copy the file SQZ.EXE into the ZIP'R
sub-directory. (Registered ZIP'R users may store the compression programs
on any drive and in any sub-directory. See the section entitled "The
Settings Menu".)
5. Execute the ZIF Editor from the \ZIPR sub-directory (or wherever you
installed ZIP'R) by typing "ZIFEDIT", and create a new .ZIF file for the
program you want to compress and launch through ZIP'R.
6. Once you have created a .ZIF file, exit the ZIF Editor, make sure you are
still located in the ZIP'R program directory, and type "ZIPR PROGRAM.ZIF".
(.ZIF must be specified on the command line, or ZIP'R will not operate
properly!)
Examples of potential command lines could be:
ZIPR PCSHELL.ZIF
ZIPRN PSDELUXE.ZIF
7. If the fields of the .ZIF file have been entered correctly, ZIP'R will
display the prelog screen for 10 seconds, and then execute the program you
designated in the .ZIF file. When you exit the program, ZIP'R will use
the selected compression method to compress the program directory
(including all sub-directories), and will display a 10 second epilog delay
before returning to a DOS prompt or the menu system you are using.
(Registered users may reduce or completely eliminate these delay times.
Please see the section entitled "The Settings Menu".)
8. The next time you want to run this program, use the same command line.
ZIP'R will display the prelog screen, decompress the program, and execute
it normally. Once again, after exiting the program, ZIP'R will compress
the program, display the epilog delay, and exit.
Page 4
9. To calculate how much disk space you are gaining by using ZIP'R, check the
free hard drive space prior to compressing a program, and again after
compressing the program. Subtract the two numbers, and the total will be
the disk space saved through using ZIP'R. The more programs you choose to
compress, the greater the savings will be!
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Disclaimer: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
By using ZIP'R For DOS and/or the ZIF Editor, users indicate their acceptance
of the following terms:
"ZIP'R For DOS and the ZIF Editor are supplied as is. The author disclaims
all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the
warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. Neither STSI,
The Bertha BBS, or any STSI employees will be held responsible for any
damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of ZIP'R For
DOS and/or the ZIF Editor."
"Information in this documentation is subject to change without notice and
does not represent a commitment on the part of STSI. STSI may make
improvements and/or changes in this documentation or in the products and/or
programs described in this documentation at any time."
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Registration: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is distributed under the shareware concept. You may try ZIP'R for a
period of two weeks. After this period, you must either discontinue using it,
or register it. A single-user license is only $39.95 (+$5.00 S&H in the U.S.,
or $12.50 S&H on Foreign Orders). This price includes printed documentation,
3 1/2" and 5 1/4" diskettes, along with a Registration Name and Number
allowing you to register all future versions of ZIP'R For DOS.
Registered users also receive the ability to use the following advanced
features of ZIP'R For DOS:
Change time of (or completely remove) prelog delay
Change time of (or completely remove) epilog delay
Remove delay from "Update" option
Change Accurate File Size Calculation default
Change default Cluster Size
Change Sorted Extraction default
Change where ZIP'R looks for compression program(s)
Note: ZIP'R For DOS and the ZIF Editor are distributed as one product.
Registered users of ZIP'R are automatically registered to use the ZIF Editor.
If you are in a hurry to get a registered version of ZIP'R For DOS, call STSI
at (218) 924-2050, and charge it to your Visa, MasterCard, American Express,
or Discover credit card. Upon request, you will receive a temporary
registration name and number over the telephone. This will allow the
modification of all of the ZIP'R Program Defaults, thus removing the delay
screens, if desired. For further registration information and pricing, please
read the REGISTER.DOC file included with ZIP'R. There is also a registration
form contained at the end of this documentation file.
Page 5
If you are upgrading from a previous version of ZIP'R (prior to 3.0), feel
free to use the ZIF Editor to simplify your ZIP'R command line. I am
confident you will find it very easy to use, and much less cumbersome than
trying to remember all of the necessary command line parameters, as in
previous versions.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Technical Support: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Technical support is available to ZIP'R users through the following means:
The Bertha BBS: New versions of ZIP'R will be posted here as soon as they
are available. The Bertha BBS uses a U.S. Robotics Dual-
Standard Modem, which is capable of V.32bis, V.32, HST, and
2400 baud connect speeds. The access number for The Bertha
BBS is (218)-924-2060. Technical support questions should
be addressed to the SYSOP.
STSI FAX: STSI has a FAX machine on-line 24 hours-a-day to accept FAX
transmissions. Technical support questions / problems may
be faxed to (218) 924-2050. Most FAX transmissions will be
automatically routed to the FAX machine. If you have
problems reaching our FAX machine, wait until after the
first ring, press 11, and then begin transmitting.
Telephone: Technical support calls may be placed at (218) 924-2050.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ What Is ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is a program designed to use an existing compression program, such as
PKZIP/PKUNZIP, ARJ, LHA, or SQZ to automatically compress entire programs
(including sub-directories) when programs are exited, and decompress them
prior to execution. This process saves valuable hard drive space by
compressing program when they are not in use. ZIP'R even achieves a
substantial amount of compression on hard drives that already use an on-the-
fly compression program, such as SuperStor, Stacker or DoubleSpace! ZIP'R is
unique because it not only compresses and decompresses entire programs, but it
launches them as well! This feature makes it possible to fully integrate
ZIP'R into most, if not all menuing systems.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Why Was ZIP'R Created? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
My business never seems to have enough hard drive space. In the past, I
always wanted to make sure that I owned the biggest hard drive in town, but my
budget rarely accommodated my needs for more drive space. Although hard drive
prices have dropped substantially in the past year, computer programs have
continued to increase in size, making it necessary to purchase even larger
Page 6
hard drives. In my quest to squeeze the last drop out of every megabyte of
hard drive space, I tried the top two on-the-fly data compression programs,
SuperStor and Stacker. These programs do have merit, but they certainly don't
achieve the compression ratios typical of archiving utilities. On top of
that, I faced an additional dilemma, because neither SuperStor or Stacker
would work on a Novell file server. This rendered these programs virtually
useless, as far as my primary needs were concerned.
What bothered me the most about buying a larger hard drive was that most of
the programs contained on my current hard drive were not used that often.
Nevertheless, I needed to have access to each of them about once every few
weeks. In the meantime, they took up valuable hard drive space that was
desperately needed for other things. I decided it would be handy to have a
utility that could compress these programs when they weren't it use, yet leave
them at my complete disposal for the times that I needed them. That's when
the idea for ZIP'R was born!
On the surface, ZIP'R performs three consecutive tasks.
1. If a compressed file exists, ZIP'R decompresses the program's files
and sub-directories.
2. ZIP'R executes the chosen program.
3. ZIP'R re-compresses the program once it is no longer being used.
And the best part of all is that it is entirely automatic! What does this
mean?
For users who have not yet purchased an on-the-fly data compression program,
ZIP'R is ideal. It is far less expensive than SuperStor or Stacker, and the
compression ratios achieved depend solely on the effectiveness of the
archiving utility used. You can virtually double your current hard drive
space, for a fraction of the cost of buying a new hard drive.
For users who already own SuperStor or Stacker, and still struggle with space
limitations, ZIP'R can still make a big difference on their hard drives.
According to my calculations, these compression programs only achieve an
average of 33% compression on most hard drives. Using ZIP'R with an archiving
utility can reach compression ratios of 53%. That's an additional 20% of hard
drive space! For every 100 megabytes of hard drive space you own, you can
gain an extra 20 megabytes back, just by using ZIP'R.
For users who operate on a Novell network, ZIP'R is a fast, easy and automatic
solution to hard drive dilemmas. By utilizing the network/multitasker version
of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE), network users can store seldom used, but necessary
programs in a tightly compressed form, taking up far less hard drive space.
This effectively increases the storage capacity of the server hard drive,
extending its useful life.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ How Does ZIP'R Work? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R works in combination with existing compression programs to compress
directories, sub-directories, and the files they contain into one smaller,
compressed file on the hard drive. This allows an entire directory filled
with files to be stored in compressed form when not in use, saving a
substantial amount of hard drive space.
When a program is executed, ZIP'R invokes the proper compression program to
decompress the desired directory, and executes the requested program. During
Page 7
this time ZIP'R swaps itself to disk or EMS memory, leaving behind only about
2.5K plus the size of the command processor and its environment. This usually
is less than 10K. When the program is exited, ZIP'R invokes the chosen
compression program to compress the entire directory.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Installing ZIP'R │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The first step in testing a new piece of software is to perform a backup and
test its integrity. Since ZIP'R will compress entire directories into a
single file, your potential losses are much greater if this file becomes lost
or corrupted.
The two files needed to properly install ZIP'R For DOS are INSTALL.EXE and
ZIPR40.ZPR. Log to the drive where you are installing ZIP'R from, and type
"INSTALL". The ZIP'R For DOS installation program will ask you where you are
installing ZIP'R from (usually, the current directory), and the location where
the program files should be stored. (The default destination directory is
C:\ZIPR.) If you are upgrading from a previous version, ZIP'R will issue a
warning before overwriting the ZIPR.INI file. If you have already set up your
registration information and user preferences in the ZIPR.INI file, answer "N"
(No) to instruct ZIP'R not to overwrite this file. When the installation is
complete, ZIP'R will display a completion message and return to the operating
system.
After installing ZIP'R, you should copy the compression program(s) of your
choice into the ZIP'R sub-directory. If you decide to use PKZIP, you will
need the files PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE. If you use ARJ, you will need the
file ARJ.EXE. If you use LHA, you will need the file LHA.EXE, and if you use
SQZ, you will need the file SQZ.EXE. ZIP'R has been tested with PKZIP
versions 1.10 and 2.04g, ARJ version 2.30, LHA version 2.13, and SQZ version
1.08.3. ARJ consistently provides the tightest archives, but is not nearly as
fast as ZIP. ARJ also has the ability to test the integrity of the archive,
which is useful when running ZIP'R under a multitasker, such as DESQview or
Windows. (Since my company uses PKZip internally, more extensive testing has
been performed with ZIP than with ARJ, LHA, or SQZ.)
