Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!uunet!aurs01!whitcomb From: whitcomb@aurs01.UUCP (Jonathan Whitcomb) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Thoughts on DC Utilities Keywords: DC Squish, DC XTractor Plus Message-ID: <59677@aurs01.UUCP> Date: 26 Mar 91 19:26:54 GMT References: <59676@aurs01.UUCP> Sender: news@aurs01.UUCP Reply-To: whitcomb@aurw34.UUCP (Jonathan Whitcomb) Organization: Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh NC Lines: 120 -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. Is it tacky to respond to your own posting? I just had a chat with the folks at Double Click Software. Very friendly and helpful. -First ,XTractor Plus. The program is called DC XTract 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.) DC writes to their own text box. Unfortunately, it is completely obscured by the LGFS. I don't know if this is a problem on monochrome monitors, but it is on medium resolution. At best I can read the beginning or end of the message if I re-position the file selector. -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. My mistake...this works. Hotwire gives you two methods of installing applications (the "HOT" method and the "GEM" method), and I used "HOT". I tried again using "GEM", and it worked fine. Command lines would still be nice, though. -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. Double Click isn't sure if this is a problem of theirs or if something in my auto folder is mucking up the works. In any rate they'll look into it. A new version is coming that will speed up the compression time, and show a bar graph when compressing, so you can keep track of it's progress. [stuff deleted] -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. DC says that this feature doesn't fight with Pinhead at all. -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. DC claims this is a TOS problem (I use V1.2). What happens is that TOS leaves two files in the folder with the same name (a Squished and unSquished version), and then gets confused when trying to erase one. The solution is to rename one, and then reboot. Then you can get rid of the offending file. A bit of a hassle. DC says that they will consider circumventing the problem in the next version by using their own delete routine instead of relying on TOS. -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.). On the phone they seemed very familiar with these products, and which caused problems and which didn't. It would be nice to have this information in the manual or a readme file, though. [stuff deleted] -I recommend [the DC Utilities package] for DC Squish, though. ...now for the support as well as the product. They were patient and helpful when I spoke to them, and very receptive to criticism and suggestions. The DC SEA (self extracting archive) is nice too. It also includes some other programs I haven't tried out. -Anyone else have any reflections on DC products? --Jonathan the verbose P.S. Last week the on the Delphi Atari weekly conference we decided a great hack would be to have the pink Energizer bunny come booming across the monitor from time to time with a digitized voice saying "...still going...". Sometimes across the bottom, sometimes across the top or up and down the sides. A DC program of the week, perhaps? ********************************************************************** Jonathan Whitcomb UUCP: Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh, NC Delphi: JBWHIT