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ArcMaster 4.01
Copyright 1989 by New-Ware
All Rights Reserved
(tm) ┌─────────┐
┌─────┴───┐ │ MEMBER
───│ │ │────────────────
│ ┌──────┴──┐ │ Association of
│ │ ├──┘ Shareware
└──┤ ■ │ Professionals
──────│ ║ │───────────────────
└────╨────┘
The program author, John J. Newlin, is an active member of the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure
that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to
resolve a Shareware related problem with an ASP member by contacting
the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can
help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not
provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the
ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a
Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
DISCLAIMER
New-Ware hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this
product, whether express or implied, including without limitation any
implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose. New-Ware cannot and will not be liable for any special,
incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of
data or any other reason, even if New-Ware or an authorized New-Ware
agent has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no
event shall the liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid
for the license to use software, regardless of the form and/or extent
of the claim. The user of this program bears all risk as to the
quality and performance of the software.
LICENSE
ArcMaster is a Shareware product. As such, it is made available
to the general personal computing public for evaluation. Users are
licensed to operate this program on their personal computers for the
purpose of test and evaluation on a trial basis for a limited trial
period. It is not possible to reasonably define the limits of a fair
and equitable time period for evaluation, therefore it is left to the
user's judgment and sense of fair play as to time required to make a
decision as to its usefulness. If the user decides the program is not
of sufficient merit to warrant purchase through registration with
New-Ware, he/she should remove the program from his/her personal
computer. Otherwise, if the program is deemed useful and is in fact
in regular use on the user's computer system, registration with
New-Ware is required.
Registered users are those users that elect to pay for ArcMaster
and register that payment with New-Ware. By virtue of registration
and payment for the program, registered users are granted a license to
continue to utilize the program on their personal computer for as long
as they choose. This license authorizes the user to use the program
on any personal computer system he or she may own so long as the
program is operated on only one computer system at a time.
REGISTRATION
ArcMaster is sole property of New-Ware Shareware products. The
Shareware version may be freely copied and transferred to individual
parties for evaluation purposes. It may be posted on Bulletin Board
systems (BBS) for electronic access as long as NO FEE is charged for
its distribution except for private BBS operations that charge a
regular user subscription fee. Computer information services such as
Compuserve (CIS), Genie, etc., are authorized to post this product for
subscriber access. ArcMaster may NOT be distributed on diskette by any
disk distributor/vendor who charges more than $10.00 for the diskette
upon which the program and attendant files are recorded without written
consent from New-Ware.
ArcMaster is a fully functional Shareware product. Shareware is
a computer program distribution/marketing method that permits
potential buyers to thoroughly try the program prior to purchase. It
is NOT free and it is not in the Public Domain. If, after evaluating
the program, you find it to be useful enough to use it on a regular
basis, you are expected to pay for it by registering with New-Ware.
The registration fee is $35.00 and the registered version, which is
NOT distributed as Shareware, will not contain the opening Shareware
screen nor the closing messages.
Those who have registered a previous version of ArcMaster may
purchase ArcMaster version 4.01 as an upgrade for $5.00. Please be
advised that I will NOT accept credit card orders for the upgrade.
Checks only, please!
You may register ArcMaster 4.01 in one of three ways:
1) By mail with check or money order to:
New-Ware
6198 Agee Street #71
San Diego, CA 92122
2) By telephone with Visa/Mastercard to:
New-Ware
(619) 455-6225
3) Electronically through the New-Ware BBS:
(619) 455-5226
The New-Ware Shareware products BBS operates 24 hours per day, 7 days
per week at 1200/2400 baud and N71 or N81. Users registering via the
BBS receive access to the latest registered version. Users who
register by mail or phone may also access the registered version by
BBS. Just log on and leave a comment to the sysop to the effect that
you are a registered user and desire access.
This Shareware version of ArcMaster may be freely copied and passed on
to other individual users for their evaluation. Disk vendors and/or
distributors that desire to distribute ArcMaster must adhere to the
guidelines presented in VENDOR.DOC.
Press Alt-R from the main ArcMaster Display to display the
registration window. Prompts will be issued for the pertinent
information and you will have the option of printing the registration
form when the form is completed.
CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS MUST INCLUDE 7% STATE SALES TAX!
I support my software. One of the great strengths of the
Shareware concept is the interaction between the program author and the
users. Many of the features contained in ArcMaster are the result of
user input. If you have a problem evaluating this program or desire to
make a suggestion or comment (or even a complaint), please do not
hesitate to contact me. Even if you register ArcMaster, if you later
determine that it is unsuitable for your use, you may contact me for a
refund. It is not necessary that you be a registered user to
contact me for technical support.
VERSION HISTORY
4.0 - 02/16/89 - Initial release.
4.01 - 02/19/89 - Added Ctrl-X for refreshing directory.
Added display of current archive system.
Added "hot arc" feature.
Added capabiliity to place tagged files in
multiple archive files.
Fixed various minor bugs.
New versions are created and released for two main reasons. First,
and foremost, is to correct bugs and design flaws discovered by users.
The second is to incorporate new and better ideas received from users.
OPERATION OF ARCMASTER
General and Technical Information.
CAUTION!!! - ArcMaster uses a temporary subdirectory (child of the
current active directory) named "$!$" for conversion from
one archive system files to another. Do NOT use a
subdirectory of this name anywhere in your system or the
files contained therein will be lost!!
