Compressor Control Box - v2.3
August 24, 1997
by John Wells
Requirements:
I'm not sure, but I don't think CCB will run on pre-2.04 systems. I don't
know anyone still using 1.3! It does work on 2.04 thru 3.1
DMSDescript (v1.1) View/Add File_id.diz to DMS files
DMS.device (v1.40) Treat DMS files as valid devices
PackDev (v1.7) (De)Compress DiskSqueeze! files
DirII (v3.3) Create Files.dsq for DiskSqueeze!
DMS (v1.11+) * (De)Compress DMS files
LhA (v1.38e+) * Manipulating LHA files
LZX (v1.20e+) * Manipulating LZX and DiskSqueeze! files
(* - Not Included)
INTRODUCTION
This program is a convenient interface for using several disk/file
archivers. Currently, Compressor Control Box (hereafter known as CCB)
supports the following archivers: LZX, LHA, DMS, and DSQ.
HISTORY
v2.3 - 24 August 97
Did some tinkering with the SETTINGS, after restoring all the code that
was lost in a massive HD crash. I also lost the names and email
addresses of all registered users, so if you are a registered user,
please email me so I can send you a copy of the registered version.
v2.2 - 24 March 97
Decided to start moving away from the tooltypes (they were a pain
anyway) and implemented variables stored in ENV & ENVARC, created a new
pull-down menu, SETTINGS, to do what used to be done with the
tooltypes. If CCB finds the tooltypes it will use them, but if not it
will look for the variables in ENV and/or ENVARC. Decided to make CCB
pop up in the center of the display screen, love to find out what users
think of that. Easy enough to remove if need be. We'll see. CCB now
shows in the SOURCE & DESTINATION windows the default settings,
until/unless something else is chosen.
v2.11 - 24 December 96
Nothing major, just fixed the included ToolTypes on the
CompressorControlBox icon so that they actually worked. Seems I fixed
the ones I use, but not the ones for the distribution. Geez, sometimes
it just seems like nothing goes the way it's supposed too! Oh, well.
Enjoy!
v2.1 - 4 August 96
Well, improving the handling of the ToolTypes in v2.0 resulted in some
other problems, namely, the program didn't read them correctly, and
reverted to the defaults! So I REALLY fixed it this time! I also
changed the way CCB handles valid floppy devices, and removed the
IGNORE ToolType. Instead I added a new ToolType, DEVICES. This allows
you to specify the floppy-type devices that DMS and DSQ will use. I
also changed the way DMS files are converted to DSQ, it now uses the
dms.device instead of DMS itself. Of course, this function is only
available to registered users.
v2.0 - 9 June 96
Straightened up some items in the display window, added another
pull-down menu item (I'm not gonna tell, you'll have to take a look!),
fixed the AUTODELETE function, removed some code that didn't do
anything, improved the handling of the ToolTypes.
v1.9 - 16 Mar 96
Ok, I think I REALLY fixed the IGNORE problem, this time. There are
several devices built in that are scanned for and removed, I know that
there will be some left over, but that's what the tooltype is for. If
it still gives you problems, let me know what the problem is, I'll try
to correct it.
v1.8 - 9 Mar 96
Fixed some problems with the log generator, set it to default to using
'MORE' if the viewer specified by the tooltype could not be found.
Remember, you MUST specify a complete path to the viewer, for exammple
'C:MultiView', not just 'MultiView'.
v1.7 - 1 Mar 96
Added the tooltype IGNORE, which allows the user to specify which
devices to NOT show when using DMS/DSQ. Just add other devices to the
tooltype, each separated by '|', such as IGNORE=CD1|TCP|FIFO
v1.6 - 18 Feb 96
Added a logfile, which will keep track of all actions performed by CCB.
It will be located in the same directory that CCB is in, so it will be
easy to find. Added another pull-down menu item, 'View CCB Log'
(hotkey is Right-Amiga V). This will call your default viewer, or
C:MultiView if not set, to display the log file.
I realized that I had forgotten to specify how to use the 'batch'
conversion mode for LhA-2-LZX and DMS-2-DSQ. Here it is. Select the
first file to convert, hold down the shift key, and select as many
others as you wish. Pretty easy, just like shift-selecting icons on
the WorkBench.
Found, and squashed, a little bug in the history function, should work
the way it's supposed to now.
Added checking for processor-type (680x0), so that the special
functions of LZX won't be tried if the processor doesn't support them
(sorry, 68000/010 users. Didn't mean to alienate you!)
Added another tooltype, AUTODELETE, which will automatically delete the
original file during batch conversion, IF the conversion had no errors.
