STZIP
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STZip version 2.6
(c) Vincent Pomey 1990-1994
**************
* 0 - Prolog *
**************
STZip is a program that allows you to compress and decompress
files, i.e. to reduce their lengths. You saves space on your disks and
reduce the transmission time if you send the files by modem. It also
allows you to group several files in one single file, whose extension
in general is ZIP.
STZip uses files that are compatible with PKZip 2.04 on the IBM PC,
and the Unix Info-Zip programs Zip 1.9/Unzip 5.0.
You may copy this program and put it for download on bulletin
boards. Commercial use and distribution (that includes putting STZip or
self extracting files made by STZip on anything that is sold for more
than the cost of the disk and handling charges) is not authorized without
agreement of the author. You use this program at your own risk, there
is no warranty.
Please avoid to "repackage" STZip, I prefer than the users gets all
the files originally in the distribution.
This is postcardware : if you use it, please register by sending a
postcard to
Vincent Pomey
2 all‚e Val‚ry Larbaud
92260 Fontenay aux roses - France
I inform registered users of new versions if they supply an E-mail
address. Thanks to all users who were kind enough to register !
The program is written in Modula-2 and assembler. For information
on the file format, see the APPNOTE.TXT file distributed with PKZip from
PKWARE. It explains the directory structure of a ZIP file, and the
decompression algorithm.
I can be reached via electronic mail :
Fido : Vincent Pomey (2:324/101.10)
Email : vincent@stell.frmug.fr.net (please do not send large mails)
As you will probably see if you read this doc, I'm not a good
technical writer... Sorry for that !
----oooOooo---
There are several ways to use STZip:
- double-clicking STZIP.PRG, using the GEM-interface
- installing it as an application in the desktop: click once on
STZIP.PRG, choose from the Desktop's menus the entry "Install
Application," type ZIP and confirm. After this, you may save the
desktop. Now, to use ZIP you only have to double-click a file with the
extension .ZIP and you will find yourself in STZip, with GEM interface
for using that file.
- renaming STZIP.PRG to STZIP.TTP and using it (or ZIPJR.TTP)
with a command line.
- from a command line interpreter or external program, also using
a command line.
- with some desktops, it is possible to drag and drop a file to
the STZip icon. If this is a zipfile, it will be opened. If not, a
zipfile with a similar name (e.g. FLAP.ZIP if you dropped FLAP.PRG)
will be opened.
The usage with the GEM interface is the easiest. Certain options are
available only in GEM (the comments for example), while others are only
present with command-line usage (e.g. excluding files from compression).
ZIPJR.TTP is a stripped down version of STZIP : it does not have code
for the GEM interface, but features are exactly the same if you're
using the command line interface. The only advantage is that it is
smaller.
*********************************
* I - Usage with a command line *
*********************************
The usage of STZip with a command line is similar to that of ARC or LHArc
on the Atari, or PKZip on the PC.
1 - A Table
------------
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| The syntax is of the form: |
| |
| STZip command {options} [path] zipfile {file} |
| |
| |
| There has to be one single command: |
| |
| -a add files |
| -d delete files |
| -f freshen: update files in the zip-file |
| -u update: add new files and freshen the ones already |
| present in the zip-file |
| -x extract files |
| -s extract compressed files on the screen |
| -c check the zipfile |
| -v list of the files with info |
| -l list of the files, just with their names |
| -? a bit of help |
| |
| |
| You can also add a few options: |
| |
| -o overwrite a file without asking for confirmation |
| if the file already exists |
| -r `recursive compression: all the files in the |
| sub-directories you selected will also be compressed. |
| `recursive decompression: files compressed from sub- |
| directories will be decompressed in the corresponding |
| folders, which will be created if they don't exist. |
| -p store pathname: the pathname of the file you have |
| specified in the command line is stored in the zip; |
| automatic with recursive compression |
| -m move file: files are deleted after compression |
| -t the date of the .zip file will be that of the file |
| compressed with the most recent date. |
| -z modify the general comment for the zip file |
| -i dir put the files to be compressed in the subdirectory |
| DIR in the zipfile |
| -b dir use dir when writing tempo files |
| -g extract the file FFF.ZIP in the directory FFF |
| -w pw encrypt the files to be added using pw as password |
| or use pw to decrypt the files to be extracted |
| -nmmddyy add only the files newer than mm/dd/yy (US date format)|
| -h wait for keypress before terminating the program |
| -k filenames are case insensitive when using MiNT |
| -q quiet - suppress all output |
| -e specifies the compression method: |
| -es store, no compression |
| -eh shrink, quick compression |
| -ei implode, default |
| -ed deflate, better compression |
| |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
Note that you can use the -z option alone, without any command. STZip
will only ask you for the new comment of the file.