ZIP'R can be installed on any drive in your system, including network drives.
Important! Be sure to include a SET ZIPR=N:\ZIPR statement (or wherever you
put ZIP'R), in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If this environment
variable is not found, ZIP'R defaults to using the C:\ZIPR sub-
directory.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using The ZIF Editor │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The ZIF Editor is a user-friendly interface that was created to assist ZIP'R
users in the maintenance of all ZIP'R related files. The ZIF Editor allows
the direct editing of the following files:
.ZIF Files ZIP'R Information Files (.ZIF Files) contain program
specific information that instruct ZIP'R how to execute a
particular program, and what archiving utility should be
used. This information is used to decompress, execute, and
Page 8
re-compress program files and their sub-directories. These
.ZIF files are referenced from the ZIP'R command line, and
make ZIP'R an easy-to-use utility for novice and
experienced users alike.
The ZIPR.INI File This file contains program defaults for ZIP'R. From within
the ZIF Editor, users can enter their registration name and
number, and alter several program settings described later
in this documentation.
.IN / .OUT Files The ZIF Editor also allows users to create and modify files
with .IN and .OUT extensions. These files allow the
execution of DOS commands prior and subsequent to executing
the actual program. For more information on how these
files work, see the sections entitled "The IN Menu" and
"The OUT Menu".
The following are a few technical notes about specific editing features within
the ZIF Editor.
Editing Keys: The following keys are available to edit or type new
text into most plain text fields.
HOME Move to beginning of field
CTRL+HOME Move to beginning of field
END Move to end of field
CTRL+END Move to end of field
INSERT Insert Mode / Overstrike Mode
DELETE Remove character over the cursor
BACKSPACE Remove character left of the cursor
LEFT ARROW Move cursor one character to the left
RIGHT ARROW Move cursor one character to the right
TAB Move cursor to next field
SHIFT+TAB Move cursor to previous field
ALT+DOWN ARROW Show list on drop-down list box
SPACE BAR Highlight file in file list box
Upper Case Characters: When new field entries are added to the ZIF Editor's
editing screens, the ZIF Editor will automatically
convert them to UPPER CASE characters. This speeds up
the typing process and provides consistency within the
ZIF Editor. The only field that serves as an
exception to this rule is the "Parameters:" field.
Some programs are case sensitive when accepting passed
parameters, so the ZIF Editor does not convert the
characters in this field to upper case.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Executing The ZIF Editor │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
To invoke the ZIF Editor, type "ZIFEDIT" from the \ZIPR sub-directory (or
wherever you store ZIP'R), and press [ENTER]. The ZIF Editor's desktop space
will display the main menu, along with a logo containing version and copyright
information.
Page 9
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ The File Menu │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The main function of the ZIF Editor is to create and modify .ZIF files for use
with ZIP'R. The "File" menu allows users to create a "New" .ZIF file, "Open"
an existing .ZIF file, or "Delete" an existing .ZIF file. Selecting "New from
the file menu causes the following screen to display:
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ Edit .ZIF File ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────┐┌────────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ ZIF Filename...: ││ UNTITLED.ZIF │ │ ┌─────────────────┐ │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────┘└────────────────────────┘ │ │ Compression │ │ │░░
░░░│ │ └─────────────────┘ │ │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────┐┌────────────────────────┐ │ ┌─────────────────┐ │ │░░
░░░│ │ Program Drive..: ││ [N: [\\STSI_1\SYS] ] │ │ │ Network Options │ │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────┘└────────────────────────┘ │ └─────────────────┘ │ │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────┐┌────────────────────────┐ │ ┌─────────────────┐ │ │░░
░░░│ │ Program Path...: ││ │ │ │ Program Browse │ │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────┘└────────────────────────┘ │ └─────────────────┘ │ │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────┐┌────────────────────────┐ └─────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │ Executable File: ││ │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────┘└────────────────────────┘ < Save > │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────┐┌────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Parameters.....: ││ │ < Cancel > │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────┘└────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
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This is the editing screen that will be used most often within the ZIF Editor.
An explanation of each field is given below.
ZIPR Filename: The entry typed in this field will be the name of the .ZIF
file used to contain the program preferences entered on
this screen. This file will be referenced on the ZIP'R
command line to execute this program. This filename should
reflect the name of the program being executed.
Program Drive: The drive list box should contain the drive where the
program to be executed resides. Mouse users can select a
different drive by clicking on the down arrow located
immediately to the right of the drive list box. (Keyboard
users, press ALT-Down Arrow.) Select a new drive by
clicking on it with the mouse, or use the arrow keys to
highlight it, and press [ENTER].
Program Path: This field should contain the path where the program to be
executed is located. Do NOT specify the drive letter on
this command line! A proper path should be in the format
"\PCTOOLS". The path should contain a backslash (\) as the
first character on this line.
Page 10
Note: When you press [TAB], the ZIF Editor automatically
detects if you accidentally placed a drive specification
(N:) on the front of the string, and removes it. In the
same way, if a preceding backslash is not detected, the ZIF
Editor adds one, thus avoiding potential error messages
when executing ZIP'R.
Additional Note: Do not specify a lone backslash (\) in
this field! This tells ZIP'R that you want to compress
your entire hard drive into one file, which would cause
your hard drive to be unbootable. I have added a special
precautionary measure to ZIP'R which will not allow users
to do this, but that doesn't mean that the possibility is
non-existent.
Executable File: This field should contain the name of the file to be
executed. Do NOT specify an extension in this field! If
you do, the ZIF Editor will detect it and remove it.
Instead, ZIP'R automatically checks for the existence of a
.BAT, .COM, or .EXE file, and executes the proper program.
Parameters: This field can optionally contain any (and all) necessary
parameters that should be passed to the program being
executed. These parameters are passed as one variable, and
since some programs require case sensitive program
parameters, ZIP'R does not automatically convert the text
in this field to upper case.
To specify compression options within a .ZIF file, select the "Compression"
command button. The following screen appears:
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ Compression Options ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────────┐┌───────────────┐ [ ] Use Advanced Options │░░
░░░│ │ Compression Type...: ││ [ZIP ] │ [ ] Query Option │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────┘└───────────────┘ [ ] Update Option │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────────┐┌───────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Compressed Filename: ││ │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────┘└───────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ [ ] Use Alternate Directory For Compressed File │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────────────┐┌──────────────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Compressed File Directory: ││ │ │ Browse │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────────────┘└──────────────────────┘ └────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ < Ok > │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ < Cancel > │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Page 11
Compression Type: This field should contain the name of the compression
program you want to use to compress the specified program
and its sub-directories. The following table shows the
compression utilities currently supported by ZIP'R, and the
corresponding entry for this field.
Compression Utility Field Entry
ARJ Version 2.30 ARJ
LHA Version 2.13 LHA
No Compression NONE
SQZ Version 1.08.3 SQZ
PKZIP Version 1.10 ZIP
PKZIP Versions 2.04c, 2.04e, and 2.04g ZIP
If "NONE" is entered as the ZipType, ZIP'R will decompress
an existing compressed file prior to executing the desired
program, but will not compress the directory after the
program is exited. Advanced options for this field are
contained in the "Advanced Compression Options" section of
this documentation.
The default entry for this field is "ZIP". To change this
entry, use the mouse to click on the down arrow located to
the right of the field, or press [ALT] + Down Arrow. Click
on the compression program you want to use, or highlight it
with the arrow keys and press [ENTER].
Comp. Filename: Enter the name of the compressed file that will be created
and used by ZIP'R into this field. After you exit from the
chosen program, ZIP'R creates the compressed file based on
the filename you enter here.
Note: When you press [TAB] in this field, the ZIF Editor
detects if a filename has been entered, and appends the
proper extension based on the Compression Type specified
above.
Use Adv. Options: This check box allows users to specify if they want to use
any of the advanced compression options available with
ZIP'R For DOS. When this box is checked, additional
options are added to the Compression Type list box. If
this box is not checked, only the standard set of
compression types will appear in the Compression Type list
box.
Query Option: The "Query" option is a ZIP'R feature that allows users to
choose, after the program is exited, whether or not it
should be compressed.
If this box is checked, ZIP'R will query (ask) the user
whether or not the program should be compressed each time
it is exited. This allows the user to have more control
over the compression process, instead of having to decide
in advance whether a program should be compressed.
Page 12
When a program is exited, ZIP'R simply presents a dialog
box, as shown below:
╔══════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ Compress this program? ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Yes ▄ No ▄ ║
║ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ║
║ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════╝
If "Yes" is chosen, ZIP'R will compress this program
normally. If "No" is chosen, ZIP'R will immediately exit,
leaving the program uncompressed.
Update Option: The "Update" option is a ZIP'R feature which can
significantly reduce the time required to recompress a
program. Normally, when ZIP'R decompresses a program, it
extracts all of the program files and sub-directories, and
deletes the old compressed file. During the compression
process, ZIP'R creates a new compressed file, and moves all
of the program files and sub-directories into it. This
method makes the most efficient use of hard disk space, but
can require a significant amount of time to recompress the
program, depending on the number and size of files that
need to be compressed.
The "Update" option of ZIP'R can save a tremendous amount
of time in this process. Instead of deleting the old
compressed file when the program files and sub-directories
are extracted, ZIP'R leaves it in the program's directory.
When the compression process starts, ZIP'R uses PKZIP to
update any files and/or sub-directories that have been
added or changed, and deletes any files and/or sub-
directories that have been deleted since the program was
extracted. In essence, if no files or sub-directories were
added, changed, or deleted since the program was
decompressed, PKZIP does not need to update any files. The
old compressed file is left in the directory while PKZIP
deletes the program's files and sub-directories.
