NEW DEPACK ========== V1.0 ==== ALL CODING BY MIKE WATSON Greetings, to the latest version of the popular utility Mega Depack. It's been a long time in coming, has changed name and looks different but is now brimming with more packers, more features and improved reliability. --- o --- What the smeg is New Depack? ============================ New Depack is quite simply a file de-compressor. It allows you to load in a file and if packed save it out again. Why? . . . . . Well packing technology has advanced considerably over the past few years and the chances are that you will have files packed using outdated and slow programs such as happy or jek. Unpacking and repacking with one of the more sophisticated packers such as Ice or Atomic. Secondly hard drive users may feel that the space saved by packing a file is offset by the time it takes to unpack. This was my original reason for writing Mega Depack all those months ago. Thirdly, many packers don't actually have a depack option. And finally to satisfy the needs of those people who like delving around other programs which are often packed. --- O --- How do I do this? ================= There are three ways of running New Depack. 1. As a normal program. Double click on NEW_DPAK.PRG and away you go. 2. As a desk accessory. Rename NEW_DPAK.PRG to NEW_DPAK.ACC reboot and it will appear on the desk menu. 3. From a command line. It won't run as a TTP because of its use of GEM. Newer versions of TOS have the .GTP filetype. Rename to NEW_DPAK.GTP and double click on it. A dialog box will allow you to enter the required parameters. You may also use the drag 'n drop technique found on most replacement desktops and TOS 2,06 upwards. SImply drag the file/folder to be unpacked onto NEW_DPAK.PRG and they will be processed. --- O --- How do I work that interface? ============================= New Depack has an easy to use GEM interface. An improvement over Mega Depack is the use of windowed dialog boxes. This allows full multitasking when running as an accessory or in a multitasking environment such as MiNT or MultiTos. The buttons work as follows:- Load - Surprisingly enough loads , analyses and (if neccesary) depacks a file/files. Save - Saves the last file to be unpacked. Info - Contact address and SHAREWARE plug. Prefs - This is new to New Depack. It lets you tailor it to your liking. Quit - Quits Note that the batch mode is now incorporated into the load function and that recursive/normal mode and destination path is controlled through the prefs menu. --- O --- What are the prefs and how are they useful? =========================================== The preferences are for use in batch mode. The following features may be tailored:- 1. Batch mode - recursive/normal. Recursive - will go into each folder and check it for files. These folders will then be tested and so on. Normal - folders will not be entered. 2. Specify save path - Yes/No Yes - when a batch run is done a fileselector will ask you for the path where the files are to be saved. No - files are saved as the same name. 3. Save during batch - Yes/No Yes - Files are saved in a batch run. No - Files are no saved in a batch run. 4. Batch report - Yes/No Yes - A report on files read will be produced. No - No report produced. The filename where the report is produced may be changed here. --- O --- Is there anything else I should know? ===================================== Several things should be noted. 1. Several packed filetypes appear the same to New Depack and there is no way of distinguishing between them. To get round this New Depack will display a dialog box allowing you to choose an appropriate depack routine or not bother at all. 2. The commandline is limited to single filenames or folders/drives. Some examples are:- c:\ - depack drive C. test.prg - depack 'test.prg'. test.* - depack all files starting with 'test' 3. Sentry 2.11 progs only unpack on a falcon or TT. 4. Mpacker type 3 files don't depack properly due to bugs in the depack code. 5. It will no longer work in low resolution, an alert box will inform you of this. Of course a certain plank's suggestion of forcing the machine into medium res when run in low has not been implemented for some rather obvious reasons (put you brain into gear before you put your keyboard into action!!). No names but the guilty party knows who they are!. 6. New Depack was written on a Falcon so it is compatible. It has also been tested on my battered old ST. The complete specs of my test systems are:- Falcon 030 - 4meg ram - VGA & RGB monitors - internal 65mb H/D - external 450mb H/D - TOS 4.02. 520ST - 2.5meg ram - 40mb H/D - TOS 1.4. It has also been beta tested on various systems. If you experience problems then you should tell me your complete set up which will enable me to track them down. Any memory resident programs , desk accessories etc would also be useful to know. 7. It's SHAREWARE please support this. After the lack of interest from the last release on ST FORMAT I may stop releasing upgrades. --- O --- Did you say SHAREWARE, How do I register? ========================================= Dead easy!! Drop me a line enclosing one or more of the following. 1. A financial donation. 2. Some new pd s/w which you think I might like. (No demos or hacked stuff please) Falcon stuff/interesting source code is appreciated. It must be new as I get most stuff pretty quickly. 3. If you are including it in a PD library then your latest catalogue would be nice. 4. Anything New Depack doesn't recognise that you believe it should. Please don't send text edited versions of LSD or JEK that certain sad people seem to enjoy doing. By registering you will receive a version without any of the 'features' of an unregistered version and will also receive the next upgrade when available. The full source code ('C' and 68000 assembler) is available for œ5 and would be useful if you want to learn GEM programming in C. My address is on the info screen and at the bottom of this text. --- O --- Boring legalish bits. ===================== This program has been tested as completely as possible and only makes legal system calls without any 'hacking around' and as such should not cause any damage. If for any reason damage is caused then I cannot be held for responsible for it. You use the program at your own risk. To guard against any mishaps you should save the depacked files out as a different name or in a different folder. Supported packers. ================== Program/Packer Versions Formats ============== ============ ================================================ 4pak programs atomic 3.1/3.3/3.5 programs and datafiles 3.3b programs automation 2.31/2.51 programs and datafiles automation 5.01 programs and datafiles ba pack programs bytekiller 2.0/3.0 programs Russ Paynes programs JPM'S programs dcsquish 1.0/1.2/1.4 programs 2.0 programs degas elite picture files pc1-3 gollum programs(both huffed and not) happy programs ice 1.1/2.0/2.2 programs and datafiles 2.3/2.4 imp datafiles ivory dragon programs and datafiles fire 1.0/2.0 programs and datafiles gremlin datafiles jpack programs jam 1/2/3/4 programs and datafiles (lzh,lzw,jam,ice) jek 1.2/1.3 programs and datafiles le crunch datafiles lsd 1.2 programs and datafiles mpacker 1.9 programs (3 types) pfx 1.1/1.3/1.6/ programs 1.8/2.1 programs pompey 1.5/1.9/2.6 programs and datafiles 1.7/1.9x/2.3 programs 3.0 powerpacker 2 datafiles qpack 2/3.2 programs and datafiles ROBN Copylock programs Various programs and datafiles sentry 2.05/2.11 programs and datafiles spectrum 512 picture files speed packer 2/3 programs(+grazey's+1other) and datafiles stos programs superior programs superpacker 3 programs and datafiles (3 prog types) thunder 1/1.1/2 programs and datafiles unknown various vic2 used by some games companies 69 packers supported 126 different file formats --- O --- Future enhancements. ==================== 1. Allow extraction of files from archives. 2. External depacking modules. The contact address. ==================== Mike Watson, 42 Gilmore Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9NQ No time wasters, pirates or sad people, these tend to be used for amusement when I want cheered up (ie low res -> medium res suggestion) or (more likely) be filed under 'B'. ENJOY NEWDEPACK . . . . AND LISTEN TO MIND MELTING INDUSTRIAL DANCE MUSIC! SEE YAH!!