Resource Library: Multimedia/Resource Library: Multimedia.iso/archvrs/os2/av145/av.doc

Text File | 1992-10-31 | 14.6 KB | 371 lines

                        AV (Archive Viewer)
                   Copyright (c) 1992 by M. Kimes
                        All rights reserved



Overview:
========

AV is a 32-bit PM archive viewing, application launching, and
file/directory maintenance utility for OS/2 2.x.

For archive viewing, AV uses a plain text configuration file
(ARCHIVER.BB2) to get information about how different archives look and
how their corresponding archivers work.  This file is included in the AV
archive and is easy to modify to add other archivers using a text
editor (there are also internal editting functions in AV).  As supplied,
LH2, PKZIP, ZOO, ARJ (via UNARJ) and ARC are configured for you (see
versions below).  AV requires the OS/2 archivers to be present (on your
PATH, preferably) to work.  AV is a controller program that collects
data from and interchanges it between you, your files, and your
archivers.

AV also supports file association; associating datafiles with executable
files so that applications can be started by selecting data files.  AV
also has OS/2 1.x-like Groups for those who might want to use it as a
replacement to the Workplace Shell due to memory constrictions.  Groups
are limited, and the Mass Move/Copy/Delete/Manipulation and Build
Archive commands are non-functional in the unregistered version of AV.
You do not have to use AV for archive viewing to use the program
launching and file maintenance features.

AV requires that the Helv bitmapped and system mono fonts that came with
OS/2 be installed.  They almost always are.


Setting up AV:
=============

To use AV, copy ARCHIVER.BB2 (if you want archive viewing capability)
and AV.EXE somewhere on your PATH (or DPATH for ARCHIVER.BB2).  Type
PATH at a CMD.EXE command prompt to see what your PATH is.  Check the
Command Reference under PATH, DPATH and SET if you don't have any idea
what I'm talking about (hint:  d:\OS2 is always on the PATH, where d: is
the drive on which you installed OS/2).  Typing HELP SET at a command
line should get you on the right track.  Alternatively, check the
Command Reference in the Information folder.

Copy AV.HLP into your HELP directory.  Type SET and look for HELP=... to
find it (hint:  it's usually d:\OS2\HELP, where d: is the drive on which
you installed OS/2).

The first time you run AV, press F10 and set up the programs that you'll
be using with AV.  If you give no Viewer, AV uses a cheap internal MLE
viewer.  You can run TESTAV.EXE before running AV the first time to get
an idea of how compatible AV's default setup is with your system, and to
give AV.EXE a quick integrity check.

As you've received AV, it's set up for the following OS/2 archivers on
your PATH:

Zoo         1.51 (also seems to work with 2.1)
PK(Un)Zip   1.01
LH2         2.11
UnArj       2.10
Arc         5.12mpl

        Archiver credits:

        Zoo         --  Rahul Dhesi
        Zip         --  Mark Adler, Richard B. Wales, Jean-loup Gailly
                        and Kai Uwe Rommel.
        Unzip       --  S. H. Smith and others / Info-ZIP
        PK(UN)ZIP   --  PKWARE
        Arc         --  System Enhancements Associates
        Lh2         --  Peter Fitzsimmons
        Arj         --  Robert K. Jung

If your archivers aren't on your PATH, or if you use different
archivers, you will probably need to make adjustments to ARCHIVER.BB2.
There are notes in the file about how to replace PK(Un)Zip with
Zip/Unzip, Arc 5.12mpl with Arc2 6.0, and UnArj 2.10 with Scott Dudley's
port of UnArj 2.30.  There are general notes on how it's done if you
need to set up something entirely different.  AV will also try to help
you out while you're in the program if it senses something may be amiss
(like you screwed up); there's a built-in archiver detail editor for
quick changes and testing to the archiver details.

Please do use all those Help keys/buttons/menu items; that's what
they're there for.  Could save you some time in the long run.

Warning:  Go ahead and look at AV, but if your archivers aren't those
listed above, and located on your PATH, don't expect AV's archive
viewing to magically work properly until you edit ARCHIVER.BB2, either
internally or externally.  You can test AV out on the TEST.* archives
included in the distribution archive inside archive TESTARC.ZIP; unpack
them, select them, and see what happens.