Placing a check mark in this box instructs ZIP'R to use the
"Update" method when compressing this program.
To give an example of how much time this feature can save,
I have performed speed comparisons on a few of my most-used
programs. (All timings were performed on a 486SX-25MHZ
computer.)
Page 13
┌────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ Compression Time (In Seconds) │
│ Compressed Program ├────────────────────┬────────────────────┤
│ │ (Normal Method) │ (Update Method) │
├────────────────────────┼────────────────────┼────────────────────┤
│ SHEZ │ 15 │ 3 │
│ Tech Note Index │ 22 │ 5 │
│ Rolodex Live! 2.0 │ 29 │ 18 │
│ Professional Write 2.2 │ 69 │ 28 │
│ QmodemPro 1.0 │ 80 │ 15 │
│ Vendor #1 Price List │ 84 │ 4 │
│ Vendor #2 Price List │ 135 │ 4 │
└────────────────────────┴────────────────────┴────────────────────┘
As you can see, the amount of time saved varies between
programs. I encourage you to try this option on a few of
your own programs. Here are a few hints that I've figured
out from experimenting with this option.
1. The greatest difference in speed will be noticed on programs that have
large files and/or files that have not changed. The reason the "Vendor #2
Price List" compressed so quickly under the update method was because
there was about a dozen large program files that never change. It takes a
very long time to compress these files using the normal method. With the
update method, PKZIP detects that they are identical to the ones already
maintained in the compressed file. All it needs to do is delete these
files out of the directory, and the recompression process is complete!
2. You may notice that any lower-level sub-directories within the program are
always updated when the update method is enabled. Since directories are
deleted when a program is compressed, PKZIP must create these directories
before decompressing the program. When PKZIP attempts to update the
compressed file, it detects that the directories have "changed", and
therefore, is forced to update them in the compressed file.
3. You will see PKZIP flash on the screen several times in very rapid
succession when it performs the update option. This process is normal,
and should not cause alarm. If files have been deleted from the program
directory, ZIP'R must delete these out of the compressed file. In order
to perform this operation, ZIP'R needs to create two lists using PKZIP,
and compare them. This is the reason for the rapid flashing you may see.
4. This option is useful to speed up the recompression process on most
programs, but it may actually increase the time of compression on others.
The programs that may not compress as quickly with the update method are
ones that have large numbers of small files and/or ones that have many
files added, changed, or deleted during each session. If you're not sure,
use a watch and time each method to see which way would save the most
time.
Additional Note: Due to the dramatic amount of time that
can be saved by using this feature, I saw the necessity to
encourage non-registered users to register by implementing
another nag screen. This one only delays for 5 seconds,
and requires the user to press a key before continuing.
Registered users should never see this screen! If you want
Page 14
to remove all delays from ZIP'R, register! See the
"Registration" section for more information. A
registration form is contained at the end of this
documentation.
Use Alternate
Directory For
Compressed File: If this check box is marked, users may specify an alternate
directory for the compressed file in the Compressed File
Directory field, as explained below.
Compressed
File Directory: Advanced users will want to use this optional field for
programs with unique requirements. While most programs
maintain their primary executable file in the parent
program directory, some programs maintain their primary
executable file in a lower-level sub-directory. A good
example of this problem is found with Borland Pascal 7.0.
C:\
└─BP <---- Most executable files are located
├─PASCAL in this sub-directory.
├─DOC
├─BIN
├─BGI
├─EXAMPLES
├─RTL
├─UNITS
└─PENWIN
C:\
└─BP
├─PASCAL
├─DOC
├─BIN <---- Borland Pascal places the file BP.EXE
├─BGI in the C:\BP\BIN sub-directory.
├─EXAMPLES
├─RTL
├─UNITS
└─PENWIN
In order to compensate for situations like this, ZIP'R
(along with the ZIF Editor), allows users to specify two
different sub-directories for program operation. The first
one is the "Program Directory" located on the original ZIF
editing screen. (For an explanation of the Program
Directory, please see above.) The Program Directory field
specifies the actual location of the executable file. The
second directory is called the "Compressed File Directory".
This optional field allows users to specify an alternate
location for the compressed file, if it is different than
the Program Directory.
In the case of Borland Pascal, the Compressed File
Directory field would contain the entry " \BP".
Note: This field, just like the Program Directory field,
should be preceded by a backslash (\). If a backslash is
not present, the ZIF Editor prepends it, reducing the
Page 15
chance for errors when ZIP'R attempts to run this program.
Once you are finished specifying compression options using the ZIF Editor,
select "Ok" to save your changes and return to the main editing screen, or
"Cancel" to return to the main editing screen without saving your changes.
To specify network/multitasker specific options within a .ZIF file, select the
"Network Options" command button.
Maximum Users: If you are using the Network/Multitasking version of ZIP'R,
specify the number of concurrent accesses for this program.
For example, if a network program is only licensed for five
users, you will want to enter 5 in this field. This tells
ZIP'R not to allow more than 5 users into this particular
program at the same time. If you are running a
multitasker, you may run the risk of opening multiple
windows of the same program at the same time. It would be
to your benefit to enter 1 in this field. That way, ZIP'R
will only allow you to execute one copy of this program at
a time. The default for this field is 1.
Note: The network/multitasker version of ZIP'R is
automatically limited to 2 concurrent users. If more than
two users attempt to access the same program at the same
time with the network/multitasker version of ZIP'R, an
error message will display indicating that there are no
more user numbers available. This prevents large networks
from using ZIP'R without registering the proper number of
copies. If you need to register a network version of
ZIP'R, please see the ZIP'R registration form at the end of
this manual.
Selecting "Ok" will save any changes to the Maximum Users field. Selecting
"Cancel" will reset this field to its original value.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Browsing For Files │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
One powerful feature of the ZIF Editor is the ability to browse for files
and/or directories using file and directory list boxes. On the main .ZIF
editing screen, selecting the "Program Browse" button will display the
following screen:
Page 16
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ Browse For Program ... ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Executable File: Drives: │ │░░
░░░│ │ *.BAT;*.COM;*.EXE [N: [\\STSI_1\SYS] ] │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ │░░
░░░│ │ Files: Directories: │ │░░
░░░│ │ ┌────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────┐ │ ┌──────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ZIFEDIT.EXE ░ │ N:\ ░ │ │ File Type: │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ SYSTEM ░ │ │ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ LOGIN ░ │ │ [X] *.BAT │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ MAIL ░ │ │ [X] *.COM │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ PUBLIC ░ │ │ [X] *.EXE │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ USERS ░ │ │ │ │░░
░░░│ │ └────────────────────┘ └────────────────────┘ │ │ [ ] *.* │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌ Current Path: ───────────────────────────────────┐ < Ok > │░░
░░░│ │ N:\*.BAT;*.COM;*.EXE │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ < Cancel > │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Users can select any combination of file types from the File Type list. When
a box is checked, the pattern of files associated with that file type will be
displayed. For example, if the only file type checked is "*.COM", only files
with an extension of "*.COM" will be displayed. If "*.BAT" and "*.EXE" are
checked, files with either extension ("*.BAT" and "*.EXE") will be displayed.
Once a file is selected from this screen, the drive, directory, and executable
file will be automatically pasted into the "Program Drive:", "Program Path:",
and "Executable File:" fields.
In the same manner, a browse screen is accessible from the Compression screen
to search for an alternate Compressed File Directory. (Note: The browse
button is only available when the box "Use Alternate Directory For Compressed
File" is checked.) This browse screen looks like the following:
Page 17
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ Browse For Compressed File Directory ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Directories: │ │ An alternate compressed file │ │░░
░░░│ │ ┌──────────────────────┐ │ │ directory MUST be located within │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ N:\ ░ │ │ the same directory structure as │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ZIPR ░ │ │ the executable file's program │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ │ directory. │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ │ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ │ Executing PCSHELL.EXE from the │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ │ \UTILITY\PCTOOLS sub-directory │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ │ would mean that the compressed │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ │ file could either be stored in │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ ░ │ │ the \UTILITY or \UTILITY\PCTOOLS │ │░░
░░░│ │ └──────────────────────┘ │ │ sub-directory. │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌ Current Path: ───────────────────────────────────┐ < Ok > │░░
░░░│ │ N:\ZIPR │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ < Cancel > │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
When an alternate Compressed File Directory is selected from this screen, the
Compressed File Directory text box is updated with the results.
Browse screens such as the ones shown above make navigation and location of
needed files fast and easy.
Also available from the File Menu is the ability to open or delete a
previously created .ZIF file. When you select "Open" or "Delete" from the
file menu, the ZIF Editor displays a screen that looks like the one shown
below:
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ Open .ZIF File ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Filename: Drive: │ │░░
░░░│ │ *.ZIF [N: [\\STSI_1\SYS] ] │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ │░░
░░░│ │ Files: Directories: │ │░░
░░░│ │ ┌────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────┐ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ APPRO.ZIF ░ │ N:\ ░ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ AWREMOTE.ZIF ░ │ ZIPR ░ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ BLAST.ZIF ░ │ ░ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ BP.ZIF ░ │ ░ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ BPASCAL.ZIF ░ │ ░ │ │░░
░░░│ │ │ CADD6.ZIF ░ │ ░ │ │░░
░░░│ │ └────────────────────┘ └────────────────────┘ │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌ Current Path: ───────────────────────────────────┐ < Ok > │░░
░░░│ │ N:\ZIPR\*.ZIF │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ < Cancel > │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Page 18
Use this screen to search through available drives and directories for the
.ZIF file you want to edit. Once you've located the file you want to open,
double-click on it with the mouse, or press [ENTER] when it is selected with
the highlight bar, and the ZIF Editor will read the information and import it
into the editing screen to be viewed or modified.
