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From: whitcomb@aurs01.uucp (Jonathan Whitcomb)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Thoughts on DC Utilities
Keywords: DC Squish, DC XTractor Plus
Message-ID: <59676@aurs01.UUCP>
Date: 25 Mar 91 19:25:07 GMT
Sender: news@aurs01.UUCP
Organization: Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh NC
Lines: 63

The March ST Informer had rave reviews for the new DC Utilities
package, so I picked up a copy.  In general the programs are
pretty good and useful, but there were a few bugs, and a couple
of missing features.

First ,XTractor Plus.  It is designed to handle compression and
decompression of archive files, using .arc, .lzh, .zip and .zoo
methods.  Lots of nice features, but the interface is not very
intuitive.  One of the problems is that no title strings are
passed to the file selector, so you press the "begin" box on
the main interface, and you get a file selector with no
instructions.  You can usually figure out what they want by
checking the default file selector extention, but how much
extra effort would it have taken to write an instruction
string to the file selector?  (I use the Little Green File
Selector by Charles Johnson, and like it alot.)

Another problem is that you can't install the program as
an application.  I currently just double click .arc and .lzh
files, and Arcshell prompts me to unpack them.  XTractor Plus
just comes up cold.  Until it recognizes paths passed to
it, and perhaps command lines, I'll stick with Arcshell to
unpack.

XTractor Plus does have a nice compression feature that lets you
keep selecting new files with the file selector (instead of
prompting you for each one), but it sometimes hangs when compressing
.lzh files.  I had this happen several times, and consistantly with
neochrome format files.  I would prefer to use .lzh, because it
usually packs the smallest of all the formats.  I like the
packing environment of XTractor, but until they fix this problem,
I'll stick with Arcshell.

The DC Squish program is nice.  It compresses executable files and
uncompresses them at run time with no noticable delay.  You have
the option of setting fast-bits or clearing memory before running
the program, and you can unsquish any squished program.  The
documentation doesn't tell you if the memory clearing option is
necessary with Pinhead, though, or indicate if it is faster or
slower.  My main problem with DC Squish is that sometimes when
I unsquish a program, it leaves a squished copy in the folder
that I can't delete.  I guess it sets a read only bit, but I
can't seem to clear it.  This problem aside, I am very happy with
the program, and have reduced the amount of space I use on
my hard disk considerably...I will now be able to further delay
getting another hard disk!

I like the package in general.  My main complaint is that DC makes
assumptions about how you will be using their software, and don't
give you alternative options.  They also seem oblivious of how
their products work with other common programs (Pinhead, LGSelector,
Hotwire!, NeoDesk, etc.).  Maybe I've just been spoiled by Codehead
products, which are fantastic in this regard.  I also wouldn't expect 
bugs and unpredictable behavior from a second generation product.
I recommend it for DC Squish, though.

Anyone else have any reflections on DC products?

-Jonathan the verbose
**********************************************************************
Jonathan Whitcomb                    UUCP: <whitcomb%aurgate@mcnc.org>
Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh, NC                    Delphi: JBWHIT