home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Gold Medal Software 5
/
Gold Medal Software - Volume 5 (Gold Medal) (1995).iso
/
archive
/
at810.arj
/
AT.DOC
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-05-19
|
49KB
|
1,081 lines
ARCTOOL
The ULTIMATE Archive File Manager
VERSION 8.10 Revision 0
(c) 1989,1994 GDSOFT
ARCTOOL is a shell to the many of the most popular archive
(compression) programs available. ARCTOOL will support
files compressed with PKZIP, ARC (SEA), PKARC, LHARC, LHA,
LHS, ARJ, ZOO, SQUEEZE, and PAK (Nogate).
ARCTOOL can support SFX files made with PAK, ARC, LHARC,
and PKZIP. These files are self-extracting, and have file
extensions of 'COM' or 'EXE'. ARCTOOL will try to
determine if a file is an SFX file and include it for your
review if it is.
Table of Contents
1. Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. THE MAIN SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1 SETTING ARCHIVER LOCATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 OTHER OPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.1 FILE ASSOCIATION FEATURE [ALT][O][O] . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.2 TURNING SFX LOOKUP OFF [ALT][O][X] . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.3 SPACEBAR TAG [ALT][O][T] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.4 FULL VIEW [ALT][O][U] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.5 CUSTOM VIEWER [ALT][O][V] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.6 EDIT ARCTOOL CONFIGURATION FILE [ALT][O][F] . . . . . . . 8
2.2.7 COLORS [ALT][O][C] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2.8 DRIVE STATUS ALT[O][D] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2.9 SCREEN LINES ALT[O][S] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3. THE ARCHIVE COMMAND WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.1 MULTIPLE LEVEL ARCHIVE EXTRACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2 SETUP COMMAND (CTRL P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.3 VIRUSCAN COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.4 DIR COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.5 CONVERT COMMAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.5.1 EDIT FILE_ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4. OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.1 VIEWING ANSI FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.2 ATCFG ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.3 COMMAND LINE SWITCHES : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.4 ARCTOOL TEMPORARY DIRECTORY AND PKTMP ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE . 16
4.5 USING ARCTOOL AS A SINGLE ARCHIVE VIEWER . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.6 PKUNZIP,PKZIP PKNOFASTCHAR ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE . . . . . . . 17
5. Why Register ARCTOOL ?? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6. Software Order Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
i
Chapter 1
Getting Started
MAJOR FEATURES OF ARCTOOL
-------------------------
... Graphical Interface !!
... Handles ALL versions of PKZIP INCLUDING any PKZ204.
... ASSOCIATE feature allows you to associate any program with any
file extension.
... NEW View ANSI files from file viewer.
... Allows CUSTOM VIEWER of YOUR choice as an option.
... ARCTOOL now unpacks archives found in other archives. You can
go up to 5 LEVELS deep.
... Copy, Rename or Delete Archives from within ARCTOOL.
... NEW !!! Convert archives from one format to another.
... Virus SCAN option using your favorite virus control program.
... Directory pruning and creation inside ARCTOOL. Now UNLIMITED !!
New "ZAP" feature deletes ENTIRE directory in an INSTANT !!
... Recognition of MORE SFX headers in 'COM' and 'EXE' files and ODD
named ZIP files such as 'QWK' files.
... Use Of Configuration file for archive paths. Makes startup FAST !!
... Command line switches /N ( Do NOT use configuration file )
/S ( create configuration file from archive paths ) AND NEW !!
/D ( read files ONLY in the current directory. ).
... UNLIMITED (only by available memory) number of archives.
... fixes for GOOFY machine BIOS (PS2, Zenith, Tandy) !!
... Network, NetBIOS, DeskView and WINDOWS COMPATIBLE !!!
... "quick" key search for file names. Just TYPE the name and ARCTOOL
will position on closet match.
... Changed COMMAND keys to ALT-CTRL combinations
... COMPLETE Rodent (mouse) support
... EGA/VGA 43/50 Line support
... SMALLER and FASTER .EXE file
... Edit FILE_ID.DIZ inside of archives
Since ARCTOOL is a shell, you obviously must have a version of the
de-arcing software that you want to use somewhere on the same drive
as ARCTOOL. You may need to tell ARCTOOL where to find these
external programs. There are TWO ways to do it.
