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93/4/17 GuiArc 1.10 Users's Reference Manual. Page 1
GuiArc V1.10
Graphical User Interface for Achivers.
1. Copy-rights.
This program is spread as FreeWare. It means you may freely
distribute and copy this program, as long as everything stays
unchanged and all documentation and other files are spread with
it.
It also means, that this program is Copy-righted by me, the
author of this program. You are not allowed to change anything,
ask money for the program or use the program commericaly. Nobody
but myself is allowed to make money with this program. This also
implicates that this program may not be included with any
commercial product without written permission of the author.
This programm may be included on non-commercial PD disks like
Fish Disks.
2. Distribution contents.
The distribution should contain at least:
GuiArc
GuiArc.info
GuiArc.doc
GuiArc.doc.info
GuiArc.doc.eng
GuiArc.doc.eng.info
ArcTypes
ArcTypes.info
3. What's the program for.
This program is written, to give you a user friendly and easy to
use method of dealing with archivers. The main archiver where I
wrote this program for, is 'Lha' from Stefan Boberg, but the
program is fully configurable to use an unlimited number of
different archivers at once.
The program recocnizes different types of archives automaticly
from their file pattern. When you, for example, select 5
archives, of different types, and shoose 'extract' from the
gadgets menu, all archives will get unpacked, with their own
archiver. The program automaticly selects the correct archiver.
This is also done with all other actions, like adding and
listing. When you create a new archive, and don't explicitly
specify the type, the first defined type (default 'lha') will be
chosen.
93/4/17 GuiArc 1.10 Users's Reference Manual. Page 2
4. How to use the program.
You can start the program from CLI or WorkBench. After that, it
will open a window on the WB-screen, that looks like this:
+--------------------+ +--------------------+
| | | |
: A : : B :
: : : :
| | | |
+--------------------+ +--------------------+
| C | | D |
+--------------------+ +--------------------+
+------------+ +-----+ +------------+ +-----+
| | | | | | | |
| E | | F | | G | | H |
+------------+ +-----+ +------------+ +-----+
The blocks A and B will contain the contents of the selected
directory or archive for the left and right work area. C and D
contains the path for A and B. They're editable. Blocks E and G
are short-cuts for the paths C and D. The right-bottom most
gadget of each block is configurable. And at last, F and H
contain gadgets for all different actions you can perform on the
archives.
5. Possible actions.
In this chapter, I will discuss all actions you can perform on
archives with this program. Therefore, I will first introduce
some terms.
The source area
is always the block (A or B) whose contents are
used to perform the actions on. If you selected an action in
F, block A is the source area, and the same with H and B. If
you selected the action by double clicking, the area you
first clicked in, is the source area.
The target area
is the block where the results of the action are
placed. This is always the other block.
The source archive
is a selected archive in the source area. This
can be the source area itself (if you are 'in' a archive) or
one or more selected archives in the source area.
Source files
are the selected files and/or directories in the
source area. This can be files/directories in a directory or
from the archive you're 'in'. This depends on the action you
want to perform.
93/4/17 GuiArc 1.10 Users's Reference Manual. Page 3
A target archive
is the selected archive in the targed area.
Again, this can be the target area itself (if you're 'in' an
archive) or exactly one selected archive in the target area.
If not, the program will ask for the name of a new file.
Some actions can be activated with an other method than clicking
the gadget or pressing the underlined letter. This will be
mentioned at the action. An action is always performed from the
source area, to the destenation area, or, is case no result will
show up, in the source area. This actions are possible (if
supported by the archiver, Lha supports them all...)
Add
With add, you can add files to an archive (surprise!). The
source files are added to the destenation archive, wich is
created, if nessesary. When a new archive is created, the
default type is the one of the first defined archive type.
Ofcourse you can force the program to use a different
archiver, by adding the right file-extension (or so) to the
name. For example, if you type 'test', the archive
'test.lha' will be created with 'Lha' (supposing 'lha' is
the first defined type) but, if you type 'test.zoo' the
archive 'test.zoo' will be created, with the archiver 'Zoo'.
This way, you can select all different archivers.
You can also start adding files to an archive, by, after
selecting the last file to add, clicking in the destenation
archive within the time of a double-click. You must be 'in'
the destenation archive in the destenation area.
Move
Similair to add, but all added files will be deleted from
the source. This action can not be activated in an other
way.
Ext/Cp
Ext means Extract. All selected source archives, will be
unpacked and the result will be in the destenation area. If
you are 'in' a source archive, only
those
files wich are
selected, will be unpacked.
