Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!srhqla!demott!kdq
From: kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: LZEXE
Message-ID: <526@demott.COM>
Date: 31 Aug 90 17:08:59 GMT
References: <1990Aug31.010153.17067@nmt.edu>
Reply-To: kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt)
Organization: DeMott Electronics Co., Van Nuys CA
Lines: 34


    I just tried out lzexe for the first time, and it is a perfect example
(I'll be using it in my classes) of an Amateur Program (tm).

    It's very useful, and obviously the result of a lot of work.  On the
other hand, it gratuitously does direct screen writes, and reads the
keyboard, rather than using standard in and out.  Further, when it
decides that there may be a problem, it asks the negative (Do you want
to stop?) rather than the more intuitive positive (Do you want to
continue?).  It provides no mechanism for telling it (via switches,
since it doesn't accept piped input) to ignore the problem and proceed,
so operator intervention is required (at least it is for every program
I've tried to compress).  Lastly, it fails to provide a destination
specification option, so that the original file can be left intact and
available to others, or so the compressed file can go on another drive
(like to a floppy).

    I'd really like to see a version of this program that does these
things properly.  I'd also like to see it strip debugging information
out of the EXE file, instead of just compressing it.  Mostly, I'd like
to be able to use the program in a batch, rather than interactive manne.

    Do keep up the good work.  The compression achieved is excellent, and
the concept is a good one.  It just needs a few touches to change it from
a useful curiousity to truly practical and almost necessary tool.


-- 
 _
Kevin D. Quitt         demott!kdq   kdq@demott.com
DeMott Electronics Co. 14707 Keswick St.   Van Nuys, CA 91405-1266
VOICE (818) 988-4975   FAX (818) 997-1190  MODEM (818) 997-4496 PEP last

                96.37% of all statistics are made up.