1. Create a TEXT file ( use any editor ) in the same directory as
ARCTOOL. Name it AT.CFG and add the following lines :
1
Chapter 1. Getting Started 2
ARC=c:\WHATEVER\ARC.EXE
PAK=c:\SOMEPATH\PAK.EXE
ZIP=c:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE
LBR=c:\ARCHIVES\LUE.COM
ZOO=d:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE
LZH=e:\ANYPATH\LHA.EXE
ARJ=c:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE
PKA=d:\PKWARE\PKXARC.EXE
Change the paths to the EXACT location for each of these programs
that you will use with ARCTOOL. You DO NOT have to use all of these
formats. Just omit the one's that you DO NOT use.
2. Use the "Opts" function after running ARCTOOL, and select
ARCHIVER LOCATIONS. This is explained in detail later on.
ARCTOOL is executed for the DOS command line by entering AT. First,
the program will search your entire disk for files ending in the
extension 'ARC','PAK','LZH','LBR','ZOO','ARJ','ZIP' and 'COM' and
'EXE' (SFX files).
ARCTOOL has TWO main windows that are referred to in the rest of this
document as the MAIN window or screen, and the ARCHIVE window or
screen.
Chapter 2
THE MAIN SCREEN
┌────────────────────────── ARCTOOL 8.0 ─────────────────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Files : 112 Volume : DDRIVE │ │
│ │ Space Used : 24202640 Memory : 264616 │ │
│ │ Free Space : 78880768 Need : 0 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ $MENU ZIP D:\$MENU\ 1071230 12/13/93 11:07Am │ │
│ │ $MENUFNT ZIP D:\$MENU\ 50544 12/19/93 09:42Am │ │
│ │ ALLSWAGS ZIP D:\SWAG\ZIPS\ 1516099 11/26/93 07:38Am │ │
│ │ ANSIJ ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 41388 07/14/92 10:10Am │ │
│ │ AP ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 153713 03/27/93 06:20Pm │ │
│ │ AP600A ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 184712 02/05/94 11:29Am │ │
│ │ APRIL ZIP D:\LOG5\ 194438 05/26/93 10:29Am │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐ │
│ │ -Up ││ -Dn ││ Copy ││ Find ││ Opts ││ SetuP │ │
│ └────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘ │
│ ┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Del ││ DRive ││ Sort ││ Query ││ Zed ││ ┘-View │ │
│ └────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└─────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
2.1 SETTING ARCHIVER LOCATIONS
If you haven't used method #1 above to tell ARCTOOL where to find the
external archivers that you want to use, you need to do so NOW.
Press 'O' and you will see the MENU :
3
Chapter 2. THE MAIN SCREEN 4
┌───── ARCTOOL Options ─────┐
│ ┌───────────────────────┐ │
│ │ About │ │
│ │ AssOciate Files │ │
│ │ Archiver SetuP │ │
│ │ Check SFX - OFF │ │
│ │ Spacebar Tag - ON │ │
│ │ Full View - ON │ │
│ │ Add Custom Viewer │ │
│ │ Edit AT Config File │ │
│ │ Colors │ │
│ │ Drive Status │ │
│ │ Screen Lines - 25 │ │
│ └───────────────────────┘ │
└───────────────────────────┘
Select ARCHIVER LOCATIONS (ALT[O][P]).
The Archiver setup screen looks like this :
┌───────────────────── ARCHIVE Setup ─────────────────────┐
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ UNARC Program : D:\UTILITY\ARC.EXE │ │
│ │ UNPAK Program : D:\UTILITY\PAK.EXE │ │
│ │ UNZIP Program : D:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE │ │
│ │ UNLZH Program : D:\UTILITY\LHA.EXE │ │
│ │ UNARJ Program : D:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE │ │
│ │ UNZOO Program : D:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE │ │
│ │ UNLBR Program : D:\UTILITY\LUE.COM │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─── ,-Up/Down ┘-Select F4-DIZ Info Esc-Exit ──┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Enter the name of the program to use for each extension (i.e.
PKXARC.EXE), and if it is on the disk, ARCTOOL will find it. Of
course, you can enter the full path along with the filename (i.e.
C:\UTILITY\PKXARC.EXE).
Next you will be asked to select a decompression format. The
different programs available have different command line switches
that must be used. The selection window looks like this :
┌───────────── Select An Archive Format ────────────┐
│SEA : ARC {xepv}[ow] <ARCHIVE> [filename] │
│PKWARE : PK[xarc,unpak] {epc}[r] <ARCHIVE> [filen │
│PKWARE : PKUNZIP {epc} [o] <ARCHIVE> [filename] │
│NOGATE : PAK {ep}[wa] <ARCHIVE> [filename] │
│V.BUERG : LUE <ARCHIVE> [filename] │
│R.DHESI : ZOO {ep}[o] <ARCHIVE> [filename] │
│YOSHI : LHA[rc] {xepv}[n] <ARCHIVE> [filename] │
│R.JUNG : ARJ {xepv}[o] <ARCHIVE> [filename] │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Chapter 2. THE MAIN SCREEN 5
Select the appropriate format, and press 'RETURN'. You will then be
asked if you want to OVERWRITE existing files on extraction. Answer
'Y' or 'N'. Proceed with this process until you have entered a
program name for each file extension. If you do not want to use a
particular format, leave the slot blank. ARCTOOL will fill in NOT
USED in the slot for you.