The term ARC is widely used throughout this documentation as well
as in various textual messages in the executable program. ARC, as it
is used here and in the program, is an abbreviation for the generic
word "archive". archive is defined as a "place where records or
documents are kept." In the case of personal computers, the term has
come to denote files that contain other files that have been reduced
in size through the employment of various compression techniques. Thus
an archive file is a library of files compressed for archival or
storage efficiency purposes. Some compression/decompression systems
automatically append a DOS file extension of ARC, some use PAK, some
use MD, and some use ZIP. When the term archive appears here or in
the main program, it refers to the process of creating, modifying, or
unpacking compressed archive files or it refers to a file in which
compressed files have been stored in library fashion. There will be
references in this document to various operating system file
extensions such as .ARC, .PAK, and .ZIP. These file extensions are
given (usually by default) in the creation of archives of compressed
files by archive systems to distinguish these from other files. The
references to these extensions are for technical explanatory reasons.
ArcMaster 4.01 supports 5 popular and widely used archive systems.
An archive system is a program or group of programs that employ file
compression techniques to create a compressed archive file and
decompression techniques to access and extract files stored in an
archive file. The following systems are currently supported by
ArcMaster:
ARC by Systems Enhancement Associates (SEA)
ARCA/ARCE by Vernon Buerg
PKPAK/PKUNPAK by PKWare (no longer distributed)
PAK by NoGate Consulting
PKZIP/PKUNZIP by PKWare (Phil Katz)
All of these are outstanding systems and each have their own specific
merits. New-Ware has no vested interest in the commercial success of
any of these systems and does not recommend one over the other. It
is recommended that archive file users evaluate each of these
systems, select the one comes closest to meeting archival needs,
and registering that product. All are Shareware products and
available from various sources, including Bulletin Board Systems
around the country. ArcMaster 4.01 supports all of these systems in
an effort to provide an effective archive system visual user
interface for the broadest range of users.
NOTE: If you have PKARC.EXE and PKXARC.EXE version 3.5, rename
these files to PKPAK.EXE and PKUNPAK.EXE and set up the AM40
configuration to use the PKPAK/PKUNPAK system.
ArcMaster 4.01 is written in Borland International's Turbo Pascal,
version 5.0 and makes heavy use of TurboPower Software's Turbo
Professional library. It was developed and compiled on an AST
Premium/286 equipped with a Paradise (480) EGA and NEC Multisync II
monitor. It has been tested on the following machines:
AST Premium/286 (as described above) - MSDOS 3.2 & PCDOS 4.0
ACER 710 XT clone Herc graphics and mono monitor - MSDOS 3.2
Leading Edge "M" with CGA - PCDOS 3.1
Zenith 386 with VGA and VGA monitor - MSDOS 3.3
Compaq 386/20 with VGA monitor - MSDOS 3.3
The author is a retired Naval Aviator who holds degrees in
Mathematics and Computer Science. Developing and marketing
Shareware products became his full-time business after resigning
from Hughes Aircraft Company in 1988. Other Shareware products
offered by New-Ware are:
SCOUT - TSR disk/file manager
CopyMaster - File/disk copy utility
FormatMaster - Floppy disk formatter
General Program Description
ArcMaster is a full-featured visual interface program designed
facilitate the operation of archive systems in the PCDOS/MSDOS
environment. By itself, ArcMaster WILL NOT perform any file
compression or decompression. At least one of the support systems
must be present before ArcMaster becomes useful. With one or more of
the five supported archive systems present, ArcMaster will make the
creation, modification, and unarchiving of archive files much easier
and faster. It is menu-driven and employs a "point and shoot" style
method of controlling major archiving operations.
System Requirements
At least one of the five supported archive systems must be
available before ArcMaster can be successfully operated. ArcMaster
also includes the capability to convert archive files from/to the
popular .ARC format (developed by SEA) and the newer .PAK format
(developed by NoGate Consulting). A system that operates with each
format must be present in order to successfully convert from one
format to another. Here are the file names of the executable files
for each system:
ARC (ver. 5.32) - *ARC.EXE
PAK (ver. 1.5) - *PAK.EXE
PKPAK (ver. 3.6) - PKPAK.EXE
PKUNPAK.EXE
ARCA (ver. 1.28) - *ARCA.COM
*ARCE.COM
ZIP (ver. 1.0) - PKZIP.EXE
PKUNZIP.EXE
Those files marked with an asterisk (*) are files that may distributed
with the version number as part of the file name. For example, the
current version of Vern Buerg's ARCA is distributed as ARCA129.COM.
Be sure that the archive system files that you use are named exactly
as above.
ArcMaster may be operated on any IBM PC/XT/AT/PS2 or compatible
running under DOS 2.0 and above. With the distributed default
settings of 300 files per directory (RIGHT & LEFT), 50 directories per
active drive (RIGHT & LEFT), and 50 files per archive and without
Lotus, Intel, Microsoft (LIM) Expanded Memory Specification (EMS)
memory available, it uses approximately 145K RAM with . With EMS, it
requires 164K. The registered version requires 5K less memory.
ArcMaster supports the DESKQView environment and the Hercules InColor
Card. Approximately 350K total available RAM is required to run
ArcMaster and although not absolutely necessary, a hard disk is
strongly recommended. All monitor and graphics cards are supported,
including "composite" (2 color) monitors and backlit laptop screens.
