!Zipper v1.11

This is a simple front end to the Info-Zip absolute executables (ouch!) produced
by Karl Davies and Sergio Monesi for the Acorn, since I couldn't find one on the
various Acorn software archives I decided just to knock up a quick one for speed
of use. It can compress and decompress files into Zip archives, it also provides
for the use of the funzip executable to decompress GZip (gz) files.

Please email me at rab2@doc.ic.ac.uk or protronics@comports.com with any reports
of bugs, suggestions, credit card details (!) and the like.

-----INSTALLING------------------------------------------------------------
Firstly copy this directory out of the archive and to somewhere useful on
your harddisc (will work on floppy but may be slow!)

I've included the InfoZip executables (in this release), but if you have
a newer version, just decompress them into the Zip subdirectory (within
Zipper).

If you want to put the the InfoZip executables somewhere else (e.g.
Boot:Library) change !Boot to point to the directory concerned and
comment out the Set Run$Path line if you don't want it to put the
zip executables into your runpath.

-----USING-----------------------------------------------------------------
To zip up some files, load !Zipper and open up the window, drag a file or
a collection of files to the window and drop them in it (they will be added
to the Input Fields window). Now take the Zip File icon and drag it to
a Filer window, now click OK. A Task Window will pop up and compress the
files for you. (If you accidentally enter a file,  or you want to compress
some different files, click over the middle mouse button over a filename
or anywhere in the window and select Delete 'filename' or Delete All Files)
Compression ratio defaults to Maximum but you can set it from the options
window, from the Iconbar.

To unzip, either load up !Zipper from cold or click Delete All the files
and then drag a Zip archive (type &DDC) to the main window (or the icon
bar), this will load the zip archive listing.
You can now either drag a line from the Input Files window (which will
become a file to drag to a filer window) to copy individual files,
or you can drag the directory icon to a Filer window and click OK.
This will decompress all of the files in the archive to that directory
(please note - it will not create it's own directory).

If you want to decompress a Gzip file, set it's type to &020 (GZip) and
double click on it. This will decompress the file - if the source filename
was of the form blah/ext (e.g. doom/tgz) then the extension part will be
removed for the destination filename (i.e. doom) but if there is no extension,
then a ! is added to the start of the file (e.g. doom -> !doom). You should
check that these files don't already exist (since they'll be overwritten!).

-----NOTES ON USE----------------------------------------------------------
The types assigned to files for unzipping is taken from the table of
file extensions mapped to Acorn filetypes given by DOSFS's DOSMAP command
- adding new extensions is a simple "DOSMAP ext filetype" away, and
InfoZip should recognise the new filetype on the next archive load.
Both Zip and Spark include the RiscOS filetype when Zipping, !Zipper
now ignores files that it can't find a DOS filetype for, allowing zip
to set it to what it wants, this means that the filetypes from your
RiscOS archives should come out unscathed.

In terms of larger ZIP files, I have expanded the number of files possible
for decompression to 400 (individually), this simply means that any further
ZIP entries will be ignored in the front end - but they WILL be decompressed
if you unzip the whole archive. To compress large numbers of files, simply
drag directories containing the files to Zipper and this will be counted
as one file!

When you zip or unzip files, your current directory will be changed to
that of the last directory/file (zip) or the archive directory (unzip).

Zip/Unzip generally work well with Long Filenames2 (get the module from
http://www.tribbeck.com/) and unlike !SparkPlug it does preserve them when
Zipping and Unzipping!.

-----COMPATIBILITY---------------------------------------------------------
I have tested with the InfoZip executables as of 27th April 1996
any newer versions SHOULD work since I havn't done anything
particularly weird or naughty in the manipulation of the executables

-----THIS IS FREEWARE, Well sort of! --------------------------------------

As  freeware, please don't muck  about with the  program, supply  any editions
'as is', with no charge being made for the software itself (apart from maybe
a SMALL copying charge) the ZIP executables (if included) can be distributed
seperately (and I have no problem with them being distributed together!) under
the conditions set out in the InfoZip readme file.

