LAZi - A CanDo archive utility interface (Lharc Arc Zoo interface) Version 1.0 created 8/16/91 by Mark W. Davis Compatible with Arc version 0.23 *Zoo version 2.00 Lharc version 1.30 *When a properly functioning port of Zoo with the "h" option becomes available I will incorporate it into LAZi. The version ported by J. Brian Waters does not perform I/O redirection consistently, if at all. If you have one that is FD and functions properly let me know. I have had a few requests to add support for "LZ". Should I? What it is? What is LAZi? LAZi is a graphic interface for the archivers Lharc, Arc, and Zoo. You supply the archive utilities. LAZi will add, delete, extract, and update single or multiple files; ;list and text archives; allow you to read extracted readmes/docs or any other ascii file; save a configuration file that holds the locations of your work directory(s), archive utilities, and icon position. Yes, it will iconify and, when re-iconified(?), stay where you last placed it! If you have no experience using Lharc, Arc, or Zoo I suggest you read their documentation before using LAZi. LAZi was created using CanDo version 1.5 and is a BOUND CanDo deck and does not require CanDo nor the FD program "DeckBrowser" to run. Due to LAZi being a "bound" deck (DeckBrowser built in) its size is rather large. You should be able to "pack" it using one of the "crunchers" available if disk space is a concern. I haven't tried this but was told that it works. 1meg ram is recommended. Disclaimer, etc It hasn't hung, crashed my machine, munched any of my files, or caused ME any problems, nevertheless... If you use this program you do so at your own risk. I take no responsibility for any problems that you may have while using LAZi. If you find a problem I can be contacted at the address given at the end of this document. LAZi may be freely distributed under the conditions that this textfile accompanies the program and that it not be distributed with any commercial software without the written consent of the author. If you use LAZi consistently please donate some time and/or money to an organization that gives assistance to the homeless. Installation LAZi MUST be able to access the following *CBM* files and/or directories or results will be unpredictable: In your PATH - LIST; DELETE; COPY. In the FONTS: directory - TOPAZ 8 and TOPAZ 9 S: must exist to save defaults. (no defaults, no options) "RAM DISK:", "RAM:", or an assign (logical) named "RAM:" The LAZi archive consists of 9 files: LAZi - executable for those WITHOUT CanDo v1.5 LAZi.info LAZir - executable for those WITH CanDo v1.5 LAZir.info LAZiDefaults - unbound requestor deck LAZi.DOC - this ASCII file Cover.pntr MHelp.TXT - ASCII help file for LAZi OHelp.TXT - ASCII help file for LAZi Place LAZi or LAZir(if you own CanDo v1.5), LAZiDefaults, cover.pntr, both help files, and the icon (.info file) in the same directory. LAZi.DOC may be placed wherever you wish. You are now ready to use LAZi. You can either double click on its icon or start it from the CLI by typing the appropriate executable's name. Easy, huh? Functional Description **Clicking the Right Mouse Button in any window, except the 'defaults' and LAZiView, will reset the source and destination directories to their current defaults and open the Main Window, if it is not already opened. @ Main Window Upon startup LAZi will attempt to load and display in the list display your default source directory. If no defaults have been saved it will display the directory it was started from as its source directory and "RAM:" as its destination. *** LAZi TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar At the top left is your standard 'QUIT' gadget. Click on it and LAZi will go away. To its right is the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar. Information about LAZi's current operation, ERROR messages, and brief prompts will appear there. To the right of the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar are your standard window to back/front gadgets. The leftmost gadget moves LAZi behind all other windows on the Workbench, the rightmost moves LAZi to the front. *** SRC:/DST: buttons and string gadgets Below the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar is a BUTTON titled 'SRC:' and to the right of that a string gadget. A single click on the SRC: button will update and load the current source directory into the list display. The string gadget will show the current source directory. Depending on certain actions it may be blank. If so, it usually indicates that the list displays contents are the destination directory. The TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar should contain a description. If you click in the string gadget, clear out its contents - either by deleting or using 'AMIGA-X' - then enter a VALID pathname (DH0:foobar, DF2:foo/bar/bar, FOOBAR: - an INVALID pathname would be :foobar), that will become your current source directory for all subsequent operations. The contents of the path you enter will be shown in the list display. The 'DST:' button and string gadget at the bottom of the window will behave