Mouse support is automatically provided if a mouse driver is present
in the system. Any dot matrix or laser printer may be used for
printing file directory listings.
The type of monitor, color or monochrome, will be detected at
runtime and the display colors will be adjusted accordingly. Users
with older composite (2 color) monitors and laptops with backlit
screens should place an "M" on the command line when starting
Arcmaster. If the configuration settings are then saved to the disk
file, the "M" will no longer be required when executing Arcmaster.
Although not absolutely required to operate ArcMaster, it is
strongly recommended that a current version of Vern Buerg's
outstanding LIST.COM be present also. LIST is a very sophisticated
and powerful file viewing program that permits a user to browse just
about any kind of file imaginable. The importance of LIST to
ArcMaster is that LIST is employed to browse compressed files that
reside within an archive file. LIST version 6.2 and above is
supported.
It is IMPORTANT that the archive system files (and LIST) reside
in a directory that is identified in the DOS PATH string. The DOS PATH
string is a string containing valid DOS directory path names that DOS
will use to search for an executable file. It is user defined and is
normally initialized at boot-up with the PATH command. Here is an
example of a DOS PATH command as it might appear in an AUTOEXEC.BAT
file:
path=c:\util;d:\arc\dat;c:\turbo;e:\dbms\pc-file
It is IMPORTANT that the drive designator and colon precede each
individual path identified in the string. In this example, suppose
that the current directory is C:\GAMES and it is desired to execute
Norton's famous utilities, which is located in C:\UTIL. Simply enter
the command NU and DOS will find NU.EXE in C:\UTIL and execute it. If
the requested program is not in the current active directory, DOS will
then search each directory listed in the PATH string for the
executable file. If the path name C:\UTIL were omitted from the path
string in this example, DOS would respond to an attempt to load NU.EXE
with a "Bad command or filename" message, unless NU.EXE were in the
current directory. The PATH string can be checked at any time by
entering either PATH or SET from the DOS level. Also, do NOT place
more than one PATH command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Only the last
PATH command that is executed is valid.
Placing the directory path names in the PATH string is required
EVEN IF ALL ARCMASTER FILES ARE LOCATED IN THE SAME DIRECTORY!. This
is true due to the nature of the way that ArcMaster issues a call for
executable files to DOS.
Executing ArcMaster
ArcMaster's executable file is named AM40.EXE. It may be
executed by entering the file name at the DOS command level or called
from a .BAT file or DOS shell. Up to three command line parameters
are supported. A command line parameter is a string of characters
that follows the program name. Here is an example:
AM40 G:\DATA\UNARC
The command string is NOT case sensitive. In this example, DOS will
load and execute ArcMaster and ArcMaster will make the directory path
G:\DATA\UNARC it's destination directory (more about source and
destination directories later). Another example is:
am40 c:\pascal d:\archive
In this case ArcMaster will assign c:\pascal as the source directory
and d:\archive as the destination directory. Of course, it is not
necessary to enter any parameters at all on the command line, in which
case ArcMaster will use the default source and directory path names
that have been saved to the .EXE file. If either path name is
invalid, ArcMaster will use the default setting. If the drive
designator is omitted (i.e., \pascal vice c:\pascal), then the current
active drive desigator will be appended.
If expanded memory meeting the Lotus, Intel, Microsoft (LIM)
Expanded Memory Specification (EMS) is present and enough (64K) EMS
memory is available, ArcMaster will automatically use expanded memory
for the storage and retrieval of data. If it is desired to disable
this feature, place the parameter -e as the LAST parameter on the
command line when executing ArcMaster.
When ArcMaster loads and executes, it first checks the DOS path
for the presence of one of the following files: ARC.EXE, ARCA.COM,
PAK.EXE, PKPAK.EXE, and PKZIP.EXE. If none of these files can be
located in directories contained in the DOS path, ArcMaster will issue
a warning message and pause before continuing. If one of these systems
is found, that system will become the default until manually changed by
the user.
The ArcMaster Dual Display - Source and Destination Directories.
Very shortly after being executed, ArcMaster's main display will
appear on the monitor. It consists of two windows, left and right,
and each window is a view port for the files contained in a disk
directory. The left window ALWAYS displays the files in the source
directory and the right window ALWAYS displays files in the
destination directory. It's important to remember that the basic
concept of operations is from LEFT to RIGHT.
Files are displayed in groups of up to 15 at a time. A
full-width cursor bar can be moved through the files with the keypad
arrow keys, the PgDn/PgUp keys, or the Home/End keys. Each file is
represented by a line of data that consists of the file name and
extension, file date, and file size. The name of the applicable
directory appears on the top line of each window and the page number
(15 files per page) appears on the bottom line of each window. Data
pertaining to the files in each window appears just below the window
box. The file creation/update time of the file name highlighted by
the cursor bar appears on the last line of this area.
The cursor bar is an important element of the "point and shoot"
design. It is used to tag (mark) files for archiving, dearchiving, or
conversion. For example, if it is desired to view the contents of a
regular DOS file and LIST.COM is available and in the DOS PATH, simply
place the cursor bar in the left window over the desired file and
press return. The ArcMaster display will disappear and the LIST
display will appear with the contents of the selected file. Suppose
it is desired to view the contents of an archive file. Place the left
cursor bar over a file with an extension of .ARC, .PAK, or .ZIP and
press return. A new window will be superimposed over the main
display. This window will display the directory of the archive file
and it too will have a full width cursor bar. Perhaps it is now
desired to view the contents of one of the compressed files. Place
the cursor bar over the file and press return. The LIST display will
appear with the contents of the archived file. Simple....just point
and shoot.
