************************************** * Stretch V1.00 * * (C) 1994 Tekno-Logik International * * All Rights Reserved. * ************************************** BEFORE GOING ANY FURTHER, READ THE NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS FILE! (Starts at line 86) Stretch is a universal file decruncher. It utilises the "decrunch.library" written by Georg Hörmann. As many of you will be aware, there are lots of file packers/crunchers available, and different people use different cruncher (obviously!) Probably the most widely known of these are PowerPacker and Imploder - both of which are used by the "average" person. Then there are the lesser known crunchers such as DefJam, Triangle etc... There are two types of crunchers. They are relocatable and absolute. Relocatable crunchers will crunch a file in such a way that it will be loaded into any available space in RAM, whereas absolute crunchers require that you specify an address of RAM for the file to be loaded into, and a jump address which is the memory address at which you want the program to start running from. The latter of the two are used mainly by demo coders who want there code to be protected from prying eyes. With relocatable crunchers, there is normally an option to decrunch a crunched file, but once you have crunched a file with an "absolute" packer, there is no easy way of retrieving the original program (unless of course you wrote it and have the original). Of course you may have a crunched file, and either not have the relevant program to decrunch it, you may not know how to decrunch it, or it may an absolute file in which case it is very unlikely that the cruncher will allow you to decrunch it. This is where Stretch comes into play. As mentioned above, Stretch uses the "decrunch.library" which contains information on the structure of many different cruncher types (61 in the version released with this program). Stretch will call upon the decrunch.library to determine the cruncher used, and if it it knows what it was, it will decrunch the file for you, therefore alleviating the need for all the possible crunchers. Stretch is a safe program in that it will create a backup of your crunched file before saving a decrunched copy. The backup file will have the extension ".bak" so, if you wanted to decrunch a file called "TEST", Stretch would first of all copy "TEST" to "TEST.BAK", and then would output the decrunched file as "TEST" therefore taking out the risk of losing the file if your computer crashes for whatever reason. Using Stretch could not be easier. To run the program, type:- STRETCH where filename is the name of the crunched file. Stretch may NOT be used from the Workbench at this time. Future revisions may include Workbench support with file requesters, but who can tell! If Stretch can not decrunch a file, it will tell you that it does not know what cruncher was used, OR that the file possibly was not crunched, and the program will then exit peacefully. If Stretch CAN decrunch a file, it will give an output similar to this: STRETCH V1.00 (C) 1994 Tekno-Logik International --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Library version : 34.096 Packer used : PowerPacker 4.0 Packer type : Relocatable Filename : TEST(.bak) Crunched Length : 21896 Original Length : 29104 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Every time an updated version of "decrunch.library" becomes available, you can simply replace your old version. Stretch will not need to be updated for the new library releases. However, if Georg Hörmann finishes the "TestHunkStructure" routine in the library, then Stretch will probably be updated. Stretch has been programmed WITHOUT any Kickstart 2+ specific functions, therefore it should work on all models with all kickstarts BUT it is not guaranteed since I don't have access to all of these. Please write to me if you experience any problems. *************************************************************************** Stretch is SHAREWARE. It costs just a measly 2 pounds (U.K streling). If you find Stretch to be a useful program, then PLEASE send the money. ALL programmers will tell you that it is not easy coming up with new or enhanced programs all the time, and people tend to disregard shareware programmers. We KNOW that there are lots of people using our programs, and who are not contributing towards them. You will find a lot of programs in the shareware sector that are worth using, but PLEASE show your appreciation before shareware dies... To register your copy of Stretch, send a Cheque/P.O for 2 pounds (UK) to:- Tekno-Logik International 127 Walton Green CROYDON Surrey CR0 0TZ (PAYABLE TO C. BROWN) FOR ORDERS OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE PRICE IS 4 POUNDS (TO COVER THE EXTRA COST OF POSTAGE). All registered users will be entitled to a free update if and when it becomes available. Tekno-Logik International will NOT be held responsible for any damage to computer hardware/software as a result of using this software. Stretch has been thoroughly tested on an A1500 with Kickstart 1.3, 2.04 and 3.0 and worked every time without so much as a single glitch.