This should run straight away on most RISC OS machines, if there are any problems
please do tell me ('cos I can only test on RISC OS 3.6 and 3.7) and I will do my
best to correct them. I don't know if it will run on RISC OS 2 but I don't
see any reason why it shouldn't.

As this is only v1.11 please don't expect anything totally brilliant, it works
OK and hasn't crashed my machine yet (at release level anyway) but it does need
a large scale rethink at some point. I just need to find the time.... :-)

Please don't use it for anything illegal or anything like that, I make no
guarantees as to the functionality or availablilty of this software
i.e. if your HardDisc explodes as a result of using it, IT'S NOT MY FAULT.
but mail me and let me know about this if you have any problems or suggestions.

if you can't get access to e-mail
I am at 'snail mail' at :
   11 Purcells Avenue
   Edgware
   Middlesex
   HA8 8DR
   
but it's very slow and I only pop home there at weekends so don't expect
any miracles on that front!


History (i.e. what I think is clever in this version) :

v1.00 (10/1/97)
  Conditions on Window Re-Open & Redraw (doesn't update unless it really has to)
  Drag a sprite implemented (all three lines of it!)
  Wrote the outline code!
  Currently only does compression - Use sparkplug to decompress for the moment
  Input files are listed as leafname only

v1.01 (13/1/97)
  OK it's only three days since the last one but hey!
  Now is called !InfoZip 'cos PKZip was copyright PKWare
  Doesn't store the preceding directory structure - uses Dir to select
    directories containing thingies to be compressed
  Switches on Hourglass during Zipping
  Have corrected it so that it actually packs directories and applications
  Have corrected error where initial prompts disappeared - was due to a small
    error with string termination.
  Have got a StrongARM (not arf mate!) so it might be compatible.
  Have called it v1.01 to impress people of the mammoth progress I make.
  
v1.02 (18/2/97)
  Is definately SA compatible!
  Set up funzip to automatically unzip GZip(&020) typed files from 'filename'
  to 'filename_' on a double click (only change in !Run though)
  Implemented Delete option for all files AND single files
  Now runs in a TaskWindow, and displays a nice friendly message to tell you
  to close it when it has finished.
  Started to look for places to distribute from...

v1.03 (27/3/97)
  Renamed to !Zipper to avoid confusion with the InfoZip programs themselves
  Added selectable compression ratio
  Started to panic about exams so stopped there and went to bed.

v1.10 (08/1/98)
  Corrected some bugs
  Fixed Mode-Changing to position pane window correctly
  Added Unzipping of files using either dragging of files
    or full archive decompression (with OK button)
  Increased File capacity (more memory for items in zipfile)
  Tidied up windows so they look better in System Font
  Wimpslot now 144kb, not much really?!

v1.11 (04/09/98)
  Added Save button to Settings window to save Configuration to Config file
  Reads Config file when Zipper is loaded
  Fixed configuration bug (ignoring 'Guess DOS filetype' box)
  Ignores type of files which it can't DOS filetype

Bugs to be corrected/Features to be added :

  Use ZIP more efficiently (less hopping around directories)
  Check handling of /gz filenames before blindly selecting filename
  Revert windows to a more intuative interface (possibly filer-like?)
  Change from Task Window to a graphical update (with Progress indicator bar)
  Use a more sensible method of using memory (use heap or dynamic areas)
  Encryption options and other options to be added
  Usage of Info-Zip in RAM to speed up execution
  Resizes window when files are deleted
  Projected estimates of Zip file size
  Resizable main window
  More info on compression statistics (results)
  Rewrite in a nice language (I'm becoming alergic to BASIC)
  
More Work!, Work!, Work!  

See You all Later!
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Barber             protronics@comports.com
rab2@doc.ic.ac.uk          http://www.comports.com/protronics/
         08/01/98          Ephesians 3:14-19
