Ok, so there's this nice UNIX utility that allows you to split a file up into as many parts as you would like. Does the Macintosh have a similar function? Nope. Did someone else realize that people do occasionally need to split (text) files up into chunks on a Macintosh? As far as I can tell, nope. (Well, I later found out you can do it in MPW, but only tweaks like me have MPW…)
Well, my winter semester just ended and I was uploading BinHex files to my UNIX account to send out to the world, when I found out that my mainframe doesn't like to receive files larger than 500K or so. So what do I do?
I decided to see how long it would take to write such a program. The answer : a little over 6 hours. Not bad for 4K of code. (Note: That was v1.0. I have now spent way too much time on this hack!)
What you now have is a program that will split files into whatever size segements you want, or it can fill disks with segments. Now watch out - Splitter will split anything with a data fork, and it treats everything as a text file, so don't split a MacWrite document and expect the segment files to be MacWrite documents themselves. If the file has a resource fork, Splitter ignores it. (Design note : I couldn't think of a "good" way to organize the splitting of resource forks, so I ignore them. Hey - I never wanted anything more than a text file splitter.) Again, Splitter treats everything as a text file, so if you want to split a MacWrite, Word, or WhateverWrite document, don't use Splitter unless you want two halves that aren't whole by themselves.
When you run Splitter by clicking on it, it will first give you a standard get file dialog. Next you will be asked if you want to split the file into a segment size specified by you or to fill disks with segments. Lastly, you will be given a save dialog. It will then split the selected file.
In the save dialog box, the suggested segment name will be the original filename with the segment number appended. ("Report" splits into "Report1", "Report2", ...) However, you can change this to whatever you like.
If you click on "Save All", all the segments will be saved in the same place as the first segment. If a duplicate filename is found during Save All, the operation will be halted. If you wish to overwrite a file, just use "Save", which will allow you to choose the filename and destination of every segment, along with overwriting existing files. You don't have the "Save All" option when filling disks, for obvious reasons.
If you drop any number of files on Splitter's icon in the Finder, it will process each, popping up the various dialogs to ask you for segment size and destinations.
Starting with version 4.0, Splitter REQUIRES System 7.0 or greater. This is due to the fact that I'm using the latest compilers, and they don't support the System 6 way of handling files dropped on the mfrom the Finder. (For a good story, send me email and ask me what my real motivation was…) Oh well, if you're still using System 6.0, just use Splitter 3.0 - version 4.0 doesn't add any features that you'll really miss. (The only difference, other than 4.0 being menu/apple-event driven is that 4.0 will use temporary memory (when it can) to speed things up.)
Splitter is freeware. All I ask is that if you distribute it, be sure to include this file, for the actual program has no help in it.
Splitter was tested on a Quadra 700, a Powerbook 540, and a Power Macintosh 8100/100, so you shouldn't have any trouble with it.
If you do run into any trouble or if you'd like to drop me a suggestion (which I am certainly open to), please contact me at:
taggart@scopus.com (the work account)
or
jtaggart@netcom.com (the "home" account)
Have fun and I hope you find Splitter useful!
Taggart Gorman
8/30/95
Revision History
v4.0.1
Splitter 4.0 was managling the first few "lines" of each output file, except for the first file. (How did I miss that?) Error dialogs would occasionally come up with garbage at the end of the error string. Made Splitter try it's best to make sure that output files were the size they were supposed to be. Improved the routine that guesses at the best size for each output file.
v4.0
Switched compilers and fought with Apple's Universal Header files. Added event driven program flow, instead of Splitter quitting when it was done processing files. Added the ability to accept the three relevant required core Apple Events. Added code to copy data in larger chunks when memory is available (Splitter will use "temporary" (used to be known as "MultiFinder") memory if needed). Oh yeah, created a new icon that tries to portray a better idea of what Splitter does.
v3.0
Added the ability to fill volumes with segments and put in safeguards to keep users from creating segments on full volumes. (You should have seen what it did before I put in the safeguards. Ouch!) Fixed some more spelling errors.
v2.0.1 (not released)
Fixed three stupid spelling errors. Thanks to Charles Hoffman who pointed out the spelling mistake that prevented my wonderful icon for Splitter from showing up.
v2.0
Ah, Winter Break! Time to catch up on everything I have been meaning to do! I added some sensible features, like the ability to name the segments, and the ability to handle a disk full error. Hope this makes Splitter more of a program, instead of a temporary hack.