If you choose "Delete" from the File Menu, a similar dialog box will appear,
allowing you to search through available drives and directories for the .ZIF
file you want to delete. When you find it, double-clicking on it, or pressing
[ENTER] when it is selected with the highlight bar will delete the file.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ The In Menu │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The "In" menu provides access to options allowing users to create, edit, and
delete .IN files. .IN files are used to execute DOS commands prior to running
a desired program. An example of this would be to swap a printer port prior
to executing a particular program. Another example would be to flush and
disable write caching before running a disk utility program. The following
screen shows a real-world example of how the ZIF Editor can maintain .IN files
for this purpose.
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ IN Commands ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌───────────────┐┌──────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ IN Filename: ││ DISKFIX.IN │ │░░
░░░│ └───────────────┘└──────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ C:\PCKWIK\SUPERPCK /F /D ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Enter DOS commands that should be executed immediately prior to │ │░░
░░░│ │ executing the program specified in the corresponding .ZIF file. │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ < Save > < Cancel > │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
The .IN editing screen can be edited by using the same keys that are available
to edit .ZIF files on the .ZIF editing screen. (Keep in mind that in order
for these commands to be executed prior to the corresponding program, the
"Filename" field shown on this screen must match the "Compressed Filename"
field given on the .ZIF editing screen. This allows complete compatibility
for ZIP'R users who still rely on using the ZIP'R command line.)
Important! Do NOT attempt to use a .IN and/or a .OUT file to invoke or remove
TSR (Terminate and Stay-Resident) programs from memory. This is virtually
guaranteed to cause conflicts with ZIP'R. If you need to invoke a TSR before
Page 19
running a program, or remove one after exiting a program, see the "Questions
And Answers" section of this documentation. Question #2 instructs users how
to load and unload TSR's, without using the .IN and/or .OUT files.
The IN Menu also allows users to open and delete .IN files using dialog boxes
similar to those used for opening and deleting .ZIF files. When a .IN file is
opened, the ZIF Editor reads the information contained in the file, and
displays it on the .IN editing screen. When a .IN file is selected for
deletion, the ZIF Editor deletes it and returns to the main menu. In this
way, the ZIF Editor gives the user complete control over all files needed for
the operation of ZIP'R.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ The Out Menu │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Just as users may need to create .IN files to execute DOS commands prior to
running a program, users may also find a need to create .OUT files to execute
DOS commands after exiting from a program. These commands can be added using
the "Out" menu. In the .IN example shown above, the disk cache was flushed and
disable prior to executing DISKFIX. A .OUT file could be used to re-enable the
cache after the program has been exited, as shown in the following example:
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ OUT Commands ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌───────────────┐┌──────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ OUT Filename: ││ DISKFIX.OUT │ │░░
░░░│ └───────────────┘└──────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ C:\PCKWIK\SUPERPCK /E ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░│ │░░
░░░│ │ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Enter DOS commands that should be executed immediately after │ │░░
░░░│ │ exiting from the program specified in the corresponding .ZIF file. │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ < Save > < Cancel > │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
The .OUT editing screen can be edited by using the same keys that are
available to edit .ZIF files on the .ZIF editing screen. (Keep in mind that
in order for these commands to be executed after the corresponding program,
the "Filename" field shown on this screen must match the "ZipName" field given
on the .ZIF editing screen. This allows complete compatibility for ZIP'R
users who still rely on using the ZIP'R command line.)
Important! Do NOT attempt to use a .IN and/or a .OUT file to invoke or remove
TSR (Terminate and Stay-Resident) programs from memory. This is virtually
Page 20
guaranteed to cause conflicts with ZIP'R. If you need to invoke a TSR before
running a program, or remove one after exiting a program, see the "Questions
And Answers" section of this documentation. Question #2 instructs users how
to load and unload TSR's, without using the .IN and/or .OUT files.
The OUT Menu also allows users to open and delete .OUT files using dialog
boxes similar to those used for opening and deleting .ZIF files. When a .OUT
file is opened, the ZIF Editor reads the information contained in the file,
and displays it on the .OUT editing screen. When a .OUT file is selected for
deletion, the ZIF Editor deletes it and returns to the main menu. In this
way, the ZIF Editor gives the user complete control over all files needed for
the operation of ZIP'R.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ The Settings Menu │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
From the Settings Menu, users can have access to the registration and default
settings for ZIP'R. These settings are contained in a file called ZIPR.INI.
While this file can be edited manually using a text editor, the ZIF Editor
allows fast and easy maintenance, with the assurance that the file can be read
correctly by ZIP'R. It is strongly recommended that all registration
information and defaults be set using the ZIF Editor.
Selecting Register from the Settings Menu will allow users to enter a
Registration Name and Number which will register their copy of ZIP'R. For
registered users who are upgrading from a previous version of ZIP'R, the ZIF
Editor will read in the contents of the ZIPR.INI file, and display the proper
Registration Name and Number. If you accidentally overwrote your ZIPR.INI
file when updating to the new version, simply re-enter your name and number
here. The ZIF Editor will save your changes and re-register your copy of
ZIP'R. If you do not enter a valid Registration Name and Registration Number
in the two fields provided on this screen, options specified on the ZIP'R
Defaults and Compression Paths screens will not take effect!
Selecting ZIP'R Defaults from the Settings Menu will allow registered users to
customize their ZIP'R program defaults. (The Registration Name and
Registration Number fields described above MUST be filled in correctly for the
changes to the ZIP'R Defaults screen to take effect. If the Registration Name
and Number are invalid, or were entered incorrectly, ZIP'R will use its
default settings, regardless of what this screen says!) The following is a
screen capture of the ZIP'R Defaults screen.
Page 21
File IN OUT Settings Help
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░┌┤ ZIP'R Defaults ├┐░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────┐┌────────┐ ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Prelog Delay.....: ││ 10 │ │ Options on this screen only take │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────┘└────────┘ │ effect on REGISTERED versions of │ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────┐┌────────┐ │ ZIP'R For DOS! Non-registered │ │░░
░░░│ │ Epilog Delay.....: ││ 10 │ │ versions automatically use the │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────┘└────────┘ │ default settings. │ │░░
░░░│ └──────────────────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────┐┌─────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Cluster Size.....: ││ [4096 ] │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────┘└─────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────┐┌─────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ AFSC.............: ││ (X) Yes ( ) No │ │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────┘└─────────────────────┘ < Save > │░░
░░░│ ┌────────────────────┐┌─────────────────────┐ │░░
░░░│ │ Sorted Extraction: ││ ( ) Yes (X) No │ < Cancel > │░░
░░░│ └────────────────────┘└─────────────────────┘ │░░
░░░└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Although users may not see a need to edit this screen very often, the
information contained here will dictate how ZIP'R operates, and what options
will be used.
Prelog Delay: This field contains the number of seconds that ZIP'R will
displays the prelog screen each time a program is launched
through ZIP'R. Experienced ZIP'R users can set this field
to 0, which will prevent ZIP'R from displaying the prelog
screen. Novice users may want to use set this field to 4,
to allow a short time to view the information displayed on
the prelog screen. The default prelog delay time is 10.
Epilog Delay: This field contains the number of seconds that ZIP'R will
display the epilog screen each time a program that has been
launched through ZIP'R is exited. Most users will likely
set this field to 0, which will force ZIP'R to not display
the epilog screen at all. The default epilog delay time is
10.
AFSC: AFSC stands for Accurate File Size Calculation. When the
"Yes" option button is checked, ZIP'R will examine a
compressed file prior to decompressing it, to determine the
exact amount of hard drive space required to decompress it
successfully. Although this is an extremely safe method,
it does require a short time to complete. If this delay is
unacceptable, registered users may disable this feature by
selecting the "No" option button. When "No" is selected,
ZIP'R still checks to see if sufficient drive space is
available to decompress a file, but uses a simpler
calculation method. This method is not as accurate as
using the Accurate File Size Calculation, but it is faster.
The default setting for AFSC is "Yes", which enables this
feature.
Page 22
Cluster Size: This field instructs ZIP'R what cluster size (or allocation
unit) to use when performing the Accurate File Size
Calculation. ZIP'R will estimate the amount of disk space
required to successfully decompress the compressed file.
This calculation takes into consideration both the actual
size of the decompressed files, and an estimate of the
space wasted by those files, based on the cluster size.
Valid cluster sizes are 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16384,
and 32768. The default value is 4096. (To further
understand the role that cluster sizes play in allocating
hard drive space, read the section entitled "How Does ZIP'R
Save Hard Drive Space?")
If you are unsure of what value to use, the following table
can be used to determine which value is appropriate for
your hard drive.
Drive Size (Megabytes) Enter This Value:
1 - 127 2048
128 - 255 4096
256 - 511 8192
512 - 1023 16384
1024 - 2047 32768
Another possible dilemma you may face is that if you have
access to two hard drives of different capacities, the
cluster size may differ between the two drives. If this is
the case, enter the cluster size that corresponds to the
larger of the two hard drives. This will allow ZIP'R to
err on the safe side, making sure you have more than enough
space free to decompress a file, no matter what hard drive
it resides on.
Sorted Extraction: If the option box "YES" is selected for Sorted Extraction,
all files will be extracted in alphabetical order,
effectively sorting the sub-directory. This feature is
especially useful on network drives that generally prevent
utilities of this nature from working. The default setting
is "NO", which disables this feature. Sorted extraction is
only available for users of PKZIP/PKUNZIP versions 1.1, and
2.0.
Selecting Compression Paths from the Settings Menu allows registered users to
specify alternate paths for the compression program(s) they are using to
compress and decompress their programs. Normally, the compression programs
being used (ARJ.EXE, LHA.EXE, SQZ.EXE, or PKZIP.EXE/PKUNZIP.EXE) are copied
into the ZIP'R program sub-directory. However, if users typically store their
compression program(s) elsewhere, default paths can be set up for each
compression program being used. (The Registration Name and Registration
Number fields described above MUST be filled in correctly for the changes to
the settings to take effect. If the Registration Name and Number are invalid,
or were entered incorrectly, ZIP'R will use the default path, regardless of
what this screen says!)