The cursor bar is also used to tag, or mark, files for certain
operations. Tagging is accomplished by pressing the space bar or the
plus (+) key with the cursor bar over the desired file. A diamond
character will appear to the left of the file information that
indicates that the file is tagged. A file is untagged by placing the
cursor bar over a tagged file and pressing the space bar or the minus
(-) key. Files may only be tagged in the left (destination) window.
Pressing F6 or Ctrl-T will tag all files in the left window and
pressing Ctrl-U will untag all tagged files. Tagging is only permitted
in the left window.
The active window is the one in which the cursor bar is moving
and is the LEFT window upon program start-up. The active window
can be "toggled" with the TAB key. If the LEFT window is active
and the TAB key is pressed, the RIGHT window becomes the active
window. The cursor bar position is indicated by two vertical bars
bracketing the file name in the inactive window. The active window
may also be switched by pressing the either the right or left arrow
key. In this case the cursor bar place is indicated by video
highlighting of the file name instead of the vertical bars. The
contents of the LEFT and RIGHT window may be exchanged (swapped) by
pressing the F4 function key. The LEFT window will then be a view
port into the files contained in the directory viewed by the RIGHT
window and vice versa. The path name of the active directory for a
window appears on the top line of that window display.
Changing the active directory is accomplished by pressing the
F5 key. Directories are displayed in the same manner as files are
displayed, 15 directory names at a time. A cursor bar that
highlights the selected directory name can be manipulated in the
same way as when viewing files. To change to a new active
directory, press <RETURN> with the cursor bar highlighting the name
of the desired directory. AM40 will retrieve the file names from
that directory and display them. The F5 key will toggle between
the directory display and the file display.
A directory catalog is maintained in the root directory on
each drive accessed using AM40. The file that contains this
catalog is AM40DIR.CAT. When the F5 key is pressed, AM40 first
checks to see if the directory catalog for the current drive is
currently in memory. If not, it then checks to see if AM40DIR.CAT
exists in the root directory of the current drive. If so, it reads
it into memory. If not, it will scan the drive to collect all the
directory path names, store them in memory, and then create and
write the catalog to AM40DIR.CAT. Therefore if a directory is
created or removed between AM40 sessions, then it will be necessary
to rescan the drive and update the catalog. This is accomplished
by pressing Ctrl-R. The size of AM40DIR.CAT is dependent upon the
number of directories on the supported drive. Directory names can
be up to 64 characters in length, so the size of AM40DIR.CAT will
be 65 times the number of directories (each directory path string in
memory includes a length byte). The catalog file is not maintained
on RAM drives or floppy disks. Directories can be created and/or
removed while in ArcMaster and ArcMaster will automatically update
the catalog file.
The active drive can be changed by pressing the F3 key. A
small window will appear the prompts for the drive letter. Press
the letter key corresponding to the desired drive's DOS letter
designation to change drives. AM40 will accomplish the drive
change and then display the contents of whichever directory on
that drive is the current default. An error message will appear
if an invalid drive letter is given.
ArcMaster supports the use of a 2 or 3 button mouse. The button
actions for a 3 button mouse are:
L = RETURN
R = ESC
M = SPACE BAR (tag/untag)
L+R = "/" - Command Bar Menu
M+R = HOME
M+L = END
M+L+R = ALT-X (terminate)
The button actions for a 2 button mouse are:
L = RETURN
R = ESC
L+R = "/" - Command Bar Menu
Movement of the mouse up or down will move the cursor vertically.
Rapid movement of the mouse horizontally will duplicate the function
of the TAB key by moving from one window to the other.
The ArcMaster Main Command Menu.
The main command menu is activated by pressing either of the
slash keys, "/" or "\". A horizontal menu will appear that
contains six selections. The right and left arrow keys may be
moved from selection to selection and an explanatory help line is
updated as the cursor bar moves. Menu items may be selected by
moving the cursor bar to the desired item and pressing <RETURN> or
pressing the letter key corresponding to the first letter of the
desired item. Pressing ESC at any time will remove the command
menu. Some of the items on the command menu are duplicated by
function keys. Pressing ^H or the BACKSPACE key at any time will
cause a help screen with the various command key assignments to be
displayed.
Program Configuration - The Config SubMenu.
For new users of ArcMaster 4.01, the most important selection on
the command menu is Config, the item on the far right. Press the "C"
key or move the cursor bar to "Config" and press <RETURN> to activate
the configuration selections. The first item at the top of the
configuration submenu is labeled Archival System. Selecting this item
will bring up yet another menu that offers selection of one of the
five supported file compression /decompression systems. You MUST
have at least one of these systems in order to successfully operate
ArcMaster. Selection of the desired system will return you to the
configuration menu. The next three selections, File Limit, Directory
Limit, and ARChive File Limit affect the amount of main memory used
by ArcMaster. As distributed, the defaults are 250 files per
directory, 50 directories per drive, and 50 files per compressed file
directory. It is important to note that while these defaults may be
changed, they are not effective until saved to disk and the program
is executed again. Obviously, raising these values will require more
RAM and lowering them will require less RAM. ArcMaster uses 45 bytes
for each file, 130 bytes for each directory, and 125 bytes for each
compressed file directory entry. Note that if the default is set to
50 files and a directory is accessed that contains more than 50
files, not all the files in that directory will be displayed. The
same is true for directory and compressed file directory entries.
