PPMC v1.2c The PowerPacker Mini Clone Copyright (c) 1992,1993 REELSOFT Both this program and its source are freely distributable, but remain Copyright (c) REELSOFT. Table of Contents : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Introduction 2. Installation 2.1 Under OS 2.0 2.2 Under OS 2.1+ 3. Usage from the Shell 3.1 Syntax 3.2 Template 3.3 Notes 3.4 Examples 4. Usage from Workbench 4.1 Tool Types 4.2 Notes 5. Changes 6. Future improvements 7. Author 8. Acknowledgments """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 1.Introduction : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PPMC is powerpacker.library meeting gadtools.library. It's a utility, useful for packing and unpacking text and data files. Unlike the original PowerPacker, PPMC won't insert a decrunch header in the packed file, so it would be useless to crunch an executable file (except for an archival purpose) You need OS 2.04 (v37.175) or better to run PPMC. (it has been tested under v37 through v40 kickstarts) It can be invoked either from the Shell or from the Workbench. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 2.Installation : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PPMC obviously requires the powerpacker.library. That is the only library to install, in order to use the Shell interface. As for the Intuition interface, the reqtools.library is needed too. 2.1 Under OS 2.0 : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The installation program allows you first of all to compare the version number of the provided libraries with those already installed in your system. It will then update your Libs: assignement with the libraries you had previously checked. Note : ~~~~~~ - Pressing the Esc key will quit the program. 2.2 Under OS 2.1+ : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To execute the installation script, double-click on your language icon. Notes : ~~~~~~~ - You will need Commodore's Installer program in your C: assignement. - I'm sorry if your native language isn't provided. Feel free to translate the `empty.ct' file and send me a copy of it... """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 3.Usage from the Shell : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you wish to use an Intuition+GadTools interface, just type `PPMC' with no argument. (skip to "Usage from the Workbench" for more details) You may otherwise be interested in a CLI-only interface. In that case, type `PPMC ?' to display the template. 3.1 Syntax : ~~~~~~~~~~~~ PPMC FROM TO [EFFECT] {1|2|3|4|5} [BUFFER] {1|2|3} [DECRUNCHING] {1|2|3|4|5} [ENCRYPT] [FORCE] [QUIET] [VER] [HELP] 3.2 Template : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PPMC FROM/A/M,TO/K,EFF=EFFICIENCY/K/N,BUF=BUFFER/K/N,DEC=DECRUNCHING/K/N, ENCRYPT/S,FORCE/S,QUIET/S,VER/S,HELP/S FROM = This is the path and name of the files to be packed and/or unpacked. TO = This is the path and name of the destination file. If this argument is omitted or if there are more than one source file, the destination file name will be equal to : - The source files name plus the `.pp' extension if packing. - The source files name minus the `.pp' extension if unpacking. EFFICIENCY = The packing efficiency : 1 = FAST 2 = MEDIOCRE 3 = GOOD 4 = VERY GOOD (default) 5 = BEST BUFFER = The size of the speedup buffer used while packing : 1 = LARGE from 3K (FAST) to 33K (BEST) 2 = MEDIUM from 5K (FAST) to 65K (BEST) (default) 3 = SMALL from 196K (FAST) to 256K (BEST) DECRUNCHING = The effect to be used during decrunching : 1 = Flash color 0 2 = Flash color 1 3 = Flash mouse pointer 4 = Background color scrolling (default) 5 = No decrunching effect ENCRYPT = This switch enables encryption of packed files. You will then be asked for a password. FORCE = Use this switch to disable the confirmation requests when a file is to be overwritten or an executable to be crunched. QUIET = When this switch is on, no information is displayed during the packing or the unpacking operation. VER = This switch will ask PPMC to display its current version. - Same as the `-v' option on previous versions of PPMC. HELP = A very useful switch which will make PPMC display the packing parameter's values. - This option is localized. - Same as the `-h' option on previous versions of PPMC. 3.3 Notes : ~~~~~~~~~~~ - The program firstly checks if the source files are already packed and encrypted and will in that case decrunch them. So use the same syntax to unpack any file. - You may abort any packing or unpacking operation by hitting Ctrl-C or Ctrl-D. - The display of messages can be avoided by adding >NIL: at the end of the command line. 3.4 Examples : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > PPMC file1 file2 EFF=3 BUF=2 DEC=3 ENCRYPT - Pack and encrypt `file1' with a GOOD efficiency, using a MEDIUM speedup buffer, and a decrunching effect on the mouse pointer, then save it to `file2'. > PPMC file FORCE - Pack `file' with the default parameters (EFF=BEST, BUF=LARGE, DEC=NONE), without encrypting it, then save it as `file.pp', even if it's an executable file. If the file is already packed, it will be unpacked and saved. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 4.Usage from Workbench : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To run PPMC from Workbench, simply double-click on its icon, which has several Tool Types that you may want to set before. To load a file, you can either : - Drop an icon on PPMC window (the fastest way), - Click on the GetFile gadget, then select a file in the requester, - Use the Load item from the Project menu (right Amiga + L). Once the file is chosen, the program analyses it and whether it's already packed or not, enables the appropriate button. 