Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!deimos.cis.ksu.edu!atanasoff!atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu!jwright
From: jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Amiga zip
Message-ID: <1492@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu>
Date: 10 Sep 89 15:44:01 GMT
Sender: jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu
Reply-To: jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright)
Organization: Iowa State U. Computer Science Department, Ames, IA
Lines: 98

Here is a bit of information on the status of the Amiga version of the
zip archiving program.  Summary: don't hold your breath...


Date: 16-Aug-89  03:20 PM
From: Sysop
  To: Harvey Harbicht (X)

As far as Amiga PKZIP is concerned, I am still plodding along.  Everything
boils down to time and my desire to keep improving things.  For the last
month, I have been down-sizing the program.  I have eliminated about a third
of the code but have greatly increased the functionality and error handling
functions.  I have improved the appearance of the program which required that
I move to a custom screen rather than opening ZIP on the main workbench
screen.  This required alot of additional support for user defined colors etc.

I really do not want to predict when ZIP will be out!  The offical V1.0 of the
IBM ZIP is not out yet so there is still plenty of time to make changes.  I
have much to do to add support for data compression and decompression but this
work is proceeding.  Since I did not make my last deadline (due to computer
changes and problems), I do not want to make any suggestions other than it
would make a very nice Christmas present for all of you.  Hopefully, I will
not be saying it will make a very nice Easter present!

Perhaps it will not be necessary for any additional routines to support Amiga
ZIP.  I plan to implement an AREXX interface very soon so it can be driven
externally by sysops.  Wait and see.

Dennis

Date: 19-Aug-89  09:57 AM
From: Leo Garvey
  To: Sysop (X)

I take it I replying to whoever does all of those "PK" utilities?  A quick
question.  What is the big deal about ZIP?

I have unzip'd a few files, but I have to rename them to their proper names
because they seem to only take about 8 characters for a name.  Users have
started to u/l zip versions of files to my bbs.  I banned all zip versions due
to the inconvinience.  Zoo appears to be the compactor of choice with long
file names, subdirectories, and listing abilities.  I zoo'd a few zip files
(after inzipping of course) and the difference in size wasn,t appreciably
different.  What gives?

Date: 20-Aug-89  05:08 PM
From: Sysop
  To: Leo Garvey (X)

Leo, yes, I am one of the programmers behind ZIP.  I am working on the Amiga
version for PKWare.

As far as the files you have seen that have been zipped, you are seeing IBM
created zip files.  People that have both IBMs and Amigas are using the IBM
ZIP to create or repackage Amiga files.  Because they use the IBM version,
they are limited to 8 character filenames and 3 letter extentions.  This is
not an inherent limit in ZIP, just a limit in MS-DOS at this time.

In all versions of ZIP, there can be filenames of unlimited length.  In
addition, each file can have a filenote attached to it to help explain what it
is.  When MS-DOS can support long filenames, the IBM version will be able to
handle the longer names without any changes.

Zip has all of the capabilities of ZOO plus some.  It should be able to
compress files better, be faster, have more options, and support an internal
structure that is more reliable and safer to user.  In the event that a file
is corrupted, it should be possible to reconstruct most of the files.  The
Amiga version will add more options like renameing files without repacking and
editing filenotes for the archive and each file.

While not very practical for Amiga users at this time because there is no
native zipper, when I finish the Amiga version of ZIP, hopefully this will all
change.  ZIP is rapidly becoming the standard compression tool in the IBM
world.  Many of the larger boards have converted all of their files to it.  I
will be converting all zoos and arc files to ZIP when it is ready. I have
assurances of most of the sysops of the large Amiga boards that they too will
convert all of their files.

Dennis

Date: 03-Sep-89  09:23 AM
From: Leo Garvey
  To: Sysop (X)

When do you expect we'll see some of the first completed versions of AmigaZIP?

Date: 05-Sep-89  09:55 AM
From: Sysop
  To: Leo Garvey

I was hoping to have it out by now but it has been delayed for various
reasons.  Most importantly, the delay has been caused by a lack of time and
creeping features.  Now that PKWare has the offical 1.0 version of ZIP out for
the MS-DOS crowd, I will be trying to put more effort into getting the Amiga
version done.  I said recently, that Christmas would be a good target date.
However, if my schedule doesn't improve, it may be later than that.

Dennis