HardPressed (was Re: AutoArk)

[fadden@uts.amdahl.com (Andy McFadden)]

In article <1993Jan15.022736.6772@nuscc.nus.sg> ltchean@iss.nus.sg (Lim Thye Chean) writes:
>: The only way to work around it at all is to trap things like finderSays
>: messages before files are launched... otherwise it would try to launch the
>: compressed file, and fail.  I have *no* dependencies on the Finder...
>
>Nice to know that. I will consider HP incomplete if this is not implemented.

HP is meant to be invisible, not something that you're constantly tripping
over.  AA is implemented the way it is so that you can get at the UM backup
files.  Seeing the original file icon isn't a nifty feature, it's the way
things *ought* to work.

If you double click on a compressed picture file, it will faithfully launch
the application and be uncompressed.  You wouldn't even know that it WAS
compressed if HP didn't tell you.  HardPressed doesn't intercept the Finder's
messages because it doesn't NEED to intercept them; everything works the way
you would intuitively expect it to.

>It's good. BTW, can HP works with compressed file while in ProDOS 8? AA can't.

Nope.  HP is GS/OS only, same as AA.  Providing a reasonable level of P8
support is not easy.  There are too many utilities which do direct block
accesses, so it isn't always possible to substitute the file's true EOF size,
and you get in trouble.  Best solution is to uncompress from GS/OS and
recompress when you return.

>: Huh?  For the record, HP does *NOT* do anything with ShrinkIt archives.
>
>I know. I am just asking whether is it possible to let HP open ShrinkIt file
>directly.

Read the previous answer again.

>Another similar idea: for Universe Master and AutoArk users, HP can open the
>compressed file created by these two programs. This will allow UM/AA users to
>"upgrade".

Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind. :-)

>One reason for the second idea: it is logical for Universe Master users to
>buy AA instead of HP, why? This is because the backup created by UM can be
>easily access by AA, and they are such a perfect combination.

Question you need to ask is, is it worth dealing with AA every day just so
you can access archived files transparently once in a blue mooon?

>How many compression schemes does HP provide?

Again, no specifics until it's final.  I WILL be writing some more, though.
(I'll bet money I can write something which packs about as well as LZH, but
unpacks faster than GSHK.  Of course, all bets are off on the compression
time (shudder) :-) )

I may not be on this full time (amdahl.com is not an Internet service!), but
it's the only product I have to deal with, so it gets my undivided attention.
But most of all, I *like* writing compression routines.  They're fun!

-- 
fadden@uts.amdahl.com (Andy McFadden)
[ Above opinions are mine, Amdahl has nothing to do with them, etc, etc. ]