ARJ Path: This field allows ARJ users to specify an alternate
location for the ARJ.EXE file.
Page 23
LHA Path: This field allows LHA users to specify an alternate
location for the LHA.EXE file.
SQZ Path: This field allows SQZ users to specify an alternate
location for the SQZ.EXE file.
ZIP Path: This field allows PKZIP/PKUNZIP users to specify an
alternate location for the PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE files.
These entries must have a trailing backslash (\). If [TAB] is pressed, and
the ZIF Editor detects that a trailing backslash is not the last character in
the string, one is automatically appended. The default settings are blank,
causing ZIP'R to look for the compression program(s) in the same directory
where ZIP'R is located.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ The Help Menu │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
The "Help" menu provides users with access to version number and copyright
information about the ZIF Editor, Registration Information, and ZIF Editor
Help. ZIF Editor Help provides basic information on the concepts behind
ZIP'R, what it is intended to do, and how the ZIF Editor fits into the
picture.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Once ZIP'R system preferences have been set up in the ZIF Editor, and .ZIF
files have been created for each program, you are ready to use ZIP'R. Log to
the ZIP'R program sub-directory (C:\ZIPR, or wherever you store ZIP'R). Type
the command to execute ZIP'R ("ZIPR" if you use the single-user version;
"ZIPRN" if you use the network/multitasker version), and then append a space,
along with the name of the .ZIF file to be referenced. The command line
structure should look similar to the following examples:
ZIP'R (Single-User) Examples:
ZIPR PCSHELL.ZIF
ZIPR PW.ZIF
ZIPR PSDELUXE.ZIF
ZIPR LOTUS123.ZIF
ZIPR THEDRAW.ZIF
ZIP'R (Network/Multitasker) Examples:
ZIPRN DEA4.ZIF
ZIPRN ROLODEX.ZIF
ZIPRN KEEN1.ZIF
ZIPRN EDIT.ZIF
ZIPRN LABELS.ZIF
Page 24
Please Note: The extension .ZIF MUST be located at the end of the
ZIF Filename in order for ZIP'R to work properly. For an explanation
of this, see the "Questions And Answers" section of this
documentation.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R With A Menuing System: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
To use ZIP'R with a menuing system, you must modify the location and program
name specified for each program that will be run through ZIP'R.
QuikMenu Example:
OLD Location: C:\PFS
Command: PW
NEW Location: C:\ZIPR
Command: ZIPR PW.ZIF
AutoMenu Example:
OLD C:
CD\PFS
PW
CD\
AUTO
NEW C:
CD\ZIPR
ZIPR PW.ZIF
CD\
AUTO
All programs that are executed through ZIP'R must have C:\ZIPR (or the actual
location of the ZIP'R files) specified as the path. The location of the
program to be executed is specified in the .ZIF file that was created with the
ZIF Editor. ZIP'R automatically changes to the proper directory before
executing the desired program.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ What Happens When I Execute ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Several things take place through the course of using ZIP'R. Here is a brief
summary of what ZIP'R does, and what you can expect to see on the screen:
When using the following variable on the ZIF Editor's .ZIF editing screen:
Page 25
ZIP'R Filename: PCSHELL.ZIF
Program Drive: C:
Program Directory: \PCTOOLS
Executable File: PCSHELL
Parameters:
Compression Type: ZIP
Compressed Filename: PCTOOLS.ZIP
Compressed File Dir: \PCTOOLS
Maximum Users: 1
and entering the command line: ZIPR PCSHELL.ZIF
the following events would take place:
1. ZIP'R checks for the existence of the .ZIF file, if .ZIF was specified on
the command line. If .ZIF was not specified, ZIP'R checks for a string of
command line parameters. (See "Using ZIP'R With Command Line
Parameters".) If the .ZIF file or the five command line parameters are
not given on the command line, ZIP'R issues an error message, as described
in the following section, "Help Screens And Error Messages". If the
command line was entered correctly, ZIP'R proceeds to step #2.
2. ZIP'R displays the prelog screen. The unregistered version of ZIP'R will
pause for 10 seconds while this screen displays. Registered users may
reduce the delay period, or remove it entirely by using the ZIP'R Defaults
screen within the ZIF Editor. (For more information, see "The Settings
Menu".) An example of the prelog screen is shown below.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐░░░░┌─────────────────────────┐░░░
░░│ ZIP'R For DOS v4.1 │ ░░│ ┌─────────────────────┐ │ ░
░░│ - Network/Multitasker - │ ░░│ │ System Information │ │ ░
░░│ ─────────────────────────────────────── │ ░░│ └─────────────────────┘ │ ░
░░│ Copyright 1993 by │ ░░│ ─────────────────────── │ ░
░░│ Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. │ ░░│ Conventional: 584,912 │ ░
░░│ 108 Second Avenue West │ ░░│ Environment.: 862 │ ░
░░│ Bertha, MN 56437-0297 │ ░░│ EMS.........: 524,288 │ ░
░░│ Phone/FAX: (218)-924-2050 │ ░░│ XMS.........: 524,288 │ ░
░░│ ─────────────────────────────────────── │ ░░│ ─────────────────────── │ ░
░░│ Registered To: │ ░░│ DESQview....: Yes │ ░
░░│ Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. │ ░░│ Windows.....: No │ ░
░░└─────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░│ ─────────────────────── │ ░
░░░░ ░░│ AFSC........: Yes │ ░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ Sorted Ext..: Yes │ ░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ┌─────────────────┐ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░│ Cluster Size: 4,096 │ ░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ │ Delaying.... 18 │ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░└─────────────────────────┘ ░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░ └─────────────────┘ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐░
░│ ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP PCSHELL │░
░└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Notice that the command line shown at the bottom of this screen shows the
parameters passed to ZIP'R through the .ZIF file. This is useful for
detecting any errors that may have been made while creating or editing a .ZIF
file. This screen also contains a wealth of information for users with
different system configurations. The following is a summary of this
information, and what it means.
Page 26
The Prelog Screen
Conventional: Displays the amount of available conventional memory.
Environment: Displays the amount of available environment space.
EMS: Displays the amount of available EMS memory.
XMS: Displays the amount of available XMS memory.
DESQview: Detects whether or not this program is being run under
DESQview.
Windows: Detects whether or not this program is being run under
Windows.
AFSC: Detects whether or not the Accurate File Size Calculation
feature of ZIP'R is enabled.
Sorted Ext: Detects whether or not the Sorted Extraction feature of ZIP'R
is enabled.
Cluster Size: Detects the Cluster Size being used, as set up through the ZIF
Editor's "ZIP'R Defaults" screen.
3. After displaying the prelog screen, ZIP'R checks the validity of the drive
and path that were entered in the .ZIF file. If ZIP'R cannot find the
drive and/or path, it issues an error message. If ZIP'R is able to locate
the drive and path specified, it then checks for the existence of a
compressed file, bearing the name entered in the "ZipName" field of the
.ZIF editing screen. One of the many benefits of ZIP'R is that it allows
the ability to change compression programs at any time. ZIP'R checks for
the existence of any one of four different compressed files. In this
case, ZIP'R checks for PCTOOLS.ARJ, PCTOOLS.LHA, PCTOOLS.SQZ, and
PCTOOLS.ZIP. The compressed file that is found first by ZIP'R is
decompressed using the corresponding compression/decompression utility
(step #4). If ZIP'R does not find a compressed file, it skips the
decompression process and begins to execute the program (step #5).
4. ZIP'R begins the decompression process by viewing the compressed file and
calculating the disk space required to decompress the entire file. While
this happens, ZIP'R displays a one-line message on top of the screen,
stating "Calculating disk space required for decompression. Please wait!"
If ZIP'R determines that there is not enough disk space available to
decompress the entire file, a warning message will be issued. If ZIP'R
determines that sufficient disk space is available to decompress the
entire file, it invokes the necessary decompression program to decompress
the file.
5. The next step performed by ZIP'R is automatic execution of the specified
program. This step makes ZIP'R unique from most other compression /
Page 27
decompression utilities. Rather than forcing users to compress and
decompress programs separately, ZIP'R does it all automatically. If ZIP'R
is not able to locate the executable file, it issues an error message
stating the problem. If ZIP'R is able to locate the executable file, it
executes the program normally.
6. Once the program is exited, ZIP'R begins to compress (or-recompress) the
program directory using the compression utility specified in the .ZIF
file. The amount of time this takes depends on the number and size of the
files being compressed.
7. Once the compression process has been completed, ZIP'R displays the epilog
screen shown below:
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ZIP'R For DOS v4.1 (Single-User) ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Copyright 1993 by Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ This is an UNREGISTERED copy of ZIP'R! ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Registration allows the removal of all delays. ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ ║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ║ Please read REGISTER.DOC for registration information.║ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░ ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Delaying... 10 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
8. After displaying the epilog screen, ZIP'R returns control of the computer
back to a DOS prompt or the menuing system you are using.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Help Screens And Error Messages │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
When you execute ZIP'R, you will notice prelog and epilog screens, help and
error messages, as well as warning messages when compression or decompression
is in progress. Help is available from the command line by typing ZIPR /H or
ZIPR /?. The following screen shows the help screen for the single-user
version of ZIP'R.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
Page 28
░░ │ ZIP'R For DOS v4.1 (Single-User) │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ ZIPR DRIVE: \PATH ZIPNAME COMPRESSION FILENAME P1 P2 P3 P4 ... │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ ZIPR - The ZIPR.EXE program. │ ░░
░░ │ DRIVE: - Drive where program to be executed is located. │ ░░
░░ │ \PATH - Location of program to be executed (Backslash first). │ ░░
░░ │ ZIPNAME - Name of compressed file to be used (No extension). │ ░░
░░ │ COMPRESSION - Type of compression (ARJ, LHA, NONE, SQZ, or ZIP). │ ░░
░░ │ FILENAME - Name of file to be executed (No extension). │ ░░
░░ │ P1 - P8 - Passed parameters to program (Optional). │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Example 1 - ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW │ ░░
░░ │ Example 2 - ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ PCSHELL /LCD │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Press Any Key To Continue... │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Once you've attempted to execute a program through ZIP'R several thrings take
place. First ZIP'R checks to make sure that the .ZIF file exists. If it
does, ZIP'R performs another check to make sure that the .ZIF file contains
all the necessary information to execute the program. If a field was left
blank in the ZIF Editor, ZIP'R will issue an error message, as shown below.