in the same manner EXCEPT that the destintion directory contents will not be shown in the list display when a path is entered in the string gadget. A single click on the DST: button will place the destination directory's contents in the list display. The TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar will indicate that the listing is the destination directory. *** Available Memory (stealth button) Clicking to the right of the Help! button (somewhere below the window to front gadget) will show the available chip and fast memory in the title bar. *** Iconify! A single click on this button will iconify LAZi. LAZi will shrink to a 115x10 pixel icon located at position 0,0. When iconified LAZi has a expand gadget (the quit gadget on the expanded windows) on the left, a drag bar with the letters "LAZi" in it, and front/back gadgets. You can drag LAZi to a new position by pointing to the letters "LAZi" depressing the left mouse button and dragging the icon. Now whenever you iconify LAZi it will shrink and position itself at that position. You can permanently save its iconified position by saving your configuration after setting the icon's position. *** Directory List Display The list display will show the contents of either the source directory, destination directory, or archive. Listing the source or destination directory was explained previously. To list the contents of a DIRECTORY double click on the entry. This also sets your CURRENT source to the directory you entered. i.e. if you double clicked down a couple of directories then click on the SRC: button LAZi will re-read the directory you are currently viewing. If you want to move back to your DEFAULT source directory click the RMB (right mouse button). If there are more directories each double click will descend into the directory structure. To ascend the directories, single click on the PARENT button. Each click will move you up to the next directory level. The source string gadget will reflect the directory path as you move up and down. Double clicking on an archive entry will display a listing of the contents of that archive. Directories and archives are clearly marked. LAZi does not like filenames, directories, or archives with "-"s or spaces in them. If you use them it may not be able to determine what type of file it is. As mentioned above, clicking the RMB will set and list the default source directory in the list display, and reset the destination. Double click on a filename to VIEW a text file. The LAZiViewer is primitive, just a scroll bar and up/down gadgets. Double (or triple) clicking on the up or down gadget quickly will scroll the text faster. If a line is longer than the viewing area click in the viewing area and use the cursor keys to navigate. You can also type in the file you are viewing and print it out; you can't save it. It has several MENU choices; Iconify will iconify LAZi. Main will return to the Main window. Options will take you to the options menu. Print does what it says. Quit does what it says, quit LAZi. *** FILES buttons Under the heading of FILES are 3 buttons. PARENT will display the contents of the parent of the directory shown in the SRC: string gadget and update the string gadget accordingly. DEVICES will display your system's logical devices. Double clicking on a device name will open the root directory of that device and show its contents in the list display. DEFAULTS will open a requestor that will allow you to enter and save your default source/destination directories and the paths to your archive utilities. While the defaults requestor is open you cannot use the main window(s). The pointer will notify you of this. You must choose either SAVE, CANCEL, or USE to close the defaults requestor. If you choose SAVE, the config file will be stored in "S:LAZi.config" and the directories you save will be used whenever you start LAZi. To SAVE THE ICON POSITION, iconify LAZi and drag the icon to the position you desire to save then use the SAVE option in the defaults requestor. The icon position will not be saved unless LAZi has been iconified before the save. USE will bring you back to the main window using the directories you chose in the defaults requestor. CANCEL does what it says; closes the defaults requestor with no action taken. *** ARCHIVES buttons Selecting PATHNAMES in the main and options window will add or extract the file using its full path CREATING directories as needed. If the archive type is Lharc the switch used is "-r" or "-x". If Zoo the switch is ".