┌───────────────────── ARCHIVE Setup ─────────────────────┐
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ UNARC Program : D:\UTILITY\ARC.EXE │ │
│ │ UNPAK Program : D:\UTILITY\PAK.EXE │ │
│ │ UNZIP Program : D:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE │ │
│ │ UNLBR Program : D:\UTILITY\LUE.COM │ │
│ │ UNZOO Program : D:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE │ │
│ │ UNLZH Program : D:\UTILITY\LHA.EXE │ │
│ │ UNARJ Program : D:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─── ,-Up/Down ┘-Select F4-DIZ Info Esc-Exit ──┘ │
│ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Overwrite Files ?? (Y/N) Y │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Press ESCAPE when you have finished this process. All of your
choices will be written out to disk, and may be changed again at
anytime. From the main window, you can again press '[ALT][O][L]' OR
from the archive window, you can use [CTRL][P].
Additionally, you will notice that the F4 key indicates that you can
edit the FILE_ID.DIZ Info. Using the CONVERT function explained
later in this document, ARCTOOL allows you to edit these description
files found in archives, and needs some information to be able to
handle them properly.
Chapter 2. THE MAIN SCREEN 6
┌───────────────────── ARCHIVE Setup ─────────────────────┐
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ UNARC Program : D:\UTILITY\ARC.EXE │ │
│ │ UNPAK Program : D:\UTILITY\PAK.EXE │ │
│ │ UNZIP Program : D:\UTILITY\PKUNZIP.EXE │ │
│ │ UNLZH Program : D:\UTILITY\LHA.EXE │ │
│ │ UNARJ Program : D:\UTILITY\ARJ.EXE │ │
│ │ UNZOO Program : D:\UTILITY\ZOO.EXE │ │
│ │ UNLBR Program : D:\UTILITY\LUE.COM │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─── ,-Up/Down ┘-Select F4-DIZ Info Esc-Exit ──┘ │
│ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ DIZ BBSAD : │ │
│ │ DIZ CommentFile : D:\TURBO\ARCS\ZIPLOGO.TXT │ │
│ │ DIZ Rightmargin : 40 │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Enter the name of a text file that you might like to add to each
archive as they are converted. Next enter the name of a comment file
that you want used for ARJ and ZIP file comments. Finally, tell
ARCTOOL the width of the FILE_ID.DIZ editor that you want to be the
default. Normally, this will be 40 characters. Up to 78 are
allowed.
That's it on the SETUP !!
2.2 OTHER OPTIONS
2.2.1 FILE ASSOCIATION FEATURE [ALT][O][O]
If you have used "WINDOWS", then you may already be familiar with the
concept of FILE associations. Actually, it's pretty simple, whenever
the <ENTER> key is pressed on a highlighted file, ARCTOOL will
execute some program that you associate with that files extension.
To use this feature, go to the SETUP menu, and press the "O" key.
Enter the extension of the file type, and a program that you want to
execute when this file extension is encountered. If the file can be
found in your path, then it will be displayed. You can enter up to
10 extensions and filenames. Press F1 when you are finished to save
your information. From then on, whenever you press <ENTER> on one of
the selected file extensions, your program file will be executed for
that file. This is really nice for viewing PCX, LOTUS, WORDPERFECT
or other files that ARCTOOL will not handle internally. Of course,
you need a "viewer" program such as "PCTOOLS VIEW.EXE".
Chapter 2. THE MAIN SCREEN 7
2.2.2 TURNING SFX LOOKUP OFF [ALT][O][X]
ARCTOOL by default looks at EVERY 'EXE' and 'COM' file to determine
if the file is an 'SFX' format file. If you have a directory with a
LOT of these files, this can take a while, sometimes, A LONG WHILE
!!. Especially on floppy disks, this can seem to take FOREVER !!!.
You can turn this feature off selection of this option on the OPTIONS
menu or by using the 'CTRL O' switch once inside of ARCTOOL. You
will be given a message that the SFX feature is now ON (or OFF)
depending on the previous state.
Since this feature is a toggle, you will be changing it to the
OPPOSITE of what it now is. If it seems that ARCTOOL is slow on
directories that have a LOT of COM and EXE files, try pressing CTRL O
and see if this speeds things up. You WILL however LOSE the ability
to identify SFX "COM" and "EXE' files.