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ ZIP'R For DOS v4.1 (Single-User) │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ You did not specify a program name. │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ You must specify the executable filename of the │ ░░
░░ │ program you wish to execute. (No Extension!) │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Example: PCSHELL │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ The Command Line You Entered Was: │ ░░
░░ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP │ │ ░░
░░ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ░░
░░ │ Press Any Key To Continue... │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
ZIP'R also contains special error trapping for users who might attempt to
compress their entire hard drive. If users mistakenly specify that they want
to compress the root directory, ZIP'R displays the error message shown on the
following screen:
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
Page 29
░░ │ ZIP'R For DOS v4.1 (Single-User) │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ░░░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ You cannot compress the entire drive! │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ Do NOT specify the ROOT directory! If you │ ░░
░░ │ do this, you won't be able to access ZIP'R! │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ See the ZIP'R help screen for more information. │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ░░
░░ │ The Command Line You Entered Was: │ ░░
░░ │ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ░░
░░ │ │ ZIPR C: \ XXX ZIP XXX │ │ ░░
░░ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ ░░
░░ │ Press Any Key To Continue... │ ░░
░░ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ░░
░░░░ ░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
The error-trapping capability of ZIP'R is quite extensive. Most of the error
messages and accompanying help screens are self-explanatory. If you are
having trouble with a specific error message, see the "Troubleshooting /
Common Problems" section near the end of this documentation. If you still
need assistance, see the "Technical Support" section near the beginning of
this documentation.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Advanced Compression Options: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Advanced ARJ options:
ARJT = Test archive integrity before deleting files.
ARJ0 = ARJ -m0 switch.
ARJ1 = ARJ -m1 switch.
ARJ2 = ARJ -m2 switch.
ARJ3 = ARJ -m3 switch.
ARJ4 = ARJ -m4 switch.
ARJ5 = ARJ -m1 -jm switches.
ARJ6 = ARJ -m2 -jm switches.
ARJ7 = ARJ -m1 -jm1 switches.
ARJ8 = ARJ -m2 -jm1 switches.
These figures were generated with ARJ 2.30.
Page 30
No Compression ARJ Results Compression
ARJ0 2,980,853 2,983,500 0%
ARJ1 2,980,853 1,406,625 53%
ARJ2 2,980,853 1,414,245 53%
ARJ3 2,980,853 1,444,400 52%
ARJ4 2,980,853 1,593,074 47%
ARJ5 2,980,853 1,403,524 53%
ARJ6 2,980,853 1,403,524 53%
ARJ7 2,980,853 1,404,949 53%
ARJ8 2,980,853 1,404,949 53%
ARJT is used to provide an extra level of assurance that the files have been
stored correctly in the archive. When this switch is used, ARJ will verify
the integrity of the archive before deleting any files. Other ARJ options may
be used to choose less compression in exchange for more speed, or more
compression in exchange for less speed. The default ARJ compression setting
is to use the -m1 switch. (Use ARJ or ARJ1.)
Advanced ZIP options:
ZIP0 = ZIP -e0 switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP1 = ZIP -es switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0)
ZIP2 = ZIP -ef switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP3 = ZIP -en switch. (PKZIP 2.0 Only)
ZIP4 = ZIP -ex switch. (PKZIP 1.1 or 2.0)
These figures were generated using PKZIP 2.04c.
No Compression ZIP Results Compression
ZIP0 2,980,853 2,985,751 0%
ZIP1 2,980,853 1,535,935 48%
ZIP2 2,980,853 1,432,248 52%
ZIP3 2,980,853 1,401,026 53%
ZIP4 2,980,853 1,392,625 53%
These options may be used to trade lower compression for greater speed and
vice-versa.
In addition to these options, additional parameters may be added to the PKZIP
2.04c, 2.04e, and 2.04g command lines to solve specific hardware and software
compatibility problems. These extra parameters are as follows:
3 -> Disable 32-bit Instruction Usage.
) -> Disable DPMI Support.
( -> Use "Slow" MemCopy.
+ -> Disable EMS Usage.
- -> Disable XMS/UMB Usage.
~ -> Disable Network Detection.
Each of these parameters is explained completely in the troubleshooting
section of the PKZIP documentation.
The format that must be used to pass these parameters to ZIP'R is ZIP-??. The
question marks should be replaced by a two digit code chosen from the
Page 31
following table. The code is selected based on the combination of parameters
necessary to run PKZIP reliably on your machine. For example, to disable 32-
bit instruction usage and use "slow" memcopy, the code "07" would be chosen.
The ZipType specified within the ZIF Editor would be ZIP-07.
ZIP'R / PKZIP v2.0 Parameter Matrix
┌──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
│ 00 > 3 │ 10 > 3(- │ 20 > 3)(+~ │ 30 > )(+~ │
│ 01 > ) │ 11 > 3(~ │ 21 > 3)(-~ │ 31 > )(-~ │
│ 02 > ( │ 12 > 3+- │ 22 > 3)+-~ │ 32 > )(+-~ │
│ 03 > + │ 13 > 3+~ │ 23 > 3(+-~ │ 33 > (+ │
│ 04 > - │ 14 > 3-~ │ 24 > 3)(+-~ │ 34 > (- │
│ 05 > ~ │ 15 > 3)(+ │ 25 > )( │ 35 > (~ │
│ 06 > 3) │ 16 > 3)(- │ 26 > )+ │ 36 > (+- │
│ 07 > 3( │ 17 > 3)(~ │ 27 > )- │ 37 > (+~ │
│ 08 > 3+ │ 18 > 3)+- │ 28 > )~ │ 38 > (-~ │
│ 09 > 3- │ 19 > 3)+~ │ 29 > )(+ │ 39 > (+-~ │
│ 0A > 3~ │ 1A > 3)-~ │ 2A > )(- │ 3A > +- │
│ 0B > 3)( │ 1B > 3(+- │ 2B > )(~ │ 3B > +~ │
│ 0C > 3)+ │ 1C > 3(+~ │ 2C > )+- │ 3C > +-~ │
│ 0D > 3)- │ 1D > 3(-~ │ 2D > )+~ │ 3D > -~ │
│ 0E > 3)~ │ 1E > 3+-~ │ 2E > )-~ │ │
│ 0F > 3(+ │ 1F > 3)(+- │ 2F > )(+- │ │
└──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with DESQview: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R has been tested under DESQview. However, caution is advised since it is
possible under any multitasker to have two or more windows attempting to
compress or decompress the same file at the same time. This scenario can
cause data corruption. The network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE)
has additional features which limit simultaneous access during the compression
and decompression phases. However, due to some quirks when operating under a
multitasker, this system is not 100% fool-proof. Caution and common sense are
advised.
DESQview .DVP Example:
OLD Program...: PW
Parameters:
Directory.: C:\PFS
NEW Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: PW.ZIF
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
If you are a Tame user, copy the files TAME-RES.COM, and TAME.EXE into the
ZIP'R sub-directory. Use the ZIPRTAME.BAT file supplied with ZIP'R to invoke
Page 32
TAME-RES.COM before executing ZIP'R. To run the previous example program, the
.DVP command lines would be changed as shown below:
DESQview .DVP Example (Invoking Tame):
OLD Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: PW.ZIF
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program...: ZIPRTAME
Parameters: ZIPRN PW.ZIF
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
Since ZIPRTAME.BAT is a batch file containing an EXIT statement, you should
also make the following change to your .DVP:
Change a Program Advanced Options
OLD Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [Y]
NEW Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [N]
This change allows control to return to the ZIPRTAME.BAT file after ZIP'R
completes its operation.
ZIPRTAME.BAT is a modified TAME-RUN.BAT batch file containing the proper paths
to TAME-RES.COM and TAME.EXE. Stay tuned! There will be more ZIP'R
enhancements working in combination with Tame.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ DESQview Tips & Techniques: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Allocating about 300K of EMS memory to programs executed through ZIP'R will
allow ZIP'R to swap itself to EMS memory, rather than disk. This speeds up
the swapping process somewhat. If you are already allocating EMS memory to
the program, increasing the amount by 300K will provide extra room for the
swap file.
The opening ZIP'R screen will indicate how much EMS memory is available to
ZIP'R. If this figure is less than 300K, increase the amount of EMS memory
allocated.
Since PKZIP 2.0 can also use EMS memory, additional memory should be set aside
as swap space for PKZIP.
When using ZIPRN (without Tame), you can save about 8K of memory by specifying
the .EXE extension for ZIPRN as shown in the following example:
Page 33
DESQview .DVP Example (Saves about 8K of memory.):
OLD Program...: ZIPRN
Parameters: PW.ZIF
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program...: ZIPRN.EXE
Parameters: PW.ZIF
Directory.: C:\ZIPR
This saves about 8K of memory by allowing DESQview to execute ZIP'R directly,
rather than loading a secondary command processor.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R with Windows: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R is only effective when running DOS programs under Windows. It will NOT
work with Windows specific programs!
ZIP'R has been tested under Windows, but the same cautions that apply to
DESQview apply to Windows. Since Windows is a multitasker, it is possible to
have two or more windows attempting to compress or decompress the same file at
the same time. This scenario can cause data corruption. The
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R (ZIPRN.EXE) has additional features which
limit simultaneous access during the compression and decompression phases.