The -k option is only useful if you use MiNT. Filenames are
case-insensitive if you don't use MiNT.
2 - The command line
--------------------
You can specify the folder that is to be used as a default for all
operations after the commands and the options: for example d:\texts\.
Note the \ at the end.
Following that, the name of the zipfile, that will contain (or already
contains) compressed files, must be specified. The extension .ZIP is the
default. You may use wildcards for the zipfile (but be sure that your
shell doesn't expand them because it won't work) : all the matching
zipfiles will be processed .
e.g. stzip -xg *.zip this will extract all the zip files in their directory
or stzip -z *.zip <comment.txt this will change the zip comments for all
the zipfiles. (note that -z may now be used alone, without any action
switch).
After all this, you put the list of files to be processed (i.e.: to be
deleted, compressed or decompressed). It may be a directory name (without
trailing \), all files inside that directory will be processed.
You may use the wildcards ? and * in the names of files:
? represents any single character
* represents a string of characters
Not specifying any file names is the same as *.* (all files).
3 - External list
-----------------
If a name begins with a @, it means that that file contains a list
of files to be treated. If you have a file list.txt containing for
example:
*.mod
zip*.txt
file1.vdt
then stzip -a burp @list.txt is equivalent to
stzip -a burp *.mod zip*.txt file1.vdt
stzip -a burp @ will read the names of the file from stdin
(generally keyboard).
4 - Excluding files
--------------------
If a name begins with a ~, it means that it is NOT to be added. It is
solely of interest when one uses wildcards; for example, to compress
all files except .BAK, you have to use something like this: stzip -a burp
*.* ~*.bak
5 - Odds & Ends
---------------
An external list may contains another external list, but not ~
file names. The ~ file names of the command line are valid for all
files, including the ones read from external lists.
Matching wildcards goes MS-DOS style, not the Unix way: *.* matches
all files, and not only those that have a . in their name. Paths using '..'
are not supported.
The -p switch:
If you run stzip -ap burp folder\alt.txt, the name of the file in the zip
will be folder\alt.txt, while without the -p switch, it would have been
alt.txt. The -p switch is automatically invoked during recursive
compression.
The -b switch:
When updating a zipfile, STZip writes a temporary copy of that zipfile
named __TMP__.ZIP, works on it and then renames it to the original
zipfile. This tempo file is located on the same directory than the
original zip. However, you may want to change that if you're working
on a nearly full partition or on a floppy. Use the -b switch to
change the directory for tempo files.
Note however that seting tempo files to a partition different of the
one of the zipfile introduce delay (file copy is slower than renaming).
This is why environment variables likes TMP or TMPDIR are ignored.
You can set frequently used options in command lines in an
environnement variable named STZIP_OPT. STZip will simply add that
variable at the beginning of the command line.
e.g. setenv STZIP_OPT -k
so that STZip will always be in case insensitive mode.
Using STZip with the command line interface, long filenames
available with alternate filesystems (MiNT feature) are supported, as
well as case sensitive names.
A little trick : suppose you're in directory C:\, want to
create a zipfile C:\BURP.ZIP contained C:\FILES\DEMO\*.TXT, but stored
as DEMO\*.TXT in the zipfile. Use the path feature :
stzip -a burp.zip c:\files\ demo\*.txt
6 - Recursive compression
-------------------------
If you have entered the -r option for compression, an important
thing will happen: the files you specify will also be searched for in all
sub-directories below you.
