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1988-05-09
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ARCRUNNER Version 1.0
Archive Library Files Utility
from
MILLENNIUM Software
May 9, 1988
Copyright (c) 1988 by
MILLENNIUM Software
All Rights Reserved
ARCRUNNER Page 1
PURPOSE:
ARCRUNNER is a supplemental archive utility designed to
give you the capability to run any file stored away in
ARC type library files without having to first extract
them to their decompressed form. ARCRUNNER was designed
to be used in conjunction with Phil Katz's compression/
extraction system, PKARC/PKXARC.
ARCRUNNER is the necessary result of the combination of
two different types of space saving storage techniques,
user defined and built libraries and file compression/
decompression. On my system and on many others there is
an over abundance of useful, but small, programs which
take up a relatively large area of a disk, especially
hard disks. Since the minimum allocation on any hard
disk system is 2048 bytes (it can be as high as 4096 or
even 8192 on specific systems), a program only several
hundred bytes long is extremely inefficient when it is
stored. Batch files are a notorious example. Library
files have been around for a long time. Microsoft has
allowed you to build user defined libraries for several
of its utilities, but you are severely limited on their
actual usage. Archive compression/decompression has
also been around awhile. It, of course, was created out
of the need to reduce electronic transmission time. Now
using file compression/decompression programs, you can
create a user defined library in compressed form and
rid yourself of all those small inefficient files you
have cluttering up your disks, then, using ARCRUNNER,
you may invoke those files from within the compressed
file.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION & SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:
ARCRUNNER was developed in 8086/8088 assembly language
(using Microsoft's Macro Assembler MASM version 5.0 and
supporting utilities LINK, MAKE, and CODEVIEW). Initial
development and testing was on a TANDY 1000A, equipped
with a hard card type fixed disk, and EMS-5150 expanded
memory board. ARCRUNNER is designed to operate with the
following software:
PKARC/PKXARC - File compression/extraction system
utilities by Phil Katz
ARCMASTER - An archive file management system
designed to enhance the use of the
compression/extraction utilities
ARCRUNNER Page 2
TECHNICAL INFORMATION & SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS (cont'd):
You must have the program file PKXARC on your system in
order for ARCRUNNER to function. ARCMASTER, even though
not absolutely necessary, is highly recommended for the
ease of maintenance of the archived library files them-
selves. ARCRUNNER does not, at this time, support the
file compression/extraction program known as ARC5xx, by
System Enhancement Associate's (SEA).
CREDITS
As with ARCMASTER above, ARCRUNNER rests upon the great
work of the extremely talented programmer: Phil Katz of
PKWARE, author of the PKARC/PKXARC utilities. Users of
his utilities are urged to support him through registra-
tion.
PKARC & PKXARC are copyrighted products of PKWARE.
ARCMASTER is a copyrighted product of New-Ware.
Special thanks to John Newlin of New-Ware for his hints
on programming techniques and also the encouragement to
publish this by the Shareware method. Users of ARCMASTER
are also highly encouraged to support him through regis-
tration.
INSTALLATION of ARCRUNNER:
Installing ARCRUNNER for use is rather easy and straight
forward:
1) Place the program file, ARCRUNER.COM in any directory
on any system drive you choose, preferably, but not
necessarily, the same drive/directory as the archival
system files PKARC/PKXARC.
2) Ensure that the archival system files, PKARC/PKXARC,
are located in the current default drive/directory or
in a drive/directory defined in the DOS environment
PATH string.
3) Ensure that PKXARC is named as above. You must rename
it if necessary.
4) Ensure that your various archived libraries are also
either located in the current default drive/directory
or a drive/directory defined in the DOS environment
PATH string.
5) It is highly recommended but not necessary to shorten
the name of ARCRUNER.COM to AK.COM. This will reduce
the number of keystrokes needed on the command line.
ARCRUNNER Page 3
OPERATION of ARCRUNNER:
ARCRUNNER may be executed from the DOS command level, a
batch file, or from menu or shell programs. It operates
satisfactory on floppy diskettes but it's primary use is
on a hard disk system. When properly executed, a program
header very similar to PKXARC's header will scroll on to
the screen, followed immediately by the PKXARC header.
Depending on the particular computer system, size of the
program to be extracted, and the physical media of the
drive/directory it is being directed to, a variable time
delay will be incurred as the file is extracted and pro-
cessed. This delay to execution time is the main price
you pay for the compressed storage benefits. Next, the
program itself with whatever parameters, if any, it has,
is executed from whatever output d:path\ was specified
on the command line, or the current default d:path\, if
not specified. Note, that the system will stay in the
current default d:path\, provided the executed program
doesn't change it, even though an output d:path\ may be
specified. Finally, upon program completion and exit to
DOS, the program file is deleted from the d:path\ it was
extracted to. NOTE: Programs which do not exit back to
DOS properly or which invoke system reboots, may not be
deleted as per above. This is beyond ARCRUNNER's control
and you will have to delete the program file yourself.
SYNTAX of ARCRUNNER:
ARCRUNER [option] {[d:path\]library} {[d:path\]filename} params
opt