Introduction

The zip format of file compression is a standard on almost all computers except the Macintosh. ZipIt is a program that is designed to allow Mac users to easily create and decompress zip archives, especially to facilitate the exchange of data between platforms. ZipIt has a complete Macintosh interface, so it should be intuitive for the average Mac owner to use. In addition, ZipIt is able to compress Macintosh files using the MacBinary format, which allows it to fully reconstruct any Macintosh file, including applications, without sacrificing compatibility with other zip implementations. ZipIt is a shareware product; please see the section entitled “Registration” for full details.

What can ZipIt be used for?

ZipIt is fully compatible with PKZip and all other standard zip implementations. This means you can unzip any file zipped on any other computer, and you can zip files destined for other computers as well. Furthermore, ZipIt can zip Macintosh files, retaining all the Macintosh information.

In addition, ZipIt is AppleEvent-aware. It will receive the standard suite of AppleEvents, and has also defined its own suite that it accepts to compress and decompress files. This means that other programs can use ZipIt, and may even require ZipIt, to zip or unzip files. One such program that uses ZipIt is Freddie. Freddie is a QWK offline mail reader. It allows users to read messages from a BBS that supports the QWK mail packet format while not logged on to the BBS. Freddie uses ZipIt to decompress the QWK mail packet.

Source Code

While I will not release the entire source code for ZipIt, I would be glad to mail out copies of the zipping and unzipping code upon which ZipIt is based. This code is available on many BBSes, but, if you want, please send me a disk and a self-addressed stamped envelope at the address listed above, and I will copy onto the disk the source to Zip 1.0, Zip 1.93, Unzip 5.0, and UnZip 1.02c. The first three programs, written in generic C, were developed by the Info-zip group, and the last was adapted for the Macintosh by A. P. Maika. All programs are in C. Double-sided disks are preferred.

Reaching me

I can be reached at the following addresses:

Internet: tbrown@dorsai.org
                  tbrown@minerva.cis.yale.edu
America Online: Tommy6
CompuServe: 70314,3342
GEnie: P.L.COOPER

U.S. Mail - during the school year:

Tommy Brown
P.O. Box 203425 Yale Station
New Haven, CT  06520-3425

During the summer:

Tommy Brown
110-45 Queens Blvd. #716
Forest Hills, NY  11375