NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/comp/os/os2/misc/39463

Text File | 1992-12-15 | 3.3 KB | 69 lines

Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Path: sparky!uunet!utcsri!torn!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!watserv1!schepers
From: [e-mail] (Peter Schepers)
Subject: Re: Running ZIP/ZOO/etc from an icon (again!)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: University of Waterloo
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 17:56:29 GMT
Lines: 58

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>What is the 50 word synopsis of whether it is possible to run any of the
>compression programs effectively from an icon?  Is there a way to click
>on an icon and have it prompt you at runtime for the program parameters?
>

    What I do is drag a program template onto the desktop, and in the 'Program
and Filename' section, type in the drive:path\filename.ext you wish to
run. Then in the 'Parameters' line, type in '[ ]' (there is a space
between the two brackets). The brackets tell OS/2 to ask for input. This
should do what you want.

     However, I have a much more elegant solution. Create a program
template, like above, but in the 'Parameters' line enter '%*'. Now,
instead of double-clicking on the icon, just drag an icon that you want
uncompressed onto the just-created program template, and watch it
un-compress automatically. The '%*' entered in the option line tells OS/2
to send the full filename and path to the program, rather than asking for
something. Also, for added elegance, open up the settings for the
just-created program template and click on full-screen and open minimized.
This way when the program runs, it will not be visible at all, just your
uncompressed files will appear in the directory from where you dragged it
from.


     For what it worth, I wrote a DOS application that acts as a front end
for all the uncompressors. It parses the filename, looks at the extension,
determines what uncompressor to run, creates a sub-directory with the name
of the file to uncompress, and uncompresses it into that folder. It then
'CD's into the folder, so that under DOS, you type 'UNZIP FILENAME.EXT'
and you will be in the subdirectory 'FILENAME' when the unzip process is
complete. From OS/2 I have a program object which references this UNZIP
program, and runs minimized in the background so I don't get any annoying
windows opening and closing all the time. When it is finished, I get the
subdirectory sitting in the folder where I was and I can now open it to
see what the contents of the .ZIP file where.

     If this program seems useable, I can upload it. Or if I get the
time I might learn REXX, rewrite it, using all the latest OS/2 versions
of the uncompressors (rather than the DOS ones). Or maybe someone else
might take up the task. I do find the drag-and-drop procedure to be the best.


>************************************************************************
>La plus belle fille du monde ne peut
>donner que tout ce qu'elle a.
>
>    - [e-mail], who is still costing the net
>      hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, every time he posts -
>************************************************************************


So, you are also costing the net lost of money as well. So am I. Maybe
together we can bankrupt the Internet?

Peter Schepers
University of Waterloo.