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From: minich@unx2.ucc.okstate.edu (Robert Minich)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Mac packing program. Could Mac handle it?
Message-ID: <1991Apr9.083602.9720@unx2.ucc.okstate.edu>
Date: 9 Apr 91 08:36:02 GMT
References: <12969@goofy.Apple.COM>
Organization: Oklahoma State University Computer Center
Lines: 34


boortz@sics.se (Kent Boortz) writes:
| Yes, self extracting archives is not the same as compressed executable
| files. I have tried lzexe on MSDOS. I run lzexe on a file foo.exe to
| compress it and add unpacking code to it.
 
by lsr@Apple.COM (Larry Rosenstein):
# You could do this on the Mac as well.  You would simply compress each CODE
# resource and change the program entry point to a bit of code that
# decompressed the resources before using them.  

| msdos programs that are small, I don't know). The delay starting a compressed
| version of PageMaker or Word will not be acceptable. Am I wrong?
 
# Compression programs on the Mac compress everything.  If you compress
# individual resources then the decompression time would be spread out. (On
# the other hand, you have to decompress the resource each time it's
# brought in.)
# 
# Compressing resources might even speed up program execution, depending on
# the relative speeds of the disk and CPU.  If the CPU is very fast relative
# to the disk, then the time you save in disk I/O (by loading a smaller
# compressed resource) will be more than the time required to decompress
# it in memory.

How about this: decompress resources on demand but use a temp file to save
the uncompressed things when you need more memory. This way large items will
only cause longer delay than necessary upon their first use. Tie the
swap out routine to the GrowZone function.
-- 
|_    /| | 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