//" See the archiver's documentation for more information. WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING When ADDING or EXTRACTING files LAZi will ALWAYS OVERWRITE an existing file with the same filename in the DESTINATION directory!!! Read your archivers documentation on UPDATE. LAZi will only MODIFY files and archives in the destination directory. If the archive is not in the destination directory LAZi WILL COPY IT THERE. LAZi also ALWAYS retrieves files and archives to MODIFY from the SOURCE directory. IF you MODIFY (add, update, delete) files in AN ARCHIVE and LEAVE IT IN THE DESTINATION DIRECTORY then decide to MODIFY the SAME archive WITHOUT first MOVING it back into the SOURCE DIRECTORY you will be MODIFYING the ORIGINAL UNMODIFIED archive. i.e. You will lose your previous work. Remember LAZi first copies the archive from the source then modifies it. LAZi has a MOVE button (explained in Option Window section) that copies the current archive (or any one you choose) from the destination to the source then deletes the copy in the destination. USE IT! If your source directory and destination are the same, the point is moot! OPTIONS will take you to the Options Window. EXTRACT ALL does what it says. If you click on an archive's entry in the list display and click EXTRACT ALL, LAZi will extract all the files in the archive and place them in the destination directory then show the destination directory contents in the list display. If 'pathnames' is set LAZi will extract to pathnames. TEST will test the archive and show you the results in the list display. (not implemented with "arc" archives) @ Options Window - the heart of LAZi ** Clicking the Right Mouse Button will return you to the Main Window ** WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING When ADDING or EXTRACTING files LAZi will ALWAYS OVERWRITE an existing file with the same filename in the DESTINATION directory!!! Read your archivers documentation on UPDATE. LAZi will only MODIFY files and archives in the destination directory. If the archive is not in the destination directory LAZi WILL COPY IT THERE. LAZi also ALWAYS retrieves files and archives to MODIFY from the SOURCE directory. IF you modify (add, update, delete) files in an archive and LEAVE IT IN THE DESTINATION DIRECTORY then decide to MODIFY the SAME archive WITHOUT first MOVING it back into the SOURCE DIRECTORY you will be MODIFYING the ORIGINAL UNMODIFIED archive. i.e. You will lose your previous work. Remember LAZi first copies the archive from the source then modifies it. LAZi has a MOVE button that copies the current archive (or any one you choose) from the destination to the source then deletes the copy in the destination. USE IT! If your source directory and destination are the same, the point is moot! The Archive Options window has two list displays and various buttons and gadgets that allow you to create and modify archives. When first opened it will show the current source directory in the UPPER display. The "PICK" button will be in its DEACTIVATED state. *** SRC: button and string gadget Same as Main - listing in UPPER display only *** PARENT button Same as Main *** "«" button (default source) Will reset the source directory to its default and display its contents in the upper display. If there is no stored default, the directory from which LAZi was started will be used as the default source. This does not affect the destination directory. (late addition) *** HELP! Same as Main *** Available Memory Same as Main *** ICONIFY! Same as Main *** UPPER DISPLAY The UPPER display functions ALMOST exactly like the list display in the Main Window. I say almost because there are two buttons to the right of the UPPER display, one of which modifies the UPPER display's usage. Also, double clicking on an ASCII file in the DESTINATION directory will allow you to read the file in the LAZiViewer (if you want to read a file from the source read from the main window). There is also Major Exception when SELECTING FILES IN AN ARCHIVE. I will start with the "Pick" button. Pick: The Pick button is a toggle button, meaning that if activated it will stay activated until you deactivate it by clicking it again. If ACTIVATED; the UPPER display is in select or pick mode. Clicking an entry in the UPPER display will duplicate that entry in the LOWER display. The entry will be SELECTED. If DEACTIVATED; the UPPER display functions similarly to the list display in the main window with the added ability to read text files from the destination directory. a: This button stands for 'ALL'. When clicked ALL entries shown in the UPPER display will become SELECTED. They will be listed in the LOWER display. X: This is the 'EXCHANGE' button. When click the current source directory becomes the current destination and vice versa. (late addition.) SELECTING FILES IN AN EXISTING ARCHIVE FOR MODIFICATION To SELECT files for EXTRACTION or DELETION in an ARCHIVE; double click on the archive's name in the UPPER display (pick/select mode OFF!) to get the archive's listing, then enter PICK mode and click on the files you want to EXTRACT or DELETE. They will be become SELECTED and will be shown in the LOWER display. *** LOWER DISPLAY The LOWER display displays the SELECTED files from the SOURCE directory or ARCHIVE that you want to operate on when using the "Options" buttons. Clicking on an entry in the LOWER display UNSELECTS that entry and removes it from the display. The lower display has a special button attached to it; Clear: This button will erase all SELECTED files shown in the lower display, erase the current archive name shown in the archive string gadget, and reset the "Pick" button. *** Archive Type Informs LAZi of the type of archive you