Optionally, you may switch the SFX lookup from the CONFIGURATION
file. To do this, simple place a statement at the TOP of the file
like this : SFX=OFF or SFX=ON. From that point on, SFX lookup will
be on/off. This is handy if you have some directories that you want
SFX on and others that you want it off. Simply place SFX=ON BEFORE
the directories that you want SFX lookup, and SFX=OFF BEFORE the ones
that you do not. This method of turning SFX on or off will NOT be
written to the EXE file.
2.2.3 SPACEBAR TAG [ALT][O][T]
This option determines how ARCTOOL will handle tagging files with the
SPACEBAR. Once you open an archive for extraction or whatever, you
may want to TAG only certain files. You can use the 'T' (TAG) or 'U'
(UNTAG) keys for this purpose. By default, the SPACEBAR will also
tag files and move to the NEXT file down. This option allows you to
determine if ARCTOOL will TAG files when the spacebar is press or
not.
2.2.4 FULL VIEW [ALT][O][U]
The default for this option is ON. This determines how ARCTOOL will
handle viewing of files using the internal file viewer. By default,
ARCTOOL shows your files in FULL SCREEN VIEW mode. The screen will
be white letter on a black background. You may select to have
ARCTOOL display in a graphical window. The colors will be the same
as the main archive window in this case, and the text will be
displayed in a double pain window.
2.2.5 CUSTOM VIEWER [ALT][O][V]
ARCTOOL has a built-in file viewer that is VERY fast. The caveat is
that it will ONLY view text files. Many people like the program
LIST.COM or SEE.COM and some like the fancy viewers like PCTOOLS
VIEW.EXE. This option allows the installation of an ALTERNATE viewer
of your choice. Enter the program name including the full path. If
you choose to do this, ALL views for ALL file extensions (UNLESS YOU
HAVE ASSOCIATED THAT EXTENSION WITH SOME OTHER PROGRAM) will be
Chapter 2. THE MAIN SCREEN 8
directed to your view program, and the internal viewer will be
disabled.
2.2.6 EDIT ARCTOOL CONFIGURATION FILE [ALT][O][F]
(ALSO SEE COMMAND LINE SWITCHES )
This option SAVES the current directories containing archives to the
ARCTOOL configuration file and allows you to EDIT the choices.
As indicated earlier, you can MANUALLY create this configuration file
which MUST be named 'AT.CFG'. It can contain the pathnames where you
want 'ARCTOOL' to search for archives. If ARCTOOL can find this
file, by default, it WILL NOT search EVERY drive on your disk for the
presence of archives. This can make the startup process VERY fast if
you are only placing archives in one or two directories but have a
LOT of paths on your hard drive.
Additionally, you can tell ARCTOOL where to find the appropriate
archive programs that you will use.
The configuration file must be an ASCII text file, and can be created
with any text editor. Items must be ONE PER LINE, and can be any
path on your disk. Blank lines are ignored.
EXAMPLE :
C:\
SFX=ON
D:\ARCHIVES\SFX=OFF
\ZIPFILES\
Z:\PAHTNAME\SFX=ON
You can include ANY path on any physical drive, as long as the
physical drive exists. Notice the SFX=ON,OFF. This tells ARCTOOL to
turn the search for SFX files ON or OFF for this directory. It can
be on the same line as the file path as shown in the example, or on a
separate line.
If you choose to use the OPTION menu choice to save the
configuration, then you will be presented with a list of current
files ALREADY tagged for saving. You can ('U') Untag the ones you
don't want and use F4 to turn SFX=ON or F5 to turn SFX=OFF. When you
have the list correct, you MUST press F10 to save the file.
2.2.7 COLORS [ALT][O][C]
ARCTOOL allows you set the colors to anything you desire. This
function is pretty intuitive, so play around until you get the screen
to look like you want it to. You can return to the DEFAULT colors by
pressing [CTRL][R] when in the color setup. You can also access the
color setup from the main screen by pressing the SCROLL LOCK.
Chapter 2. THE MAIN SCREEN 9
2.2.8 DRIVE STATUS ALT[O][D]
Often, you might want to check disk space on a drive to make sure
that you have enough room to unpack the archive. This lets you do
that. It simply asks for a drive letter, and displays information
about the space available on the drive selected.
2.2.9 SCREEN LINES ALT[O][S]
You can select either 25 Line or 43/50 Mode. This function ONLY
works on EGA,VGA monitors. ARCTOOL will know which you have.
