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Aminet 8 (1995)(GTI - Schatztruhe)[!][Oct 1995].iso
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OptXPK.lha
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OptimizeXPK.doc
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1995-06-25
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Intro
=====
OptimizeXPK.rexx is an ARexx script which figures out which XPK packer
library will be most efficient for a given file. If two or more packers
come out equal in terms of space requirements, it will choose the packer
which takes the least time to unpack the file.
Requirements
============
ARexx
rexxsupport.library
The "xpk" program, and some xpk packer libraries
Optional
========
rexxreqtools.library
GNU touch, or another touch that supports the "-r" option similarly
Installation
============
A) Edit the script, and set up three things according to your computer's
configuration:
1.) set XPK equal to the full path of the "xpk" program, e.g.:
XPK = "Arc:xpk"
2.) set TOUCH equal to the full path of the "touch" program,
or set it to "", e.g.:
TOUCH = "Unixisms:bin/touch"
(If TOUCH is set to a "tocuh" program that supports "-r",
OptimizeXPK will preserve the datestamp on files it compresses.
If this doesn;t matter to you, you can set TOUCH to "".)
3.) set up the array of packers. Set packers.0 to the number of
packers, and each of the packer values to the code for the
packer library (four letters, followed by an optional
period "." and a number), e.g.
PACKERS.0 = 3
PACKERS.1 = "NUKE"
PACKERS.2 = "RAKE"
PACKERS.3 = "MASH"
B) Also, set up the assign "OptXPK:" to point to a directory where the
various compression methods can be tried. This directory should have
the same block size as the device on which the file to be packed resides,
so don't use "RAM:", but "RAD:" or "VD0:" are okay, as is something
like "DH1:tmpdir/" (provided tmpdir exists on DH1:).
C) Put the script somewhere in the ARexx search path
Usage
=====
rx OptimizeXPK [filename]
where [filename] is the file you want packed. And no, don't type the
brackets. 8^) The filename is optional and if not provided, the
rexxreqtools.library will be used to offer you a file requester, from
which you may choose what to pack. It will try out each method in the
OptXPK: dir.
History
=======
v0.9 25-Jun-95 Beta release. First public release, but it's been
stable for me for quite a while.
Author
======
The author can be reached via email to redcloud@pobox.com, or
by physical mail to:
Jack Holt
1702-A E. Birch St.
Cottonwood, AZ 86326-3953
Suggestions and post cards are always welcome.
Future
======
This is a beta release, so things can obviously get a lot better.
Some things I want to do:
1) Better documentation
2) Configure without editting the script itself
3) Get rid of the OptXPK: assign!
4) Translate into 'C'
More as I think of them.
Thanks to
=========
[] Natalie Merchant, for putting out a new album just in time for me
to be listening to it as I hurriedly type these docs.
[] J. Michael Straczynski, for producing my favorite TV show: _Babylon 5_
[] Ravi Patil, for sending me the weirdest email a brain could possibly spawn
[] Everyone who has ever sent me email for my previous programs.
[] Ferruccio, for sending me a postcard for Scatterbrain. Yes, I still
intend to keep working on it. Locale support *will* come!