home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
- INTRO.DOC November 1996
-
-
- INTRODUCTION:
-
-
- This document is intended for new users of the file archiver, JAR.
-
- JAR is a program that allows the user to store one or more files in a
- compressed format in an archive file.
-
-
- INSTALLATION:
-
-
- This assumes that you have already executed the self-extracting
- distribution archive and extracted its archived files into a directory.
-
- To install the JAR software, simply copy JAR16.EXE, JAR32.EXE, JAR.CFG,
- REARJ.EXE, REARJ.CFG and optionally JAR_C.COM and JAR_C.DLL (available
- in the non-export version only) to one of the directories named in your
- DOS PATH statement found in your AUTOEXEC.BAT. On many PCs, this
- directory may be C:\DOS or C:\BIN.
-
- In addition, for a DOS machine or for a DOS environment one MB of
- available XMS strongly recommended. Four MB of EMS preferred for
- outstanding compression. More memory is better. Detailed information
- about memory usage is available in JAR.DOC in section "HOW JAR USES
- AVAILABLE MEMORY".
-
-
- JAR COMMAND USAGE:
-
-
- The JAR archiver gives you a lot of flexibility in command usage. You
- can use zero options or many options on a command line.
-
- The basic command line consists of:
- 1) the command "JAR16" or "JAR32"
- 2) the JAR command letter(s) such as "a" (add), or "e" (extract)
- 3) the switch options such as "-r" (recurse through subdirectories)
- 4) the name of the JAR archive
- 5) the names of the selected files
-
- JAR16 <command> [<options>] <archive_name> [<files>]
-
- Switch options (-r, -hk, and so on) may be placed anywhere in the
- command line after the command "JAR16". The default for the selected
- files is "*.*".
-
- To run the 32-bit JAR version (for Windows 95 and Windows NT) instead
- of the "JAR16" command you must specify "JAR32". "JAR32.EXE" is a
- 32-bit executable which does not run in DOS but works in Windows 95 and
- Windows NT. "JAR32.EXE" is much faster and compresses better than the
- DOS version "JAR16.EXE".
-
-
- CREATING JAR ARCHIVES:
-
-
- To create an JAR archive containing all of the files in the current
- directory:
-
- JAR16 a archive
-
- To create an JAR archive in another directory containing all of the
- files in the current directory:
-
- JAR16 a directory\archive
-
- To create an JAR archive containing all files with the ".DOC" extension
- in the current directory:
-
- JAR16 a archive *.DOC
-
- To create an JAR archive containing all files with the ".DOC" and
- ".EXE" extension in the current directory:
-
- JAR16 a archive *.DOC *.EXE
-
- To create an JAR archive containing all of the files in a named
- directory:
-
- JAR16 a archive named\*.*
-
- To create an JAR archive containing all of the files in the named
- directory and all files in subdirectories of the named directory:
-
- JAR16 a -r archive named\*.*
-
- For maximum compression, use the "-m3" or "-m4" options. For better
- speed, use the -m1 option.
-
- JAR16 a -r -m4 archive named\*.*
-
- To use the 32-bit JAR version simply replace JAR16 with JAR32.
-
-
- LISTING THE CONTENTS OF AN ARCHIVE:
-
-
- To list all of the files in an archive:
-
- JAR16 l archive
-
- To list all of the files in short form:
-
- JAR16 ls archive
-
- It may be useful to redirect the listing to a file or pipe:
-
- JAR16 ls archive > archive.lst
- JAR16 ls archive | more
-
- To view only the files with a ".DOC" file extension in an archive:
-
- JAR16 v archive *.DOC
-
-
- EXTRACTING JAR ARCHIVES:
-
-
- To extract all of the files in an archive to the current directory:
-
- JAR16 e archive
-
- To extract all of the files in an archive to a named directory:
-
- JAR16 e archive -onamed
-
- To extract all files with the ".DOC" extension to the current
- directory:
-
- JAR16 e archive *.DOC
-
- To extract all of the files in an archive recreating the original
- directory structure:
-
- JAR16 x archive
-
-
- TESTING THE INTEGRITY OF AN ARCHIVE:
-
-
- To test the contents of an archive:
-
- JAR16 t archive
-
- This testing verifies that the contents of the archive data matches the
- original file. This is done using cyclical redundancy checksumming, CRC
- for short. JAR uses a 32 bit CRC for increased reliability.
-
-
- COMMON PROBLEMS USING JAR:
-
-
- By default, JAR stores the path specified with the filename in the
- archive. "JAR16 a archive temp\*.*" will store the path "temp\" with
- the filenames. Another alternative is to store the RELATIVE path using
- the "-jf-" option.
-
- When updating an JAR archive, JAR builds the new archive as a temporary
- file in the same directory as the original archive. This can require a
- lot of extra disk space. If you are adding files, you will need as much
- free space as the original archive plus space for the added files.
-
- When archiving files to DISKETTES, it is STRONGLY recommended that you
- use the "-w" and "-hk" options. The "-w" option sets a working
- directory. This should point to a fast disk drive directory. The
- "-hk" adds recovery records which will allow you to repair a slightly
- damaged archive (this is a common problem when using diskettes). In
- addition, the "-jt" option may be used to test the created archive;
- however, this requires a re-read of all the diskettes.
-
- JAR16 a -wc:\ -hk a:archive *.*
-
- When copying archives to DISKETTES, it is strongly recommended that you
- verify that the diskette archives are intact. Most damaged archives
- involve diskettes.
-
-
- FOR FURTHER STUDY:
-
-
- JAR supports a great number of options for functions such as archiving
- across multiple diskettes, accessing files with selected attributes,
- selecting files by date, and more. See the JAR.DOC reference guide for
- more information.
-
-
- end of document
-