NOW, back to main screen filled with archive files.
┌────────────────────────── ARCTOOL 8.0 ─────────────────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Files : 112 Volume : DDRIVE │ │
│ │ Space Used : 24202640 Memory : 264616 │ │
│ │ Free Space : 78880768 Need : 0 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ $MENU ZIP D:\$MENU\ 1071230 12/13/93 11:07Am │ │
│ │ $MENUFNT ZIP D:\$MENU\ 50544 12/19/93 09:42Am │ │
│ │ ALLSWAGS ZIP D:\SWAG\ZIPS\ 1516099 11/26/93 07:38Am │ │
│ │ ANSIJ ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 41388 07/14/92 10:10Am │ │
│ │ AP ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 153713 03/27/93 06:20Pm │ │
│ │ AP600A ZIP D:\TURBO\ARCS\ 184712 02/05/94 11:29Am │ │
│ │ APRIL ZIP D:\LOG5\ 194438 05/26/93 10:29Am │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐ │
│ │ -Up ││ -Dn ││ Copy ││ Find ││ Opts ││ SetuP │ │
│ └────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘ │
│ ┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌────────┐┌─────────┐ │
│ │ Del ││ DRive ││ Sort ││ Query ││ Zed ││ ┘-View │ │
│ └────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└────────┘└─────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
ALT[C] activates the copy function and allows the archive to be
copied to any path on your system.
ALT[F] allows you find any other copies of the archive that exist
anywhere.
ALT[D] deletes the archive after prompting for deletion.
ALT[R] allows you to traverse your directory tree and bring back only
archives for the select directory.
ALT[Q] is the same as the Drive Status function on the OPTIONS menu,
and allows you to query the space on any disk drive.
ALT[S] sorts the archives listed in a variety of output styles.
Chapter 2. THE MAIN SCREEN 10
ALT[Z] is the function that I call ZED which TOGGLES ARCTOOL between
the single path switch (/d) and the normal use of the configuration
file. ARCTOOL MUST be executed WITHOUT any commandline switches.
The first toggle will cause ARCTOOL to act like a normal file manager
program. You'll be returned to the ROOT directory of your drive, and
you'll be able to select archives from any of those directories.
This is especially useful on floppy drives when you are changing
disks and checking them. Toggle again, and ARCTOOL will reread the
configuration file and present itself normally.
Simply use the cursor keys to select one of the archives. Press
<ENTER> and the archive contents will be displayed. You can also use
SHIFT and the first letter of any archive name, and ARCTOOL will jump
to that file if one exists.
Chapter 3
THE ARCHIVE COMMAND WINDOW
After selecting an archive, its contents will be read, and all of its
files will be presented. The command window at the bottom of the
screen displays all of the features of ARCTOOL.
┌────────────── Archive : D:\TURBO\ARCS\BONUS2.ZIP ──────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Files : 9 OutPath : D:\TURBO\ARCS │ │
│ │ Byte Total : 236338 Memory : 306008 │ │
│ │ Free Space : 87719936 Need : 0 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ BROWSE EXE LZCrunch 39008 12/05/90 05:54Am │ │
│ │ CASE EXE Stored 9124 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ ER EXE Stored 32045 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ FIND EXE Stored 20841 10/18/91 12:05Pm │ │
│ │ LAB EXE Stored 18682 10/18/91 12:03Pm │ │
│ │ TR EXE Stored 31544 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ VF EXE Stored 23785 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ ZAPDIR EXE Stored 22662 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ┌──────────┐┌──────────┐┌──────────┐┌──────────┐┌──────────┐ │
│ │ Extract ││ Delete ││ Print ││ View ││ Find │ │
│ └──────────┘└──────────┘└──────────┘└──────────┘└──────────┘ │
│ ┌──────────┐┌──────────┐┌──────────┐┌──────────┐┌──────────┐ │
│ │ Convert ││ Sort ││ Tag ││ UnTag ││ Ctrl-More│ │
│ └──────────┘└──────────┘└──────────┘└──────────┘└──────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The files listed can now be treated like ANY other files on your
disk. Again, use the cursor keys to traverse the list of files.
The 'ALT D' key allows files within the archive to be deleted, so be
careful, you'll only get one chance.
Files can be Tagged (ALT T) or UnTagged (ALT U). Also, by default,
the SPACEBAR will TAG the file and move down to the NEXT file. To
disable SPACEBAR TAG, use the OPTIONS menu.
Files can be Extracted (ALT E) singularly, or in combinations to any
Outpath (ALT L).
11
Chapter 3. THE ARCHIVE COMMAND WINDOW 12
Files can also be Viewed (ALT V) on the CRT or Printed (ALT P) on the
printer.