4.1 Tool Types : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBSCREEN : The public screen name on which PPMC should open its window Default : Default public screen (or Workbench) LANGUAGE : The language to use for localization (OS 2.1+ only) Default : System default if available, English otherwise EFFICIENCY : Sets the crunching efficiency at startup Range : 1-5 Default : 5 (BEST) BUFFER : Sets the speedup buffer at startup Range : 1-3 Default : 1 (LARGE) DECRUNCHING : Sets the decrunching effect at startup Range : 1-5 Default : 5 (NONE) ENCRYPT : Sets encryption at startup Default : OFF VERBOSE : When this tool type is OFF, the `size', `% gain' and `%' gadgets, as well as the percentage gauge will be disabled during the packing operation. Default : ON ASL : PPMC will use the reqtools.library file-requester by default. If you prefer using the asl.library file-requester or any other library providing an ASL patch program (KDfreq,MFR,etc..), set this tool type to ON. Default : OFF PATTERN : You may avoid the use of a backfill pattern by launching PPMC with this tooltype OFF. Note : This is particularly appropriate for owners of a slow processor Amiga, who use an 8 or 16 color Workbench screen under Kickstart 2.0 or 2.1. (Intuition windows are sped up a lot under V39). Default : ON COLOR : Sets the window pattern color. Range : 0-255 Default : 3 4.2 Notes : ~~~~~~~~~~~ - The Esc button aborts the crunching operation. - Decrunching is too fast to be aborted. - You will be warned by a requester, every time you will attempt to load an executable file. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 5.Changes : ~~~~~~~~~~~ v1.2c - Multiple files packing and/or unpacking is possible under Shell. - The % gain is more precisely calculated. - All gadgets & menus are disabled before the packing operartion. - The packed file executable flag is always cleared after saving. - PPMC's window is now centered on the visible part of the screen. - The parameters menu sub-items are mutual excluded. - Newlook menus (V39+) - Justified number gadgets (V39+) - The code has been optimized. - The source was recompiled with SAS/C 6.2. v1.2b - Released on the AmigaLibDisk #812 - Dutch catalog has been added. - Icon Tool Type parsing is now possible. - Password prompting under Shell has been made invisible. - All UNIX style options were replaced by new AmigaDos switches. - The source was recompiled with SAS/C 6.1. v1.2a - File overwritting is detected. - Gadget shortcuts have been corrected. - `-b' option was added. v1.2 - Localized (including French and Danish catalog files) - Unpacking is possible. - A complete CLI/Shell interface was added. - ASL file requester is used. - Custom Password prompting - The window layout was renovated. - The internal font has been changed. - Hypertext documentation v1.1 - Released on the AmigaLibDisk #751 and the CAM #697 - Encrypts files - User is warned when an executable file is loaded. - Internal font was purged. - Few bugs were fixed. v1.0 - This was the first released version. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 6.Future improvements : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - Pack and unpack multiple files under the intuition interface, using a ListView gadget. - Scan a directory for a recursive packing and unpacking - Make window & gadgets sizable - Add an icon to the destination file(s) - Replace ppErrorMessage() with a localized function - Translate the documentation to French - ARexx interface Note : ~~~~~~ Theese improvements will mostly depend on the needs of PPMC users... """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 7.Author : ~~~~~~~~~~ PPMC was written by Reza ELGHAZI 35, av Mac Mahon 75017 Paris FRANCE Using a very slow Amiga 500+ (1Mb CHIP), a GVP A500-HD8+ 52Mb SCSI hard drive (4Mb FAST), under Kickstart v40.3 (loaded in RAM with SKick) and Workbench v40.6 Comments, suggestions, bug reports, flames, gifts, etc... are welcome. ...AND SOMEONE SAID FAIR WARNING LORD WILL STRIKE THAT POOR BOY DOWN, TURNED FROM HUNTED INTO HUNTER WENT TO HUNT SOMEBODY DOWN... (VAN HALEN) """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 8.Acknowledgments : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks to : ~~~~~~~~~~~ Nico Francois Fred (Torchi) Servant Jan van den Baard Alex Tsopeis Michael Berg Denis Gounelle Sylvain Rougier Pierre Carrette Martin W. Scott SPECIAL Thanks to : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jan van den Baard for his awesome GadToolsBox, the Dutch localization and for helping me on several bugs. Michael Berg for the Danish localization. Nico Francois for having resolved the password problem and for sending me his exceptional reqtools and powerpacker libraries. Fred Fish for his prodigious Public Domain collection. Alice in Chains for the music. PPMC was written with : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAS/C Compiler v6.2 (c) SAS Institute Inc. CygnusEd Pro v2.12 (c) CygnusSoft Software GadToolsBox v1.4 (c) Jaba Development FontConverter v2.0 (c) Andreas Baum powerpacker.library v35 (c) Nico Francois reqtools.library v38 (c) Nico Francois """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""