want to work with. *** Pathnames Same as Main window. It will inherit its setting from the main window. *** DST DIR button and string gadget Clicking on this button will list the destination directory in the UPPER display. You must use this button when you want to VIEW a file while using the options window. The TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar will indicate that the display is the destination directory. Entering a valid directory in the string gadget will make it your current destination directory. *** ARCHIVE string gadget This gadget will show the current archive if you double clicked on an archive's name in the UPPER display or allow you to select an archive to work with IF IT IS IN YOUR SOURCE DIRECTORY. If this gadget is blank you cannot modify an archive. *** m (move) After modifying an archive, which will be in your destination directory, clicking this button will MOVE the archive from the DESTINATION directory to the SOURCE. i.e. it will copy the archive to the source directory then DELETE the archive in the destination directory. IF SRC = DST, LAZi will NOT allow a move. *** OPTIONS ADD adds the selected files to the chosen archive or CREATE an archive is one is not found. Follow the prompts in the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar. DELETE deletes files from the archive shown in the UPPER display. To SELECT files for deleting; double click on the archive's name in the UPPER display, enter PICK mode and select the files. Follow the prompts in the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar. EXTRACT extracts the files you selected, using the above procedures, from your chosen archive to the DESTINATION directory. Follow the prompts in the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar. UPDATE adds selected files if they are not contained in the archive or are newer than files existing in the archive. Very similar to the ADD command. Follow the prompts in the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar. *** PERFORM! When the proper files (archive or directory), archive, and archive type have been set and/or selected, Perform! will start your chosen operation. Once again, follow the prompts in the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar. HOWTO After a little use you will probably find short cuts to these procedures... ;^) Remember that MOVE ("m") will overwrite an existing archive in the SOURCE directory AND delete the copy in the DESTINATION directory. I suggest using different directories as your Source and Destination but the choice is yours. LAZi will not allow you to MOVE an archive when SRC = DST. ADDING TO AN ARCHIVE: Make sure the files you want to add are in your source directory and listed in the upper list display. Click the PICK button. If you want to select individual files click on the files you want to ADD. If you want to add all files in the source directory click the "a" button. Your selections will be shown in the lower display. Click in the lower display to remove a selection or the "Clear" button to remove all selections. Click on the archive utility you want to use in the ARCHIVE TYPE section. Enter the archive's name in the "archive string gadget". Click add. If all is ok, click "Perform!". When finished LAZi will list your modified archive in the LOWER display. REMEMBER TO MOVE THE MODIFIED ARCHIVE, USING THE "m" BUTTON, FROM THE DESTINATION TO SOURCE BEFORE CONTINUING!!! I do this everytime (well, most of the time...) I create or modify an archive to prevent "accidents". Press CLEAR before continuing to clear the lower display of the archive listing and reset buttons. If there is a problem it will be noted in the TITLE/DRAG/STATUS bar. CREATING A NEW ARCHIVE: Use the same procedures noted above. DELETING FROM AN ARCHIVE: Double on the archive's name in the listing of the SOURCE in the upper display. The upper display will show the archives contents. Click PICK. Select the files in the archive listing that you want to delete. Click on the archive type. Click DELETE. Click Perform! Click "m". Click clear. EXTRACTING FROM AN ARCHIVE: Use the same procedures as above to select the files you want to extract. If you want to extract them all, use the Main window's EXTRACT ALL function. Click EXTRACT. Click Perform! The UPPER display will show a listing of the DESTINATION directory. If you want to read a file in the DESTINATION listing double click on the file name. Click clear. Click SRC: to return the upper display. UPDATING AN ARCHIVE: Use the same procedures as ADD or Create. If the file exists in the archive and is NEWER than a SELECTED file it will not be updated. If the file does not exist in the archive or is NEWER than an existing one it will be added. LAZiViewer I think a simple viewer should show as much text as possible thus the menus rather than buttons. If you click in the text display (a cursor becomes visible) you can use the cursor keys to navigate your text. Also a quick double click while using the scroll gadgets will speed up scrolling. Hope LAZi is useful to you. Mark W. Davis P.O. Box 84321 Seattle, WA. 98112 mwd@cup.portal.com