Cp means Copy. This will copy all (non-archive) files and/or
directorys to the destenation area. The programm uses the
cli 'Copy' instruction for this action, so this command
should be available in your path (normally in the C:
directory).
You can also activate extract by, after you selected the
last source archive (source file within an archive),
clicking in the destenation area within the time of a
double-click.
View
View lets the archiver show you the contents of the archive
in an output window. This action acts on the source
archives. If you select non-archive files and then activate
'View' (or double-click on non-archive files), the files
will be showd, using the 'File viewer' selected in the
Configuration menu (default: "Sys:Utilities/More").
List can also be activated by double clicking within an
archive or on a non-archive file.
Test
Test acts as if the archive will be extracted, but will not
extract. Just to test. All source archives will be tested.
No other activation method is possible.
93/4/17 GuiArc 1.10 Users's Reference Manual. Page 4
Delete
Delete will delete files. This can be files within an
archive, or plain files or directories. When you are 'in' an
archive, all selected source files will be deleted from the
archive. When you are in a directory, all selected files and
directories will be deleted from that directory. Deletion of
non-empty directories is not possible.
Before the programm deletes files or directories, it asks
your to confirm this deletion, to avoid unwanted deletions
of files. This option can be disabled in the configuration
menu.
6. The menu's.
The program has only three menu-items. 'Quit' is easy. It quits
the program (same as the close gadget). 'About' will give you
some 'on-line' information about the program.
And finaly, 'Configure' lets you adjust some things about the
program. You can ajust:
- The path-short-cut gadgets at the bottom right of both
blocks, can be adjusted. You can type in your own name and
path.
- When the program starts, both areas can be automaticly
filled with the contents of an archive or directory. You can
give in these default paths/archives here. When you leave
this empty, nothing is read.
- The viewer used for viewing non-archive files, can be
entered in the 'File viewer' gadget. Please, use the full
path and name of the viewer.
- The next to gadgets let you disable the confirmation before
deletion of files from archives or of files and directories
from directories.
- The gadget 'Archive flags' will bring you to a window where
you can (de)select eleven options for the archivers. These
options are specific for Lha, but some other archivers also
support them.
When you select 'OK', the flags are active. Selecting
'Cancel' in the configuration windown, will not cancel the
flag settings.
- With the gadget 'Save' you can save the settings to the file
'GuiArcConfigure', wich is located in the same directory as
the program.
7. Different types of archive(r)s.
As mentioned before, the program is able to deal with many
different file archivers. You can configure the diffente
archivers, by editing (or creating) the file 'ArcTypes', which is
placed in the same directory as the program itself. The
distribution of the program, contains an 'ArcTypes' file with
definitions for: Lha 1.42, Zoo 2.1 Beta, Ape 1.35 and Arc 0.23.
Unfortunately, Zoo is verry bad programmed. So bad, it ain't even
possible to redirect it's output to an anther file, and thus you
can't enter the archive by doubble clicking it. With all other
archivers, this is possible, and I think, this is the strength of
GuiArc!
I think the settings will do for new versions of these archivers,
however, you can change them yourself easily. The description of
the 'lha' type below, is integrated in the program. These
93/4/17 GuiArc 1.10 Users's Reference Manual. Page 5
settings are used when the file 'ArcTypes' can't be found.
The format of the 'ArcTypes''s archiver's descriptions is
described below.
Each entry MUST exist of ALL of the fields described below, and
in THAT order. Lines starting with a semi-collon (';') are
considered comments, and are ignored. Inline comments aren't
possible. Empty lines are ignored. Before each new type-name, you
must place a '@'. This is character is used to synchronise
everything. In this way, it's easier to locate errors in the
configuration file.
The %s in the command line, will be substituted with the choosen
options in GuiArc, preceded by a '-'. Note that not all archivers
support these options. The flags are given as 'lha' flags. (So
generally this options are only use-full with 'Lha'...)
Example configuration for Lha:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@LHA '@' + Name, max. 5 characters
#?.(lha|lzh) Recognision file pattern.
lha %s x Command to unpack the archive
lha -2Y %s u ,, to add files
lha -2Y %s m ,, to move files into the archive
lha v ,, to list the archive
lha t ,, to test the archive
lha d ,, to delete files from the archive
lha v ,, to list files for 'entering'
-1 Lines to skip at the top of the listing.
-1 Lines at the bottom of the listing
44 Start position of names on the line
0 End position of names on the line
Whenever a command is not available, place a '-' on the line
(no
spaces before or after the '-'!) If you want to be able to
'enter' an archive, the last command and the 4 offsets must be
available. The program uses these to filter the file names out of
the archive list. Lines starting with a ':' are ignored. Most
archivers (at least, lha) use this to indicate a file-comment.