Using AV:
========

Typing AV at a command line prompt (or using a reasonable OS/2
facsimile, like an AV program object) will bring up AV.  On the command
line you can optionally follow "AV" with a path or filename.  Command
line examples:

  Start AV in current directory:
    AV
  Start AV on drive D: in directory \ARCS (note trailing backslash):
    AV D:\ARCS\
  Start AV on drive E: in directory \ADIR looking at ANARC.ARC:
    AV E:\ARCS\ANARC.ARC

AV operates by presenting you with a few different dialogue boxes in
which you can pick things to look at or do.  There's full documentation
available online, so this file is brief.


When you upgrade or add archivers:
=================================

The file ARCHIVER.BB2 contains all the information AV uses to get at the
guts of an archive.  ARCHIVER.BB2 has comments in it to explain how it
works, how to modify it and how to add to it.  If your copy of AV seems
to not be working properly (identifying files properly), chances are good
that your version of an archiver isn't the same as the one for which the
file was made.  You'll have to load ARCHIVER.BB2 and modify it.  Look at
the bottom of ARCHIVER.BB2 for some hints on the easiest ways to do that.

Note that there are a couple of different versions of archivers floating
around that have details different than those "stock" in ARCHIVER.BB2.
I've made commented notes in the file where I know of differences to
make it easier for you to change, and AV should let you know if it
thinks you might need to tweak ARCHIVER.BB2.  Don't be afraid, crank up
a text editor and fix it.

If AV thinks you've got a buggered-up archiver entry, it'll try to give
you advice and help you fix it.  You'll need to refer to the notes in
the ARCHIVER.BB2 that came with AV for full details, so save a copy.

Most of the time when you upgrade (as opposed to add or completely
change) an archiver, you'll be able to simply select an archive of the
type being upgraded, then come to the Archiver Details screen and tweak
your settings.  It's even possible you'll never notice the change...


Hints:
======

Use the Workplace to associate archive names (*.ZIP, *.LZH, etc.) with
AV (right-click on AV's program object, open Settings, and look at the
third page, Associations).  Then, if you double-click on an archiver
object in Drives, AV will be executed.

Under Parameters on the first page (Program) of AV's program Settings,
put %* so that if you drag an archive onto AV's program object it'll
kick up and directly view the archive.

Use AV's association feature to associate *.TAR with a TAR archiver (no
way I know of to tell they're archives by peeking at the file; this
trick should work with other "weird" archive types).

If you're a C programmer you might want to associate *.MAK files with
your compiler, and *.C and *.H files with your text editor.  Use the
Mass File Management dialogue to select files for a grep 1Command (be
sure to check the Keep box or redirect output to a disk file).

Set up some commonly used filemasks in advance, including those you
might use for file maintenance (*.BAK, FNEWS*.*, etc.) and save them by
calling up the Config dialog, checking "Save As Defaults," and clicking
Okay.  You can have up to 25 masks, and masks can contain multiple
entries separated by a semi-colon.  I've given you a few default masks,
called up if you have none saved, to give you an idea what can be done.

If you have a large collection of text files or .INF files, keep them in
one-file-per-archives and use AV, in Viewer mode, to select them for
viewing.  AV will automatically extract and view the file when the
archive is selected.  Of course, you could also organize your files into
archive of related material and select files from these "library
sections." This can save you a lot of disk space for reference material,
and maybe even help you get organized.


Replacing the Workplace Shell:
=============================

To use AV as your Workplace Shell (not recommended unless you're in a
very tight memory situation, say less than 8mb), install as above, then
change the line in your CONFIG.SYS that starts SET RUNWORKPLACE= with

 SET RUNWORKPLACE=<drive>:<directory\>AV.EXE

where <drive>:<directory> is the path to where you have AV.EXE
installed. You can just REM out the old line to let you easily change
your CONFIG.SYS back if AV doesn't work out as you'd like.

When AV is running as the Workplace Shell, you can use it to set a
bitmap to the desktop background.  Highlight the bitmap file, then
select Files->Desktop.  AV calls OS/2 to set the bitmap. To get rid of
the bitmap and restore the desktop to a color, highlight something
besides a bitmap and select Desktop as above.


Known bugs/features:
===================

AV doesn't handle filenames with spaces in them.  There's a limit of 500
files/archive (200 for the unregistered version).  The internal viewer
is limited to loading about 58K (OS/2 MLE restriction); I suggest you
configure a better general-purpose reader.  Setting a desktop bitmap
with anything but Scaled doesn't work.

There could be more bugs, of course -- AV is a non-trivial program --
but these are all I know about.


Commonly asked questions, commonly given answers:
================================================

Q: When I select a file that's not an archive, I get a message box
   telling me the file is not an archive and asking if I want to view it.
   How do I prevent the message box from appearing?

