Re: AutoArk

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

In article <1993Jan13.091553.22083@nuscc.nus.sg> ltchean@iss.nus.sg (Lim Thye Chean) writes:
>AutoArk is slow, that's correct. Now let us see HP in speed comparison.
>Can you tried some sample?

I'm reluctant to do timing tests on non-final versions of the compression
routines.  They could get faster, they could get slower.

>I do hope you take a look at AutoArk.

I will, once HP is shipping.

>                                      Some of the implementation is pretty
>cool, for example, if the option "Finder interface" is disabled, you will be
>able to see all the files with their original icons and sizes, just as
>though nothing happened.

Of course HP does this.  Otherwise you wouldn't be able to get at your
files... the filetype, auxtype, and (most important!) the EOF would be wrong.
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... hey, I'm
a long-time ProSel-16 user. :-)

BTW, for those of you who do programming, HP works just fine under GNO and
Orca.

>: Very.  I laugh at YankIt (which, BTW, I also wrote).
>
>So, will AutoArk read ShrinkIt file like what YankIt did?

Huh?  For the record, HP does *NOT* do anything with ShrinkIt archives.

>                                                          One thing I like
>about AutoArk is that it doesn't force you to compress file using LZW only.
>I am wondering whether HP is also that flexible.

Funny how that appeared in AA's description AFTER the HP press release was
posted.  Could be coincidence, ...?  But yes, HP allows different compression
schemes.  In fact, lesson 12 of the data compression course I've been teaching
on GEnie is going to be an explanation of how to write your own HP compression
modules.

And, of course, there's nothing to stop you from writing a module which takes
advantage of certain specialized hardware...

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