If you use a negative number as top or bottom skip, the program
skips all lines before/after a line wich starts with a '-' or a
'='. This is very usefull for archivers who use lines of '-' or
'=' to indicate the start of the file list. You don't have to
count lines, and the program will be able to deal with a variable
number of lines before/after the file list (for example, error
texts or something like that).
When you enter a 0 for the end position of the file name on the
line, the program assumes the name of the file ends at the end of
the line. Always use this, if the file name is placed at the end
of the line in the file list.
Note that when files can't be entered due to the specification of
the archiver (yet only Zoo is strugling, but that's nog my
fault...) you're still able to perform all actions on the
archive, except deleting files from the archive.
93/4/17 GuiArc 1.10 Users's Reference Manual. Page 6
8. General information.
To create some work-space on the workbench screen, without having
to quit the program, I've made it possible to iconify it. When
you press the 'Help'-key or the 'I'-key, the program will become
in-active, closes the window and create an 'icon' on the
work-bench. A double click on the icon will bring the program
back on the screen in it's original state. No buffers are cleared
on iconifying.
It is very important, that the archivers you use, can be reached
by the program. Therefore, be sure the directory where the
archivers are placed is added in the PATH of the program. C: will
be a fine place to place the archivers. The same directory as
where GuiArc is placed, will do also.
If, for one or another reason, it is not possible to add the
right dir to the path, you can enter the full path before the
name of the archiver in the configuration file. However, this is
not the best way to do this, since the available space for the
commands in the configuration file is limmited to 30 characters.
Some characters in the gadgets, are underlined. These can be used
as short-cut for that specific item. I've arranged them in such a
way, that you can use them best if you leave all your archives in
the left area, and every thing else in the right area.
And last, but not least: In case you haven't discovered it by
now, by double clicking on an archive, you can enter that
archive, as if it was a directory! (That is, if it can be done
with the archiver you use.)
I would like to thank:
- Marcel Duyn, for testing the program and reading the
documentation and editing/correcting it.
- Frank Sloep, for testing the program.
- Jan van den Baard, for writing the program GadToolsBox.
- Michiel Willems, for providing the nessecery utilities and
information trough his BBS (Amiga Bs Online Heemstede,
+31-23-282002), connecting me to the different mail-areas
and discouraging me in this project :-((
- CSA, for manufacturing the Derringer!
- The brewers of Arcener tarwe white beer, Duvel and Maredsous
and of course the Amstel beer brewer :-))
- And of course all coders of those great file archivers!
Changes in version 1.01:
- Extended the line-buffer for 'entering' an archive from 100
to 256 characters. Pretty handy for looooong paths...
Changes in version 1.10:
- The 'Delete' function know also works on plain files and
directories.
- With the 'Ext/Cp' funtion, it now is posible to copy files
and directories.
- With the 'View' option, you now can vies archives and files
(for example those 'ReadMe' files).
(Remark: Despite the above options, this program is and has
been an util to handle archivers. Therefore, the posibility
93/4/17 GuiArc 1.10 Users's Reference Manual. Page 7
to handle plain files, will be restricted.)
- It has made easier to select multiple files and
directories, by holding down the left mouse button during
selection, and moving the mouse up and/or down.
- When changing the active path in a scroller, or rereading
the scroller after some actions, the current position of the
scroller, will be kept as much as possible. (An idea of
Marcel Duyn.)
- If you enter an empty path for a scroller (or click on the
'Drives' gadget), a list of available volumes and assigns
will be shown. (An idea of Michiel Willems.)
- Optimized the internal structure of the program. This has
made the program relative smaller and easier to
exetend/adjust.
9. And finaly.
I made this program as part of my hobby. That's why its FreeWare,
and why I absolutely do not ask you for any share in the costs.
But I would like to know if you like this program, and how many
people like it. So, if you like it, please let me know by sending
me a post-card or net-mail or something like that. Ofcourse in
case you like the program so very much, and want to make a
donation, you're welcome! :-)) And I do appreciate eventually
bug reports.
You can reach me at the address below ( although I'm doing my
military duty for the rest of this year (1993) so I'm only the
weekends at home... :-((( )
Fido: 2:280/464.2 or Amy: 39:151/1.2 or
Patrick van Beem
Parlevinker 5
2152 LC Nieuw-Vennep
The Netherlands
© Februari, April 1993 by,
_ _
/_) /_)
/ atrick van /_)eem