Files can be SORTED (ALT S) in any order, and ARCTOOL will save the
sort switch for future invocations of ARCTOOL.
The FIND (ALT F) function will search the current disk for any file
with the same name as the highlighted file.
3.1 MULTIPLE LEVEL ARCHIVE EXTRACTION
ARCTOOL provides the means to look at files in archives even if the
archive in question is in another archive. For example, let's say
the you have an archive called FOUR.ZIP which contains the file
THREE.ZIP. Inside THREE.ZIP is the file TWO.ZIP and so on. Press
the VIEW key, on the first archive, and it will open up the next one.
You will notice that the screen shifts right 2 columns with each
level that you go to. You can do this up to 5 levels.
Use the CTRL key to see the additional commands available :
┌────────────── Archive : D:\TURBO\ARCS\BONUS2.ZIP ──────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Files : 9 OutPath : D:\TURBO\ARCS │ │
│ │ Byte Total : 236338 Memory : 306008 │ │
│ │ Free Space : 87719936 Need : 0 │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ BROWSE EXE LZCrunch 39008 12/05/90 05:54Am │ │
│ │ CASE EXE Stored 9124 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ ER EXE Stored 32045 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ FIND EXE Stored 20841 10/18/91 12:05Pm │ │
│ │ LAB EXE Stored 18682 10/18/91 12:03Pm │ │
│ │ TR EXE Stored 31544 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ VF EXE Stored 23785 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ │ ZAPDIR EXE Stored 22662 10/18/91 12:04Pm │ │
│ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │
│ │ VirusScan │ │ TagExtract │ │ TagDelete │ │ LogDrive │ │
│ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ │
│ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │
│ │ TagAll │ │ UnTagAll │ │ Dirs │ │ Setup │ │
│ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The 'CTRL T' key tags all of the files in the archive, and the 'CTRL
U' key untags all tagged files. Files can also be tagged with the
SPACEBAR unless SPACEBAR TAG is OFF ( See OPTIONS on MAIN screen).
Chapter 3. THE ARCHIVE COMMAND WINDOW 13
3.2 SETUP COMMAND (CTRL P)
See description of the ARCHIVER LOCATIONS above.
3.3 VIRUSCAN COMMAND
This works in conjunction with your favorite virus scan program. I
use SCAN.EXE by McAfee ( THE BEST SHAREWARE scanner there is !!.
Please Register !!), which can be found on any bulletin board. The
files will be unpacked to a temporary directory and you will be asked
for the scan program. Include any command line switches that you
might need. The files will be scanned and viruses, if any, will be
reported.
3.4 DIR COMMAND
This command will display a tree of all of the directories on the
current drive. Directories can be added or DELETED, (BE CAREFUL ..
ALL FILES INCLUDING SUBDIRS WILL BE DELETED TOO !!!) The path
selected will become the new OUTPATH for the archives that you might
extract.
3.5 CONVERT COMMAND
ARCTOOL has the ability to convert archives from one format to
another and at the same time, edit a FILE_ID.DIZ for that particular
archive. Simply press the 'ALT C' key and you will be allowed to
select the new format. The archive will be created in the same
directory as the original, and THE ORIGINAL WILL NOT BE DELETED,
however if it already exists, you will asked to overwrite it. You
may delete the original if you want to back in the main program
window.
3.5.1 EDIT FILE_ID
As files are converted you are allowed to edit those nice little
description files commonly found in archive files (ZIP,ARJ,LZH).
Many BBS systems use this file as the ACTUAL description whenever the
archive file is uploaded to them. Commonly, the file is named
FILE_ID.DIZ, however other variations are FILE.DES or FILE.SDI. In
this document, I'll refer to this file regardless of the flavor as
the FILE_ID.
You may edit the existing FILE_ID if it already exists in the
archive, and if not, it allows you to create it.
The DEFAULT file that ARCTOOL looks for is FILE_ID.DIZ. If that does
NOT exist, then it looks for a file with the extension of "DES". If
that does NOT exist then it looks for a file with the extension of
"SDI". If your archive contains NONE of these then ARCTOOL will
present you with a list of the files in this archive. You may choose
one of them to be READIN, and the ARCTOOL permits editing. This is
Chapter 3. THE ARCHIVE COMMAND WINDOW 14
useful if you DO NOT already have a FILE_ID, and you want to use the
DOC file or a TXT file as a basis to create from. The file that will
be created in this case is FILE_ID.DIZ.
You can enter up to 4096 characters. BE WARNED !!! Many BBS sites
ONLY permit 15 lines by 40 characters to be displayed in their
descriptions. You can have as many lines as you have memory for, and
each line can be up to 78 characters.