A: Uncheck "Confirm View?" in the Config dialog (F10).

Q: I can't seem to view .PAK and .SDN archives.

A: There's no OS/2 version of PAK available yet.

Q: Sometimes when I start AV it tells me the extract directory already
   exists.  Why?

A: You probably either quit AV while another program (probably a viewer)
   had a file open that was in one of the temporary directories AV
   creates while running, so AV couldn't clean up behind itself, or shut
   down dirty (power loss) while AV was running.  Ensure that you don't
   have another copy of AV already running, then click Yes on the
   message box.  Things should proceed normally from there.


Warranty:
========

Absolutely none.


Support:
=======

Registered users may send and receive Fidonet netmail, Snail mail or
call the BBS with questions and answers (although, to be honest, AV is
so simple help should rarely if ever be needed).  See end of document
for addresses.

Unregistered users will get help as and if I get the time.  If you never
bothered to edit ARCHIVER.BB2 don't bother to ask for help.


Shareware:
=========

If you like and use AV, you should send the author $25.00 US via check
or money order (sorry, no plastic) at the address below.  The
"registered" version doesn't have the opening popup, has working Move,
Copy, Build, Groups, etc., and will probably have further enhancements
by the time you register (I may not be the best programmer around, but
I'm balls fast).

You may continue to use the unregistered version of AV if you're a
tightwad, or just plain broke.  My intent is not to gouge you for cash,
but to provide a service and sell a program.  You must register,
however, to get a fully functional copy of AV.

The above prices and terms are for private individuals.  Commercial
users _must_ register to use AV, and must pay $50.00 US per machine.


Copyrights and such:
===================

Zoo         --  Rahul Dhesi
Lh2         --  Peter Fitzsimmons
PK(UN)ZIP   --  PKWARE
Arj         --  Robert Jung
Zip         --  Mark Adler, Richard B. Wales, Jean-loup Gailly
                and Kai Uwe Rommel.
Unzip       --  S. H. Smith and others / Info-ZIP
Pak         --  Nogate Consulting
Fidonet     --  Tom Jennings
AV          --  Mark Kimes


History:
=======

1.32:
o AV was user friendly before; now it's user protective.
o Added checks on configured programs where possible without slowing
  down AV at every turn
o Added online editting of ARCHIVER.BB2 info
o Added multiple filemask spec; multiple masks separated by ;
o 32-bit OS/2 2.x executable now; was 16-bit

1.33:
o Added still more user protection
o Added filemask storage and retrieval
o Added cheap internal viewer for those who don't have a viewer
  configured

1.34:
o Fixed "no restore from window list" 2.0 buglet.  I'll bet this one
  bites a lot of 1.x and converted programs...

1.35:
o Fixed bug that disallowed extracting existing files (duh)

1.36:
o Lots of new looks this version:  many windows may now be sized, and
  "main" windows have regular menus instead of lots of buttons or
  drop-down controls.  I hope I haven't sacrificed ease of use for this
  more "standard" look and feel...
o Simplified the Archive Contents window considerably.
o Added ability to filter files in Archive Contents window by mask.
o Added ability to use 2.0 Extended selection in listboxes where
  multiple items may be selected; user's choice.
o Finally fixed alternate Workplace shutdown so it's "pretty."

1.37:
o Little tweaking only, in preparation for another mass release.

1.38:
o Added "Exit, dammit!" to config screen for a friend.  :-)  Use with
  caution.
o "Normal" file management Delete and Move now work in full with
  directories.
o Added Button-2 minimenus for important list boxes.

1.39:
o Added object info, ability to modify attribute, date and time of file.
o Shortcut "set extract directory" dialog from Contents

1.40:
o Added "Viewer" mode
o Few tweaks for release

1.41:
o Main window is now sizeable, which means that all windows that should
  be, are.  AV still doesn't follow CUA/SAA guidelines to the tee, but
  IMAO some of the other things compliance would impose would make AV
  harder to use (for instance, removing the drives/dirs/files listboxes
  and entry fields from the main window and providing a separate "open"
  dialog) .  So I don't plan to do them.  Braaaap.

1.42:
o Added "View" and "Exec" options to Mass File Maintenance
o Fixed minor bug or two in Group Manager
o Added new Group parameter; AV should automatically and transparently
  upgrade any old AVGROUP.AV2 files when loading them.
o Uncluttered Config pulldown on main window by adding "Toggles"
  submenu.



Mark Kimes
542 Merrick
Shreveport, LA  71104
[phone] data
Fidonet#1:380/16.0