I personally converted over 180 megs of DMS files to DSQ, with no
errors at all. And I converted over 200 megs of LHA files to LZX, no
problems there, either.
Added a routine to remove some devices from the 'Select Device'
requester used for DMS and DSQ, so no more AUX, FIFO, TCP, PCx,
whatever when all you need is DFx. Or FFx :-) If you wish to compress
MS-DOS disks using DSQ (which is VERY possible to do!), I suggest
installing MFS. Makes life much easier, if you use strange disk
formats often. If there are some devices that show up that shouldn't,
let me know what they are, and I'll have them removed also.
v1.5 - 12 Feb 96
Added 'batch mode' to the LhA-2-LZX and DMS-2-DSQ conversion routines.
Added tooltype support for defining the Source, Destination and
temporary T: directories, as well as the ability to define where your
favorite viewer is. If the ToolTypes are not found, the defaults of
SYS: and C:MultiView will be used.
Moved the 'Free Mem' indicator from the window title bar to it's
location next to the 'Select Compressor' text for legibility.
Re-arranged the 'History' in this document, to show the latest info at
the top.
Removed the use of DLDiz (no longer needed).
Enhanced the error-detection routines.
v1.4 - 30 Jan 96
Ok, cleaned up the GUI, think I have the docs pretty well squared away
now. I have (I think) complied with Dirk Vael's request to dump xDM
and switch support to DiskSqueeze!, I hope he likes the way it has
turned out. Fixed a bug in the creation of a new drawer for
decompressing lha and lzx archives (thanks for spotting that, Ashley!),
fixed the constant re-drawing of the program window, added the ability
to delete the original or the new when converting from lha-to-lzx and
when converting from DMS-to-DSQ. Added a bunch of progress indicators,
so you won't think things are frozen when converting files, fixed the
memory indicator (I hope), added a means of assigning T: to the hard
drive if low on memory, fixed a serious bug in the DMS and DSQ routines
(I won't tell what it was. If you found it, you know what it was).
Changed the 'Abort' button to 'Reset All', which is what it was
originally supposed to do (and now does). There might be more, but
after 3 days sitting in front of Amy, I can't seem to remember! I
would like to especially thank Ashley for doing the AmigaGuide for CCB.
Looks great!
v1.31 - 27 Jan 96
This was an emergency release, disabling the xDM portions of CCB. I
received a message from the originator of xDM, Dirk Vael, asking me to
remove xDM from the program. In haste, I simply disabled those
functions pertaining to xDM and sent it out, to replace the v1.3
release. I'll get the GUI and docs cleaned up for the next release.
v1.3 - 20 Jan 1996
Finally found a way to make LhA and LZX compress a directory and
include the selected path ONLY, as well as the .info for the drawer (if
it exists). What this means, is that you will no longer have files
that un-compress to something like:
WorkBench:Games/FavoriteOfAllTime/blah Instead, if you had elected to
compress the drawer 'FavoriteOfAllTime/', containing 'blah' and such,
it will actually only have the path of 'FavoriteOfAllTime/blah', just
like it should! Also, I finally got around to fixing up some of the
pull-down menus, take a look at them. One more thing. I found the
program 'DMSDescript', which means that you can now View/Add a
File_id.diz to DMS files.
v1.3 - FIRST REGISTERED VERSION
I decided to make the LhA-2-LZX and DMS-2-xDM options only available to
registered users, have to give them some kind of benny for registering!
Since v1.0 - v1.2 did not support this repacking option, it looks like
v1.3 will be the first to give the un-registered users something to
think about. I find the option VERY handy, since it is SO EASY TO USE!
So come on, folks, go ahead and register. It really is worth it! :)
v1.2 - 14 Jan 1996
Spruced up the appearance of the GUI somewhat, added a pop-up requester
to the DeCompress option of LhA and LZX, to ask the user if a drawer
should be created to put the contents into. Straightened up some code,
got rid of some excess, added the 'About' menu item. Just little
stuff, really. Oh, and I cleaned up this readme, too!
v1.1 - 9 Jan 1996
Finally found a way to fix the niggling problem with selecting the
device to use for DMS and xDM. The user can now select ANY floppy-type
device for use by CCB.
Added a 'history' function to the source/destination requesters, so
that the last directory used will be the default (hope that is what you
had in mind, Ashley!)
Fixed the 'View/Add Diz' option, can now view the File_id.diz of LZX,
LhA, DMS, and xDM archives, and can add a File_id.diz to LZX, LhA, and
xDM files. Sorry, nothing for DMS (yet!).
Added a Memory display to the title bar, good for keeping track of just
how much ram you have left after crunching up several disks or
directories.
v1.0 - 1 Jan 1996
Initial release
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