The absolute limits are 900 files, 900 compressed directory entries,
and 150 directories. If at runtime ArcMaster detects the presence of
memory conforming to the Lotus, Intil, Microsoft (LIM) Expanded Memory
Specification (EMS) and sufficient EMS memory is available, it will
store file and directory data in EMS. In this case the number of
files supported is 750 and the number of directories is 250. They are
NOT configurable. If it is desired not to utilize available EMS,
place the switch "-e" on the command line as the LAST parameter and
ArcMaster will ignore the EMS and use the configurable default
settings.
The "PathName Defaults" selection permits the setting of which
directories will be displayed in the LEFT and RIGHT windows at
runtime. Remember that placing valid DOS pathnames on the command
line at runtime will override these settings. A DOS path name can be
entered for the LEFT and/or the RIGHT window. If it is desired that
ArcMaster always use the current active directory at runtime, delete
all the characters on the prompt line with the backspace key so than
an empty string is entered. The prompt line is completely editable,
meaning that the INS key toggle is active as well as the other normal
editing keys. Entering an empty string for both LEFT and RIGHT will
force ArcMaster to use the directory from which ArcMaster is loaded
in both LEFT and RIGHT windows.
"Temporary directory" refers to a special capability associated
with manner in which ArcMaster converts archive file formats. Please
refer to the section explaining format conversion later in this
document.
ArcMaster supports a user defined text editor and is distributed
with Sammy Mitchell's marvelous editor QEDIT as the default. To
change the name of the editor, select "Editor file name" from the
menu. Any executable file name up to 8 characters (extension not
required) may be entered. In fact, it is possible to enter a .BAT
file name here and to configure a batch file to perform a specific
task. When Ctrl-E is pressed with the cursor bar over a non-archive
file (not .ARC, .PAK, or .ZIP), ArcMaster will call DOS to execute
the editor file and pass the name of the highlighted file as a
command line parameter. The editor file name is saved to disk along
with other configurable parameters.
Many ArcMaster users have indicated that they would like to have
the option of renaming the ArcMaster program file. The "eXec file
name" menu item is for that purpose. The file extension must be
.EXE, so only an 8 character file name may be entered. Once this new
name is saved to disk with the rest of the default settings, exit
ArcMaster and rename AM40.EXE using the DOS REN command. In this
manner, ArcMaster will be able to locate the correct executable file
for saving its configuration defaults.
Some older Color Graphics Adaptors (CGA) suffer from "snow"
effects during operation of programs like ArcMaster that directly
access video RAM. This can be avoided by using the "CGA snow check"
option to toggle the setting to ON. The setting of this toggle is of
no consequence with monochrome, EGA, or VGA adaptors.
The last item on the Configuration menu is "Save To Disk".
Selection of this item will cause all user configurable settings
to be saved semi-permanently to the AM40.EXE disk file. ArcMaster
will first look in the current directory for AM40.EXE. If not
found there, it will search each directory in the DOS PATH string.
If AM40.EXE is still not located, ArcMaster will search the
environment for a string named AM40LOC=. If this is present,
ArcMaster will use the dos path name opposite the "=" sign. For
example, if the environment contains the string
AM40LOC=C:\UTIL\ARC, ArcMaster will search C:\UTIL\ARC for
AM40.EXE.
The first two items, from left to right, on the main command
menu are "Archive" and "UnArchive". These are duplicated by the
F1 and F2 function keys respectively. ARChiving and UnARChiving
operations will be discussed in detail later.
Program Options SubMenu.
The third item on the main command menu is labeled "Options".
Selection of this item will bring up a submenu containing 7
selections. The first selection (top of the list), is a toggle that
determines if DOS files marked as "hidden" will be displayed along
with the rest of the files in the directory being viewed. The second
selection is labeled "Maintain Time/Date for Conv.". If this toggle
is set to ON, ArcMaster will mark end product converted files with
the date/time stamp of the file being converted. For example, if
DATA.ARC is converted to DATA.ZIP and this toggle is on, DATA.ZIP
will have the same date/time stamp as DATA.ARC. Otherwise DATA.ZIP
will have the current system time and date.
The "Keep File Tags" option determines whether tagged files
retain their tags after certain ArcMaster operations. Even though
this toggle is set to ON, there are some cases where the tagged
status will not be preserved. One example is moving files to an
ARChive. When files are moved by an ARChive system, they are
compressed, stored, and then deleted. Tags should not and are not
preserved in this case.
The next item on the Options submenu concerns the drive list.
When ArcMaster first loads, it compiles a list of all valid, fixed
disk drives in the system. Floppy and RAM drives are ignored.
The drive list is used for file searches. This option permits
editing the drive list if it is desired to add a floppy or RAM
drive to the search list.
ARChive file password operations are controlled through the
next two items on the Options submenu. If the Use Password toggle
is set to ON, ArcMaster will add password switch and the password
when passing commands for compression or decompression. If the
toggle is ON and no password has been defined, a window will
automatically appear that prompts for password. If a password has
been defined, ArcMaster will proceed directly to the desired
operation. The password is stored in encrypted form but is
decrypted prior to passing it as a command line parameter to the
operational ARChive system. This is done so that password
protected files may be accessed outside of ArcMaster.