At anytime, during the process, you can press the 'F1' key, and
READIN any file on your disk as a basis for the FILE_ID. To save the
FILE_ID and re-pack the archive, press the 'F10' key. Pressing
ESCAPE exits WITHOUT saving.
The file will automatically repacked using the format that you
choose. At that time. If your file is an ARJ or ZIP file, you can
optionally add a comment to the ZIP or ARJ header or a BBS
advertisement to the ZIP file. To accomplish this, the AT.CFG file
has the following switches added :
MARGIN=40
COMMENT=\SOMEPATH\ZIPLOGO.TXT
BBSAD=\SOMEPATH\MYADD.TXT
These can be set using any ASCII text editor, or in the SETUP
function CTRL[S] on the main menu.
Chapter 4
OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
4.1 VIEWING ANSI FILES
ARCTOOL CAN VIEW ANSI Files. If you are using the internal viewer,
(NO CUSTOM VIEWER INSTALLED), press 'CTRL T' when viewing and if the
file contains ANSI codes, it will displayed in all its glory !!
4.2 ATCFG ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE
In some applications, AT.CFG will be on another drive or there are a
LOT of subdirectories, and you may want to EXPLICITLY declare where
ARCTOOL can find the configuration file. You can use the DOS "SET"
command to do this. From DOS, just enter SET ATCFG="somepath".
ARCTOOL will look for and save the configuration file in the path you
specify.
4.3 COMMAND LINE SWITCHES :
There are two command line switches that can be used with ARCTOOL to
control the configuration file.
/N - DO NOT USE CONFIGURATION FILE. If you have created a
configuration file, then ARCTOOL will use it as a default. This
switch will cause ARCTOOL to ignore the configuration file, and ALL
paths on the current disk will be searched for archives.
/S[G] - CREATE CONFIGURATION FILE. Using this switch causes ARCTOOL
to create a configuration file from the pathnames where it finds
archive files. Any previous version of the configuration file WILL
BE OVERWRITTEN. Subsequent uses of ARCTOOL will use this newly
created configuration file unless you specify the /N switch on the
command line. /SG forces ARCTOOL to read ACROSS ALL LOGICAL drives.
/D - READ FILES ONLY IN SELECTED OR CURRENT DIRECTORY. This switch
will cause ARCTOOL to read files in the CURRENT directory ONLY and
NOT any subdirectories. If used with a path, ONLY files in that
directory and NOT any subdirectory will be displayed. This switch is
ALWAYS OVERRIDDEN by /S or /N.
15
Chapter 4. OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW 16
SAMPLE COMMAND LINES : AT /n
AT /s ( read current logical drive )
AT /sg ( read ALL logical drives )
AT A: /S
AT C: /S
AT /d \zip NOTE : The /d MUST be first !!
AT /d
Only use ONE of these switch on the command line at a time.
4.4 ARCTOOL TEMPORARY DIRECTORY AND PKTMP ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE
ARCTOOL creates a temporary directory that it uses to unpack files
for viewing or printing. Normally, this directory is created on the
same disk that the program is on. PKZIP also uses a temporary file
to do its work.
ARCTOOL will use the same temporary disk that you assign for PKZIP.
You may have this temporary file created in a different directory by
setting the environment variable PKTMP. Set this equal to the drive
you wish to use as your temporary file location and ARCTOOL temporary
directory.
For optimal performance on your local harddrive, the PKTMP could be
set equal to a RAM drive if a large enough one is available. This
will make EVERYTHING run VERY FAST !!!! The temporary file location
must have enough free space to hold ALL the files in their
UNCOMPRESSED state.
A one or two MEG RAM drive would be sufficient for most compressed
files.
For optimal performance when working with a .ZIP file on a Novell
Netware volume, set the PKTMP equal to any drive on the same server.
This will achieve the best performance, and is superior to using the
local hard drive or the RAM drive.
It is best to set this variable in your 'AUTOEXEC.BAT' file so that
it will be there when you boot.
EXAMPLE C:\>set pktmp=z:\
Chapter 4. OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW 17
4.5 USING ARCTOOL AS A SINGLE ARCHIVE VIEWER
ARCTOOL can be used as a handy command line program to view a single
archive by simply entering the archive name and path on the command
line.
EXAMPLE : AT \SOMEPATH\SOMEARC.ZIP
In this case, ARCTOOL will open the indicated archive and you can
proceed to do whatever with it.