However, due to some quirks when operating under a multitasker, this system is
not 100% fool-proof. Cuation and common sense are advised.
Windows Program Item Properties Example:
OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: PW
Working Directory: C:\PFS
NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRN PW.ZIF
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
Windows .PIF Example:
OLD Program Filename: PW.COM
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters:
Start-up Directory: C:\PFS
NEW Program Filename: ZIPRN.EXE
Page 34
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: PW.ZIF
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
Tame may also be used in combination with ZIP'R under Windows. If you are a
Tame user, copy the files TAME-RES.COM, and TAME.EXE into the ZIP'R sub-
directory. Use the ZIPRTAME.BAT file supplied with ZIP'R to invoke TAME-
RES.COM before executing ZIP'R. To run the previous example program, the
Windows command lines would be changed as shown below:
Windows Program Item Properties Example (Invoking Tame):
OLD Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRN PW.ZIF
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
NEW Description: PFS Pro-Write
Command Line: ZIPRTAME ZIPRN PW.ZIF
Working Directory: C:\ZIPR
Windows .PIF Example (Invoking Tame):
OLD Program Filename: ZIPRN.EXE
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: PW.ZIF
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
NEW Program Filename: ZIPRTAME.BAT
Window Title: PFS Pro-Write
Optional Parameters: ZIPRN PW.ZIF
Start-up Directory: C:\ZIPR
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R With DoorWay: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R has been tested in combination with DoorWay. However, the command line
structure must be changed slightly. DoorWay requires the .EXE extension to
appear on the command line. An example of an actual DoorWay command line is
as follows:
/P:C:\ZIPR\ZIPR.EXE THEDRAW.ZIF
■───────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Using ZIP'R With Command Line Parameters: │
■───────────────────────────────────────────■
The ZIF Editor was designed to make using ZIP'R fast and easy. Before the ZIF
Editor was introduced, ZIP'R was strictly a command line utility. Although
the majority of ZIP'R users will prefer the format of the .ZIF files, some
users may still want the ability to use ZIP'R from the command line. The
following command line string shows the structure that must be used if ZIP'R
will be executed without accessing a .ZIF file.
ZIPR(N) DRIVE: \PATH ZIPNAME ZIPTYPE FILENAME P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
Page 35
ZIPR(N) - ZIPR should always be the first entry entered on the command
line. All command line entries should be in UPPER CASE, and
should be separated by a single space. If you are using the
network/multitasker version of ZIP'R, this entry should be
ZIPRN.
DRIVE: - This entry should contain the drive letter (with colon) of the
drive containing the program to be executed.
\PATH - This entry should contain the path to the program that will be
executed. (The backslash is required!) Do NOT specify the root
directory, or you could compress your entire hard disk into one
file, which would cause your hard drive to be unbootable.
ZIPNAME - This is the name of the compressed file that will be created or
used by ZIP'R. Normally, this is the sub-directory name, but
this is not a requirement. Do NOT enter an extension after the
ZIPNAME. ZIP'R will automatically append the proper extension,
depending on the type of compression selected. This entry must
be eight characters or less in length.
ZIPTYPE - This entry specifies the type of compression that ZIP'R will
attempt to use. Valid choices are ZIP, ARJ, LHA, SQZ, or NONE.
If NONE is selected, ZIP'R will decompress an existing
compressed file prior to executing the desired program, but will
not compress the directory after the program is exited.
Advanced compression options are explained in the "Advanced
Compression Options" section of this documentation.
FILENAME - This entry should contain the name of the file to be executed.
Do NOT specify an extension. ZIP'R checks for the existence of
a .BAT, .COM, or .EXE file and executes it.
P1 - This entry is optional, and contains the first parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P2 - This entry is optional, and contains the second parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P3 - This entry is optional, and contains the third parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P4 - This entry is optional, and contains the fourth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P5 - This entry is optional, and contains the fifth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P6 - This entry is optional, and contains the sixth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
Page 36
P7 - This entry is optional, and contains the seventh parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
P8 - This entry is optional, and contains the eighth parameter to be
passed to the program being executed.
ZIP'R (Single-User) Examples:
ZIPR C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS SQZ PCSHELL /LCD
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP-07 PCSHELL
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ DESKTOP
ZIPR C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS NONE SI
ZIPR C: \PSDELUXE DELUXE LHA PSD
ZIP'R (Network/Multitasker) Examples:
ZIPRN C: \PFS PFS ZIP PW
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS SQZ PCSHELL /LCD
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ZIP-07 PCSHELL
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS ARJ DESKTOP
ZIPRN C: \PCTOOLS PCTOOLS NONE SI
ZIPRN C: \PSDELUXE DELUXE LHA PSD
Important Note! The first time you use ZIP'R on a specific program, it is
not necessary to compress the directory or directories
first. ZIP'R will automatically compress them AFTER the
program is exited.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ How Effective Is ZIP'R? │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
ZIP'R can save a typical computer user a substantial amount of hard drive
space. Most users have several programs on their hard drives that are seldom
used, but take up a tremendous amount of hard disk real-estate. Rather than
deleting these programs completely, ZIP'R allows these programs to be accessed
when needed, storing them in a compressed form when they are not in use. The
amount of hard drive space saved depends totally on the effectiveness of the
compression program used by ZIP'R. As compression programs improve, so will
the ratios that ZIP'R is able to achieve.
The compression programs used by ZIP'R do not provide "on-the-fly" data
compression. As a result, there is a time delay during the compression and
decompression processes. However, ZIP'R does not require 50K of valuable
memory, either. In addition, ZIP'R does not degrade the performance of the
computer system as the "on-the-fly" data compression programs do.
A performance comparison of the three compression programs currently supported
by ZIP'R is shown in the following table. (Since support for SQZ was recently
added, compression figures are not available at this time.) The test
directory consisted of 33 files, plus a sub-directory which contained an
additional 17 files.
Test Directory Size Using Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0
Page 37
OVERALL
COMPRESSION TYPE BYTES COMPRESSION COMPRESSION
------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Baseline 2,980,853 - -
MS-DOS 2,980,853 0% 0%
New Baseline 2,980,853 - 0%
Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R:
No Compression (NONE) 2,980,853 0% 0%
PKZIP 1.1 Compression (ZIP) 1,536,688 48% 48%
PKZIP 2.0 Compression (ZIP) 1,401,026 53% 53%
LHA Compression (LHA) 1,428,393 52% 52%
ARJ Compression (ARJ) 1,406,625 53% 53%
Test Directory Size Using DR DOS 6.0 (with SuperStor)
OVERALL
COMPRESSION TYPE BYTES COMPRESSION COMPRESSION
------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Baseline 2,980,853 - -
DRDOS w/SuperStor 1,992,704 33% 33%
New Baseline 1,992,704 - 33%
Additional compression obtained using ZIP'R:
No Compression (NONE) 1,992,704 0% 33%
PKZIP 1.1 Compression (ZIP) 1,551,360 22% 48%
PKZIP 2.0 Compression (ZIP) 1,408,512 29% 53%
LHA Compression (LHA) 1,444,864 27% 52%
ARJ Compression (ARJ) 1,423,872 29% 52%
You can see by this table that SuperStor was only achieving an overall
compression ratio of 33%. Using ZIP'R with PKZIP 2.0 allowed an extra 20%
savings on hard drive space!
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Cautions When Using ZIP'R │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Do NOT attempt to use ZIP'R to compress any directories containing files that
are referenced in your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. If you wish to compress
the DOS sub-directory, copy any such files to the root directory of the hard
drive, and update the paths in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. Also be
cautious when compressing directories that contain memory managers, caches,
and utilities that may be needed to boot your machine. These directories may
be compressed, but any files needed for booting the machine must be copied to
the root directory, and the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT paths updated.
Keep in mind that in order to properly decompress a program, there must be
enough free space on the hard drive to contain all the extracted files in
Page 38
addition to the original compressed file. After the files have been
successfully extracted, the compressed file is deleted. Likewise, when
compressing a program, sufficient space must be available for the original
program files and the newly created compressed file. After the compressed
file has been successfully created, the original program files are deleted.
Multitaskers such as DESQview and Windows put additional stress on the disk
I/O systems of the computer. If you have any doubts about the stability of
your system, either don't use ZIP'R in the first place, or use the ARJT option
to force ARJ to verify the integrity of the archive before files are deleted.
When running on a network, or using a multitasker, ZIPRN should be used to
reduce conflicts when compressing and decompressing files.
When upgrading to PKZIP 2.0, test the reliability of the compression and
decompression processes before trusting it with your data! PKZIP 2.0 has some
documented problems with fast machines (486/25 and up) using external CPU
memory caches. Read the troubleshooting section of the PKZIP 2.0
documentation for more information.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Troubleshooting / Common Problems: │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Problem #1:
The most common problem among ZIP'R users is incorrect setup of the .ZIF file
being used. The following list gives some hints and tips for filling in each
field when editing a .ZIF file through the ZIF Editor.
Field Name Hints / Tips
ZIP'R Filename: Make sure that this field contains only characters that can
be used as part of a filename. To find out which
characters may or may not be used as part of a DOS
filename, see your DOS reference manual.
Program Drive: Make sure this field contains the drive of the program to
be executed, even if ZIP'R is located on a different
drive. The ZIF Editor will scan your system to locate all
valid drives, so the program drive should be available in
the drop-down box.
Program Path: Make sure this path is in the format "\PATH". The
backslash (\) should be the FIRST character in this field.
If it is not, the ZIF Editor will prepend a backslash to
reduce the chance of errors when executing this program
through ZIP'R.
Executable File: Do NOT specify the extension of the file to be executed!
ZIP'R will automatically search for a file containing
either a .BAT, .COM, or .EXE extension. If the ZIF Editor
detects that an extension has been added, it will
automatically remove it.