The last item on the Options submenu is labeled "View System
Memory" and brings up a window that displays information about the
PC system memory and disk drives.
The state of all the options on the Options submenu will be
preserved on disk when the Save to Disk function is activated from
the Configuration menu.
Exiting Temporarily to DOS.
When the DOS item is selected from the command bar menu,
Arcmaster passes control to a secondary copy of COMMAND.COM, which
places the user at the DOS prompt. Execept for the memory occupied
by the ArcMaster kernel which might restrict large programs from
being executed, all normal DOS command functions are available. To
return to ArcMaster, use the DOS EXIT command.
Changing the LEFT and RIGHT File Masks.
It is possible to filter the files being viewed in either
window through the use of a valid DOS file mask. A valid DOS file
mask may contain one or both DOS wild card characters; "*" and
"?". For example, to view only those files with an extension of
.ARC in the right window, use the TAB key to make the right window
active, press the "/" or "\" key to bring up the command bar menu,
and select "Mask". A window will appears that prompts for the
desired file mask. After entry of a mask, the active window will
refresh and display only those files matching the entered mask.
Searching for DOS or ARChived Files.
The "Find" selection activates the file search function. File
searches can only be initiated from the LEFT window and the Ctrl-S
key combination is an alternative to using the command bar menu.
ArcMaster has the capability to search one or all drives for a
standard DOS file or to search one or all drives for a file that is
stored in an ARChive. A window will appear that first prompts for
the desired search mode--DOS standard files or ARChived files. The
next prompt is for the entry of the target file name. DOS wild card
characters may be included in this entry. If it is desired to search
ALL the drives currently in the drive list, place a "*:" in front of
the target file name. For example, if the target file is QEDIT.EXE,
enter the string "*:QEDIT.EXE". If it is desired to search one
specific drive, place the drive specifier (C, D, E, etc.) and a colon
(":") in front of the target file name. If just the file name is
entered, the drive that is active in the LEFT window will be
searched. When ArcMaster finds a normal DOS file, a beep will sound.
The name of the file, along with its date and size, are displayed and
the full path name of the directory where it was found will also be
displayed. The user has the option at this point of viewing the
directory containing the target file in the LEFT window. Otherwise,
the search will continue. If the user elects to view the target
file, the LEFT window will be refreshed with the files from the
directory in which the target file was found and the target file will
be highlighted under the cursor bar. The search for a file inside an
ARChive is slightly different. When the file is found, the ARChive
directory listing window will automatically appear and the cursor bar
will be positioned over the target file. At this point, the search
may be continued by pressing the F1 key or terminated by pressing the
ESC key. If files are tagged, ArcMaster will automatically activate
the individual file extraction sequence.
File Information Sort Criteria.
Five different sorting criteria are supported by ArcMaster. These
are:
NAME - Files are sorted by the 8 character file name.
EXT - Files are sorted by the 3 character extension.
DATE - Files are sorted by date/time.
SIZE - Files are sorted by size.
NESTED - Files are sorted by extension and by file name
within groups of the same extension.
The order of the sort, ascending or descending, is determined by the
"Order" toggle. UP is ascending (lowest to highest) and DOWN is
descending (highest to lowest). The type of sort selected is
applicable to the window active when the Sort menu was activated, thus
the two windows may have different sort criteria. The appropriate
window will be refreshed according to the new sort when the main
command bar window is de-activated.
ARChiving and UnARChiving Operations.
The main purpose of ArcMaster is to facilitate the manipulation
of compressed file libraries. Archiving (compressing) and unarchiving
(decompressing) are the two most important functions that archive
systems perform. Archiving files is as simple and straigtforward task
when using ArcMaster. Remember that ALL archiving/unarchiving
operations are from LEFT to RIGHT. To add a file or group of files to
an archive, tag the desired files by placing the cursor bar over each
target file name and pressing the space bar or the "+" key. Files may
be untagged by highlighting the file and pressing the space bar or the
"-" key. After a group of files has been tagged, it may be desirable
to view the list of tagged files. Press Alt-T to see only the tagged
files and Alt-T again to return to the main file display. All files
in an active directory may be tagged automatically by pressing Ctrl-T
and all tagged files may be untagged by pressing Ctrl-U.
To archive the tagged files, either press F1 or activate the
command bar menu (using "/" or "\") and select "Archive". A window
will appear that prompts for the name (up to 8 characters) of the
target archive file. If the entered archive name exists in the RIGHT
window directory, a warning message will appear with the option to
continue, abort, or re-enter the target file name. It is important to
note here that the entered file name will be given an extension that
is appropriate for the archive system designated by the user, i.e.,
.ARC for ARC, BUERG, and PKPAK, .ZIP for PKZIP, and .PAK for PAK.
After the desired name is accepted, an archive option submenu
will appear. This menu will be specifically tailored for the default
archive system. Make a selection by moving the cursor bar to the
desired item or press the key corresponding to the highlighted letter
on the menu. ArcMaster will then pass control to the archive system
along with the list of tagged files for compression and addition to
the library. It is strongly recommended that each user read the
documentation provided with the selected archive system in order to
fully understand the various options provided. Each menu item is
supplemented with a help line at the top of the screen, but it is the
user's responsibility to know and understand the options available.
The tagged files will be processed by the archive system and the
target archive file (.ARC, .PAK, or .ZIP) will exist in the directory
serviced by the RIGHT window.