The second attempt at explaining will be based on examples, the
first one being incomprehensible without several hours of meditation
topped off with a bunch of aspirins.
An important thing to note is that if STZip doesn't do want
you want, either compression or extraction, that's probably because
you have forgotten to add the -r switch.
(In order to better understand the second attempt, remember that
folders do not actually exist within a zip-file. It's the path of the
files (stored in the .zip) that contains the names of the folders)
fld is a folder.
...\ stands for any quantity of folders, or even none.
* stzip -ar burp
All the files in the current folder will be compressed, including
sub-directories.
* stzip -ar burp fld
The files fld\...\*.* will be compressed. The name fld\...\*.* is
stored in the zip file. To recap: all the files in fld are compressed,
including all the subdirectories found in fld.
* stzip -ar burp fld\*.txt
The files fld\...\*.txt will be compressed. The names
fld\...\*.txt are stored in the zip file. To recap: all the files with the
extension txt in fld are compressed, including all those found in the
subdirectories found in fld.
* stzip -ar burp fld\file.txt
The files fld\...\file.txt will be compressed. The names
fld\...\file.txt are stored in the zip file. To recap: all the files with
the name file.txt in fld are compressed, including all those found in the
subdirectories found in fld.
* stzip -ar burp c:\fld
The files c:\fld\...\*.* will be compressed. The names \...\*.*
are stored in the zip file. This means that c:\fld\ will NOT be stored as
part of the file names of the compressed files, because it is a COMPLETE
path, different from fld\.
Also, by using the changing of the working directory (of the kind
stzip -ar burp c:\fld1\ fld2\*.txt) it is possible to perform all sorts of
complex manipulations with the names of the files to be compressed. In the
above example, the files with the extension txt in c:\fld1\fld2 will be
compressed, but their names in the zip-file will be fld2\*.txt.
No tests are performed EVER on the names of folders.
stzip -ar burp *.txt will search in all directories, not only in those
with the extension txt!
Some Unix-style shells perform themselves the substitutions of the
wildcards. STZip does not respond similarly to
'stzip -ar burp fld\a.txt fld\b.txt' and
'stzip -ar burp fld\*.txt' even though for the shell this may be the same.
In this case, it is therefore necessary to add quotation marks to
fld\*.txt so that the shell will not substitute the wildcards. Likewise,
the ~ character may pose problems.
7 - Recursive decompression
---------------------------
If a zip file contains folders, there are two possibilities:
- ignore them and decompress to the current working directory (which is
the default). This allows for the quick decompression of a specific
file without creating lots of folders.
- or decompress the files to these folders and create the folders when
necessary. For this, use option -r.
You can always add paths and use wildcards in the filenames. If you
specify in the parameters a name with a path, for example infra\*.msg,
then all *.msg files in infra AND in its subdirectories will be extracted.
8 - Comments
------------
The global comment for the entire zip file (changed with the -z
switch) is displayed every time the zipfile is accessed. In Gem, it is
also possible to have a comment for each files in the zipfile, it is
displayed when the file is extracted.
********************************
* II - Using the GEM interface *
********************************
1 - General
-----------
If you started STZip normally from Gem (without parameters, droping or
double-clicking on a zip file), STZip will show you a file selector,
asking for a zipfile. You can select an existing one (for extraction or
update) or a new one, STZip will create it. If you just type Return,
STZip will open DEFAULT.ZIP (or create it if it doesn't exist).
The general algorithm is to select files on the disk selector and then
click on the "Compress" button if you want to compress files, and select
files on the zipfile selector and then click on the "Extract" button if
you want to extract files.
If you click on the "Compress" or "Extract" button without having
selected any files, STZip will suggest you to process all the files.
You may unselect all the files by clicking on the "Select: 000" button (it
shows the number of selected files).
Some text shows you at the botton of the window the size of all
selected files in the zip or disk selector. You can swap from zip
selected size to disk selected size by clicking on that text.
To change the zipfile, click on the close-box of the Zip file selector.