Parameters: Since some programs require case sensitive passed
parameters, the ZIF Editor does not automatically convert
this field to UPPER CASE. Enter any parameters exactly as
you would enter them after the program name, if you were
Page 39
using a DOS command line.
Compression Type: If you want to use an advanced compression option for this
field, make sure that the "Use Advanced Options" checkbox
is checked. This will display an additional set of options
(over 75 more) in the Compression Type list box than when
the "Use Advanced Options" checkbox is not checked.
Comp. Filename: The extension attached to this field should correspond to
the compression program being used. If you aren't sure
what extension to add, don't enter any extension. When you
press [TAB], the ZIF Editor will automatically append the
correct extension for the compression program being used.
Use Adv. Options: Check this field only if you want to use advanced
compression options for ARJ or ZIP. (Currently, there are
no advanced compression options for SQZ or LHA.)
Query Option: Check this field when you want ZIP'R to prompt you before
compressing a program.
Update Option: This option is only available for use when ZIP (or an
advanced ZIP option) is selected as the Compression Type.
If any other option is selected, the Update Option field
will be grayed and disabled.
Use Alternate
Directory For
Compressed File: This checkbox only needs to be checked if the Compressed
File Directory field will not match the Program Directory
field.
Compressed
File Directory: Make sure that this field contains a backslash as the first
character, and that it does not contain a drive
specification such as "C:" or "C:\".
Important Note! This alternate directory MUST be part of
the directory structure of the Program Directory. For
example, if the Program Directory is "\DIR1\DIR2\DIR3", the
Compressed File Directory field can be "\DIR1",
"\DIR1\DIR2", or "\DIR1\DIR2\DIR3", meaning that the
compressed file can be stored in any of the directories
named within the Program Directory field.
Maximum Users: The default for this field is 1. Computer users using the
single-user version of ZIP'R need not modify this field at
all.
Problem #2:
Page 40
If you receive the error message, "Unable to run COMMAND /C ...", you are
probably running DR DOS, and do not have COMMAND.COM available on your path.
For some reason, DR DOS does not copy COMMAND.COM into the \DRDOS sub-
directory at installation time, making it unavailable on the path. The
solution here is simply to copy COMMAND.COM from the root directory into the
\DRDOS sub-directory. Another alternative is to add the root directory to the
PATH= statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
ZIP'R is able to detect if COMMAND.COM cannot be found, and therefore issues a
warning message.
Problem #3:
If ZIP'R won't compress the program's files and sub-directories after it is
exited, check the .ZIF file. If the fields are all correct, check the \ZIPR
sub-directory for any files with a .U00 or .U01 extension. These are token
files created by ZIPRN to track concurrent access to a compressed file.
Normally, these files are deleted when the program is exited. However, if the
computer hangs, these files will not be deleted, and will prevent ZIP'R from
compressing the program's files and sub-directories. The filename should
match the ZipName given on the .ZIF editing screen. To make ZIP'R operate
correctly, make sure that the program is not being accessed, and delete either
or both of these files from the \ZIPR sub-directory.
Problem #4
If ZIP'R will not recognize your registration name and number and continues to
issue "UNREGISTERED" messages on the prelog and epilog screens, check the file
ZIPR.INI. If you manually edited this file without using the ZIF Editor, it
is possible the text editor you were using allowed additional spaces to be
saved at the end of both the registration name and number. To solve this
problem, use the ZIF Editor to modify these entries. The ZIF Editor makes
sure that all extra spaces are trimmed before saving these fields to the .ZIF
file. If you cannot use the ZIF Editor, use a text editor that allows you to
view and trim any extra spaces, or use a text editor that automatically trims
extraneous spaces from the end of a line.
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Questions And Answers │
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
Question #1: Why does ".ZIF" need to be placed at the end of the ZIF
filename on the ZIP'R command line?
Answer: ZIP'R was originally written as a command line utility. While
many users will prefer to maintain their programs through the
ZIF Editor, others may still want the flexibility of
continuing to use ZIP'R as a command line utility. In order
to satisfy both types of users, ZIP'R has the ability to
recognize .ZIF files AND normal command line parameters. The
only catch is that ZIP'R needs to find a .ZIF extension to
know that it should search for a .ZIF file. Otherwise, ZIP'R
will try to interpret the filename as a normal command line
parameter. Basically, if you want to use the ZIF Editor, make
sure that all of your ZIP'R command lines end with ".ZIF".
Question #2: How can I load and/or unload TSR (Terminate and Stay-Resident)
programs when using ZIP'R?
Page 41
Answer: It is very important that you do NOT attempt to use a .IN
and/or a .OUT file to invoke or remove TSR's from memory.
This is virtually guaranteed to cause conflicts with ZIP'R.
If you need to invoke a TSR before running a program, or
remove one after exiting a program, a batch file should be
used.
I recently purchase a U.S. Robotics v.32bis FAX Modem and use
the FAX program BLAST FAX PC made by U.S. Robotics. In order
to send out a FAX, BLAST FAX PC requires that a TSR called
"MFAX" be loaded. Rather than leave this TSR in memory all
the time, I prefer to load it before executing BLAST FAX PC,
and unload it after exiting from BLAST FAX PC. Unfortunately,
attempting to load this TSR through the ZIP'R .IN file causes
strange behavior by my computer. To remedy this situation, I
recommend that users set up a batch file that loads the TSR,
executes the program, and unloads the TSR after exiting from
the program.
For BLAST FAX PC, the batch file I created is shown below:
MFAX
FAX
MFAX /r
This type of batch file will reduce the potential for
conflicts with ZIP'R and TSR's.
Question #3: Can ZIP'R leave a program uncompressed after it has been
previously compressed with ZIP'R?
Answer: Yes! Simply specify "NONE" as the Compression Type. When
ZIP'R attempts to execute the program, it will decompress it
as normal, but once it is exited, it will not attempt to
recompress it.
Another alternative for leaving a program uncompressed is to
use the "Query" option. This allows users to decide if a
program should be compressed "on-the-fly".
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
│ Programs Mentioned │
Page 42
■─────────────────────────────────────────■
386MAX is copyrighted by Qualitas.
ARJ is copyrighted by Robert K Jung.
AutoMenu is copyrighted by Magee Enterprises.
BLAST FAX PC is copyrighted by U.S. Robotics, Inc.
DESQview is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems.
DoorWay is copyrighted by Marshall Dudley.
DR DOS is copyrighted by Digital Research Inc.
LHA is copyrighted by Haruyasu Yoshizaki.
MS-DOS is copyrighted by Microsoft.
PKZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc.
PKUNZIP is copyrighted by PKWARE, Inc.
QEMM is copyrighted by Quarterdeck Office Systems.
QuikMenu is copyrighted by OSCS Software Development, Inc.
SQZ is copyrighted by Jonas I Hammarberg.
Stacker is copyrighted by Stac Electronics, Inc.
SuperStor is copyrighted by AddStor, Inc.
Tame is copyrighted by PowerSoft, Inc. and David G. Thomas.
Windows is copyrighted by Microsoft.
Stevenson Technical Services, Inc. (STSI)
108 Second Avenue West
Page 43
Bertha, MN 56437-0297
Phone: (218) 924-2050
FAX: (218) 924-2050 (Ext. 11)
The Bertha BBS: (218) 924-2060, N,8,1
ZIP'R 4.1 Registration Form
Qty Description Price Each Total
_____ ZIP'R 4.1 Single-User Registration $39.95 ________
Includes Printed Manual, 3 1/2" & 5 1/4" Diskettes
_____ ZIP'R 4.1 Network Registration (Users? ____) _______ ________
(Same price breaks apply for site-licensing!)
┌────────────┬─────────────┐ ┌────────────┬─────────────┐
│ # of Users │ Price │ │ # of Users │ Price │
├────────────┼─────────────┤ ├────────────┼─────────────┤
│ 5 │ $100.00 │ │ 50 │ $400.00 │
│ 10 │ $200.00 │ │ 100 │ $500.00 │
│ 20 │ $300.00 │ │ More? │ CALL │
└────────────┴─────────────┘ └────────────┴─────────────┘
_____ Additional Copies of Printed Manual $10.00 ________
Sub-Total: ________
Minnesota Residents Add 6.5% Sales Tax: ________
Shipping/Handling (USA/Canada = $5.00, Foreign Orders = $12.50): ________
Total: ________
Name: ___________________________________ Title: ______________________
Company: __________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________ City: ____________________________
State: ___________ Zip Code: _______________ Phone: ___________________
Please Register ZIP'R To This Name: _______________________________________
Method of Payment: ___ Visa/MC ___ American Express ___ Discover
___ Check/Money Order Enclosed
(Checks/MO's must be in U.S. Funds drawn on a U.S. Bank!)
Credit Card #: __________________________________ Expiration Date: ___/___
Name on Card: _______________________ Signature: _________________________
Comments / Suggestions: ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Please take a minute to answer the following questions. Your answers
will assist us in improving and marketing ZIP'R.
Page 44
(Check all that apply.)
Where did you hear about ZIP'R?
[ ] BBS [ ] Catalog/Magazine [ ] Friend/Relative [ ] Other
What operating systems / environments do you use?
[ ] DOS [ ] Windows [ ] DESQview/DESQview/X [ ] OS/2
What do you use ZIP'R for?
[ ] Business Applications [ ] Games [ ] Other _________________
What compression program(s) are you using?
[ ] ARJ [ ] LHA [ ] SQZ [ ] ZIP
Would you be interested in seeing ZIP'R work on Windows-specific programs?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Doesn't Matter
Why are you registering ZIP'R?
[ ] I'm honest by nature.
[ ] The prelog and epilog delays are so annoying!
[ ] I wanted the extra features only available to registered users.
What feature(s) do you like the most about ZIP'R? _______________________
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What feature(s) would you like to see added to ZIP'R? ___________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Additional Comments: ____________________________________________________
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May We Quote You? [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Doesn't Matter
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