4.6 PKUNZIP,PKZIP PKNOFASTCHAR ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE
ARCTOOL wants to control the entire show when running programs such
as PKZIP and PKUNZIP, ESPECIALLY where characters are written to
screen. With version 2.04 of PKUNZIP, there is an environment
variable provided to tell PKUNZIP NOT to write using video BIOS,
which is NOW PKUNZIP's default.
You may set this varible by using the command SET PKNOFASTCHAR=NO
from the DOS command line, however YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO SO. ARCTOOL
recognizes this FAST BIOS output from PKZIP and adjusts
AUTOMATICALLY.
Chapter 5
Why Register ARCTOOL ??
Well, that's pretty much it. I think that you will find ARCTOOL easy
to use, FAST, and once you get used to using it, indispensable !!
If you like ARCTOOL, then please register it. For those who do, I
will send my super dooper BONUS archive as well. Believe me there
are many goodies on this BONUS disk including the companion programs
ARCPLUS Version 6.0, which will allow you create archives in any of
the formats, and the FILEMANAGER PLUS, an exciting NEW program which
does ALL that you could EVER want a file manager program to do,
including everything that ARCTOOL does and MUCH MORE !!!
(FILEMANAGER PLUS will NOT be uploaded anywhere !! This is the only
way you can get it !!).
SHAREWARE ONLY WORKS IF YOU REGISTER, SO,
REGISTER TODAY !! REGISTER TODAY !!! REGISTER TODAY !!! REGISTER
TODAY !!!!
If you have any comments or questions, I would REALLY love to receive
your comments or suggestions. I can be reached by leaving mail at
any of the BBS systems listed above or on GENIE (G.D.DAVIS) or
CompuServe (72067,2726), or write to me at the above address or
better yet, call GDSOFT BBS (219) 875-8133, 24 hours, HST
14400,8,N,1.
INTERNET : 72067.2726@compuserve.com OR ga02361@vnet.net
18
===============================================================
ARCTOOL Order Form
===============================================================
Name ______________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________
City _______________________ State _______ Zip ___________
Country ____________________ Telephone ___________________
CompuServe account (optional) _____________________________
Bulletin board where you found ARCTOOL_____________________
Comments __________________________________________________
Please send _________ copies of ARCTOOL.
PRICING :
1 - 3 copies $30.00 each
4 - 20 copies 10% discount
21 - 50 copies 20% discount
51 - 100 copies 30% discount
101 - 200 copies 40% discount
200+ copies 50% discount
Add $5 to the total amount of the order if the software is being
shipped out of the United States. I cannot accept checks from non-US
banks. Visa OR MasterCard credit card charges are accepted but a
check, money order, or cash is preferred. If you wish to use a
credit card specify the billing name, address, card number, and
expiration date.
Distribution disk choice (check one):
3.50" HD (1.4 MB) ______
5.25" HD (1.2 MB) ______
5.25" DD (360 KB) ______
Mail order form and make checks payable to :
G.D. DAVIS
57280 Osage Drive
Goshen, Indiana 46526
Index 20
ARCHIVE WINDOW, 11 SFX LOOKUP
converting, 13 Config file, 7, 8
deleting, 11 options menu, 7
extraction, 11 SHAREWARE, 18
extraction path, 11 SORTING OUTPUT
finding, 12 archive window, 12
more archives, 12 main window, 9
printing, 12 SPACEBAR TAG
sorting, 12 archive window, 11
tagging, 11, 12 options menu, 7
viewing, 12 VIEWING ANSI FILES, 15
viewing ansi, 15 VIRUSCAN, 13
ARCHIVER LOCATIONS, 3 ZED, 10
ARCPLUS, 18
ARCTOOL CONFIG FILE, 1
editing, 8
COLORS, 8
COMMAND LINE, 15
CONVERT ARCHIVES, 13
COPY FUNCTION, 9
CUSTOM VIEWER, 7
DELETE FILES
main screen, 9
DELETING FILES
archive window, 11
DIR COMMAND, 13
DIRECTORY TREE, 9
DRIVE QUERY, 9
DRIVE STATUS
main screen, 9
options menu, 9
EDIT FILE_ID, 13
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE, 15
FILE ASSOCIATIONS, 6
FILEMANAGER PLUS, 18
FIND FILES
main screen, 9
FINDING FILES
archive window, 12
FULL VIEW
options menu, 7
GDSOFT, 18
MAIN SCREEN, 3
MAJOR FEATURES, 1
MULTIPLE ARCHIVES, 12
Order form, 19
PKTMP VARIABLE, 16
QUICK START, 1
REGISTRATION, 18
Registration form, 19
SCREEN LINES, 9
SDI FILES, 13
SETUP
archive window, 13
main window, 3