The "Recurse Subdirs" button:
during compression, if it is selected, then all subdirectories will
also be compressed.
during decompression, if it is selected, then all files will be
extracted to their original directory : DIR\FILE.TXT will be extracted
in directory DIR (created if it doesn't exist). If not selected,
DIR\FILE.TXT will be extracted as FILE.TXT, in the current directory.
2 - Informations/Comments
-------------------------
To get information about the entire zip file, you have to double-click
on name of the zip file.
Similarly, you may get information about a specific file in the zip or
on the disk by double-clicking on its name.
Information about the zipfile and the compression files contains some
comments, and you may edit them. Zipfile comments are displayed
whenever accessing the zipfile, while comments specific to a compressed
file is displayed when extracting this file. The comments are saved on
disk when you change the zipfile or when you quit STZip. This results in
some disk access.
While looking the information of a disk file, you may rename it.
In the zipfile contents box, a point just before the file name means that
there is a comment attached to that file.
3 - File display
----------------
While looking the information of a file (compressed or on disk), you
will be able to Display it (by clicking on the Trash button, uhh no,
the Display button). A new window will appear. Then, a few keys are
available :
arrow keys : Move the text
Clr-Home : Goto beginning of the file
Shift-Clr-Home : Goto end of the file
Ctrl-V : Copy the file to the clipboard
Ctrl-S : Save the file (will ask for filename)
Ctrl-C : Change the font or the font-size used
Ctrl-F : Search a string
Ctrl-G : Search same string
Ctrl-P : Print file
Ctrl-R : Print block
Ctrl-B : Save block (will ask for filename)
Ctrl-W : Copy the block to the clipboard
ESC : Quit the display mode
It is also possible to get a menus with those options by pressing the
HELP key or by double-clicking in the window.
The block is selected by using the mouse : clicking on the first button
sets the beginning of the block, clicking on the second button sets the
end of the block. The block is displayed in bold fonts.
Picture Display :
STZip will call a picture viewer that support the image format is
one is found.
4 - Configuration
-----------------
The Configuration dialog box lets you choose the compression
method, the sort method for the Zip selector and the Disk selector,
The configuration file STZIP.CFG contains all those choice,
plus the current disk path and list field (the mask for the compressed
files to be listed), as well as the Font ID, Font Size and Tab Size
used while displaying files. It is saved in the home directory of
STZip.
On later call, STZip will go in the directory where you were
when you saved the configuration. That way it will always start listing
the files of the same directory. Since you may not like that, an option
disable this and STZip stays in the current directory ("Go in current dir
rather than saved dir").
Note that the configuration file is used _only_ when using the
GEM interface. It is not read when STZip is called with a command line.
On TOS < 1.4, the configuration file will be loaded and saved
in the current directory. This is not very clever but it is because the
shel_find function doesn't work on old TOS.
On newer TOS, the configuration file -if it exists- will be
loaded from the directory where STZIP.PRG is, and be written at the
same place. But if there is no configuration file there when you start
STZip, it will be saved in the current directory. That's why there is a
dummy configuration file in the distribution archive : if you put it
with STZIP.PRG, the configuration file will be always written in the
directory where STZIP.PRG is.
The tempo directory is where STZip writes the backup of the zipfile
he is currently updating. If none specified, it is the directory where
the zipfile is. See detailed explanations in section I-5 "-b switch".
5 - Odds & Ends
---------------
It is possible to create a subdir in the zipfile or on the disk.
The program will ask you what you want when you click on "Create Subdir".
Note that a subdir in a zipfile only exists if you put files in it. If
you do not compress anything in it, the created subdir will not appear
in the zipfile.
*****************************
* III - Third part of the doc
*****************************
1 - Compression method
----------------------
The best compression method is _deflating_. It is quite
recent, but is now available in PKZIP 2.04 and upper on PC, and in
Zip 1.9/Unzip 5.0 on Unix (and Amigas etc).
The deflating method has three variants : one that compress
faster but not so good, one medium, and one which compress best but
slowly. There are buttons to select the one you want in Gem (Config
dialog box). Using a command line, -edf gives you the fast one, -edb
the best one, and -ed the medium.