Unarchiving proceeds in a similar manner. Target files for
decompressing must appear in the LEFT window file list. Archive
files may be tagged for batch submission to the archive system. When
the desired archive files are tagged, the unarchiving operation may
be initiated either by pressing F2 or via UnArchive on the command
bar menu. An options menu similar to that encountered when archiving
files will appear. Again, it is important that the user understand
the various options as well as the results of those options. Files
submitted to the archive system will be from the directory serviced
by the LEFT window and extracted files will be placed in the
directory served by the RIGHT window. The LEFT and RIGHT windows can
be set to serve the same directory.
Individual files may be selected from an archived file listing
and submitted to the archive system for extraction. Place the cursor
bar over the name of the desired archive file (.ARC, .PAK, or .ZIP)
and press return. A large window will appear that contains a listing
of the file names that are contained as compressed files within the
selected archive. A cursor bar is operable that can be moved through
the listing to tag specific files for extraction. When all desired
files are tagged, pressing the ESC key will remove the directory
listing and bring up the UnArchive submenu. If LIST.COM is present
on the system, individual compressed files can be viewed from within
the directory listing by moving the cursor bar to the desired file and
pressing RETURN. Note that ArcMaster ignores the currently
designated archive system in this case. If all 5 systems are in
place in a directory identified by the DOS PATH string, it will be
possible to browse any compressed file via LIST.
Converting Between Archive Systems.
ArcMaster provides automatic conversion of files compressed by
one system to compressed files of another system. The fundamental
structural difference between systems is the manner in which the
archive file compressed file headers are defined. ARC, ARCA, PAK,
and PKPAK all have the same file header record structure. ZIP
employs a header structure that is alien to the other systems. Also,
files compressed by ZIP cannot be decompressed by any other system,
files compressed by PAK cannot be decompressed by other systems, and
ZIP cannot decompress files of any other system. In order to convert
files from one format to another, it is necessary to have the two
archive systems that work with the files to be converted. For
example, if it is desired to convert .ARC files to .ZIP files then
PKUNPAK will be required to decompress the .ARC files and PKZIP will
be required to recompress the files. If it is desired to convert
.ZIP files to .PAK files, then PKUNZIP and PAK are required.
Conversion of PAK to ZIP and ZIP to PAK requires PAK, PKZIP, and
PKUNZIP.
ArcMaster will convert files tagged in the LEFT window to
recompressed files of another system in the RIGHT window. Four
options are available and are initiated by pressing the associated
function key as listed below:
.ZIP to .PAK - F7 PKUNZIP and PAK required
.PAK to .ZIP - F8 PAK and PKZIP required
.ZIP to .ARC - F9 PKUNZIP and PKPAK required
.ARC to .ZIP - F10 PKUNPAK and PKZIP required
To initiate the conversion process, tag the desired files
(making CERTAIN they are of compatible types) and press the
appropriate function key. Arcmaster will create a temporary
directory that is a subdirectory of the directory serviced by the
LEFT window. That subdirectory will be named $!$. If the directory
active in the LEFT window is named C:\ARCFILES then ArcMaster will
create a directory named C:ARCFILES\$!$. ArcMaster will then call
the proper decompression program to decompress the tagged files and
store them in the temporary subdirectory. When each tagged file has
been decompressed, the proper compression program will be called to
compress the files and store them in the directory active in the
RIGHT window. The files are then deleted from the temporary
subdirectory and the process is repeated until all the tagged files
are converted. ArcMaster will then delete the temporary subdirectory
and return control to the user.
PKZIP system users should know that ArcMaster will pass the
default compression factor (1 to 4) for both types of files, ASCII
and binary when converting from .PAK or .ARC to .ZIP. The Archive
submenu for the PKZIP system contains two menu items for use in
setting the compression factor for each type of file. These are set
to EA2 (for ASCII) and EB2 (for binary) as distributed. These values
can be changed from the submenu and will be saved along with other
defaults to disk if the user so elects. Both values are then passed
to PKZIP during the conversion process.
SPECIAL NOTE: It is possible for the user to override the use of the
temporary directory "$!$" that ArcMaster creates and deletes during
conversion process. A temporary directory may be defined through the
use of the "Temporary Directory" selection on the Configuration Menu.
THIS IS NOT GENERALLY ADVISED! Any files present in a user defined
temporary directory will be added to the first converted file and
then WILL BE DELETED! This feature is included for experienced users
who desire to utilize a RAM disk for maximum speed during conversion.
DO NOT USE THIS FEATURE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!! Also,
do not confuse this temporary directory with the definition of
temporary drives/directories that may be cited in the documentation
for various archive systems.
Special Archive System Operations.
ArcMaster provides a number of interesting special features to
facilitate the manipulation of archive files. One of these permits
the user to date/time stamp each selected archive file with the date
and time of NEWEST compressed file residing within that archive.
This is accomplished by tagging the archive files in the LEFT window
and then pressing Ctrl-D.
An extremely useful feature is the ability to identify regular
DOS files from the directory active in the LEFT window that exist in
a specified archive file in the RIGHT window and that are NEWER in
time/date. This is accomplished by going to the RIGHT window,
placing the cursor bar over the desired archive file, and pressing
Ctrl-A. ArcMaster will open the archive file and check each file
listed therein with the files residing in the LEFT directory window.
