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From: minich@unx2.ucc.okstate.edu (Robert Minich)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: PROPOSAL - Archive Standard (A folder in every pot?)
Message-ID: <1991Mar21.183938.14217@unx2.ucc.okstate.edu>
Date: 21 Mar 91 18:39:38 GMT
References: <1991Mar20.181449.29057@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: Oklahoma State University Computer Center
Lines: 36

by resnick@cogsci.uiuc.edu (Pete Resnick):
|>1) Putting multiple files in a folder to be compressed inhibits *my*
|>   freedom to extract them where I want them to go.
| 
| You've missed the point: If someone gets an archive without everything
| in a folder, and then wants to just extract everything (as is easiest
| on a Unix box), you end up with a mess of files all over your current
| directory unless you first create a new directory for the un-archived
| files and move the archive there to extract things. When there is only
| one file in the archive, this is not necessary. I like the idea of the
| person putting them all in one directory if there is more than one.
| I can always move them later, and current versions of Stuffit now
| allow me to go through the folders in the archive anyway.

How about a compromise? Personally, I think the archiver programs should
have an option to create a new folder to unstuff into for those who
don't/can't use MultiFinder. However, I think a reasonable work-around is
to put an empty folder (with a name similar to that of the archive, not
"Empty Folder" :-) that could be "unstuffed" first and then everything
unstuffed into that if we like.
  The extra folder won't help batch unstuffing, but then again I consider
it a REAL pain when I have to unstuff a whole bunch of files at once
and waste disk space and my time just to look at the Read_Me file and find
I can't make use of that download in the first place! (I like the method
at rascal.ics.utexas.edu of having an intro file so I don't have to waste
net bandwidth either.)

  So, what does the net think of an extra folder in every .sit archive?
As for the other ideas presented in the original proposal, I agree with the
"Stuffit forever" crowd until code to extract files from Compactor Pro (or
any other archiver) is available.
-- 
|_    /| | Robert Minich            |
|\'o.O'  | Oklahoma State University| "I'm not discouraging others from using
|=(___)= | minich@d.cs.okstate.edu  |  their power of the pen, but mine will
|   U    | - "Ackphtth"             |  continue to do the crossword."  M. Ho