The default compression method is the medium deflating.
_Shrinking_ is an very fast compression method, but not as good
as deflating or imploding. _Storing_ simply stores the files without
compression. You may use that if the files are uncompressible (already
compressed files or compressed pictures such as GIF or JPEG files).
_Imploding_ is an old compression method, now considered as
obsolete since deflating is better. You may still use it if you want that
your files may be extracted using old versions of STZip.
STZip checks if the file to be compressed has been already
compressed using ARC, LHARC, ZIP, ZOO, freeze, compress, PfxPack, Ice
or Atom. That way, you won't loose time or space trying to compress
files that would give bad or no compression at all (not speaking of
growing in size, which is possible with the Implode method).
2 - Updating and freshening
---------------------------
These options allows to add a file you specified (in the command
line) or selected (in Gem) only if it is needed :
-Freshening : only specified files that are already in the zip and are
newer than those in the zip will be added.
-Updating : only specified files that are already in the zip and are
newer than those in the zip, _AND_ the specified files that are
not in the zipfile will be added.
-Using a date line : only the files changed after the specified date will
be added.
To use those features in Gem, click on the 'Add Mode' box, and select what you
want.
To use those features in a command line,
freshening is -f : stzip -f backup *.c
updating is -u : stzip -u galery *.gif
date line is -t : stzip -a -t011692 fip *.prg
Will add all *.prg files created or changed after Janury 16th 1992.
Note the US date format !
3 - Self extracting files
-------------------------
You may use ZIP2TOS.PRG to convert a zip file to a .TOS program which
will contains the compressed files and will extract them when launched.
Without parameters, you will be prompted for the file to convert. You may
also calls it with the zipfile names in parameters, from the desktop (drag
a file) or a shell (zip2tos *.zip)
A self extracting file should contains _only_ deflating or stored files. It
will be unable to explode or unshrink files. This is _not_ checked when
ZIP2TOS does the conversion.
A self extracting file may be used as a normal zip file. Using STZip >1.3,
you will be able to change the comments, list, extract, add or delete
compressed files in the self extracting file.
When creating a self extracting file, you may choose if the self
extracting file will overwrite files during extraction without asking.
Answer Yes to the question in Gem, or use the -o switch in command line
if you want that.
4 - Encryption
--------------
A compressed file inside a zip may be crypted. STZip use the same
algorithm as PKZIP, and also support the slighly different method used
in the Unix versions of Zip/Unzip.
You may specify a password using the -w switch when using the command
line interface, or by clicking in the "Crypt box" in the Gem interface.
The files to be compressed will be encrypted using that password.
That password will be also used when extracting files. If you forgot
to specify it and STZip encounter a crypted file, it will prompt you.
(i.e. : if you compress files using password BURP and extract them
without leaving STZip, STZip won't prompt you for the password since it
still has BURP in mind).
STZip is also able to tell you if the password supplied for extracting a
file is wrong. Note that the password is not stored in the file (would be
stupid!), STZip uses some techniques to see if the beginning of the file
extracts correctly with the supplied password.
5 - Return codes from command line mode
---------------------------------------
1 : not enough memory
2 : file not found
3 : illegal option
4 : two actions specified
5 : no zip file specified
6 : no command specified
7 : error reading
8 : this file is not a zip file
9 : error writing
11 : warning during extraction (read/write error, CRC error ...)
12 : warning during compression
13 : error while copying tempo zip file to original zip
(file __TMP__.ZIP may however be a correct zipfile)
100 : Function not implemented
6 - Limitations
---------------
The number of files in a zip is maximum 65536.
7 - The End
-----------
Thanks to H. Okumura for his help with the 'sliding dictionary'
compression and to Philippe Regnauld for the STZIP logo in GEM.
Have fun using it !
Vincent Pomey, 28 April 1990, 13 April 1991.
Translation by Peter Kocourek, 25 July 1991.
Updated, 27 December 1992, 13 Febrary 1993, 30 April 1993,
2 April 1994
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