If any of the LEFT directory window files are found to be later in
date/time than a file of the same name in the archive file, that file
will be marked. If one or more files in the LEFT directory window
meet the date/time criteria, a short beep is heard. Upon completion
of the date/time check, ArcMaster will automatically switch back to
the LEFT window with the cursor bar highlighting the first file found
during the check. All files found are automatically tagged and ready
for processing. The next natural step is to update the archive file
in the RIGHT window with the newer files identified in the LEFT
window. Pressing F1 or selecting "Archive" from the command bar menu
will bring up the prompt for the archive file name with the
designated file name pre-inserted. If RETURN is pressed to accept
the archive name, the archive submenu associated with the archive
system in use appears. The next logical step would be to select the
update or freshen function from that menu. This feature makes
updating archive files fast and easy.
To avoid typing the name of the target archive file when adding
to, freshening, or updating, use the "hot arc" feature. A "hot arc"
file in the RIGHT window may be designated by going to the RIGHT
window, placing the cursor bar over the desired .ARC, .ZIP, or .PAK
file and pressing the INS key. The name of the highlighted archive
file will be used as the target for all future LEFT to RIGHT
archiving operations and the step of typing in the archive file name
will be omitted.
This feature has been added at the request of Russ Hardenburgh,
the Sysop of a major (700M+ files) BBS in Ohio. One or more files may
be tagged in the LEFT window and then added to ALL archive files of
the same type as the active system in the RIGHT window. For example,
if the active archive system is PKZIP and three .ZIP files exist in
the RIGHT window, pressing Ctrl-F1 will cause all the files tagged in
the left window to be added to EACH of the three ZIP files in the
RIGHT window. The "update" command switch is used for PAK, ARC,
PKPAK, and ZIP so that if the file doesn't exist in the archive, it
will be added to it and if it does exist, it will only be replaced if
the source file is newer.
Another handy feature is the ability to delete unwanted files
from the directory active in the LEFT window. To do this it is only
necessary to tag the desired files and press Alt-D. A window will
appear that displays the number of files tagged and a prompt to
insure that deletion of the tagged files is actually desired. An
affirmative response to this prompt will result in deletion of all
tagged files. When deletion is complete, ArcMaster will display the
number of files tagged and the number of files deleted. These
numbers will differ if any of the tagged files could not be deleted,
the case if they are marked hidden, system, or read-only.
Directories may be added or deleted to the drive served by either
window. After pressing F5 to display a list of directories on the
current drive, press INS to create a new directory. A window will
appear that permits the entry of the name of the new directory. If
the entered name is rejected by DOS as being invalid, an error
message will appear and an opportunity given to either abort or
re-enter the directory name. Directories created this way are
automatically added to the ArcMaster directory log file, AM40DIR.CAT.
Similarly, empty directories may be deleted by placing the cursor
over the directory name and pressing the DEL key. If the directory
contains files, DOS will reject the request to remove it, a beep will
sound, and ArcMaster will display the files currently residing in
that directory. This is appropriate since it is likely that the user
might wish to delete the files and re-attempt to remove the
directory.
In addition to the ability to call LIST.COM to browse a DOS file
or a file within a directory, ArcMaster supports passing a
highlighted file name to a user-specified editor. Pressing Ctrl-E
will call the editor designated by the user in the Configuration menu
and pass the name of the highlighted file as a parameter. Pressing
RETURN will call LIST with the highlighted file name.
Trouble Shooting.
In the event that problems are encountered during the use of
ArcMaster, it would be appreciated if the user would take the time to
check the items mentioned in this paragraph prior to calling for
support. The most common problem that will be encountered is the
failure to place the archive (and LIST) executable files in a
directory that is identified in the PATH command. The current DOS
PATH string may be examined by entering the DOS command PATH or SET.
Another common problem will undoubtedly be in neglecting to configure
ArcMaster for the archive system in use. If ArcMaster is set for
PKZIP (the distribution default) and the user attempts to operate the
program in the absence of PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE in the DOS PATH,
failure will result. It should be noted that although any type of
archive file directory may be viewed in either the LEFT or RIGHT
window, tagging is only allowed in the LEFT window and the archive
system present must match the ArcMaster configuration setting in
order to extract or browse (LIST) files inside an archive. It is
especially important to insure that the necessary archive system
files are present and in the DOS PATH for the conversion functions to
operate properly.
It is not possible to produce a non-trivial computer program that
is completely fault-free and ArcMaster is no exception. There are
undoubtedly bugs lurking that I and my beta testers failed to
identify and correct. One of the great strengths of the Shareware
concept is the interaction available between the program author and
the users. I welcome contact with users and I try very hard to be
responsive to bug reports and constructive criticsm. Much of the
design of this version is directly attributable to the input I have
received from ArcMaster users. If a design flaw or bug is detected,
please contact me and I'll fix it. I can't solve the problems that I
don't know about.
Credits.
New-Ware would like to acknowledge the important efforts of Tom
Kellen (Atlanta, GA) and Sallie Austin (Winnebago, IL) for their
outstanding support during the development and testing of ArcMaster.
It is also important to acknowledge the outstanding compiler and
pascal library technology from Borland International and TurboPower
Software, respectively. Credit is also due to System Enhancement
Associates, PKWare, Vernon Buerg, and NoGate Consulting for their
splendid efforts in developing fast and efficient archive programs.
Users of these programs are strongly urged support the authors
through registration.
Copyright 1989, all rights reserved.
February 1989
San Diego, California
