IDEA: PPMd ZIP packer/extractor (i.e. WinZip 10 compatible)

[def]

I'd like to see a free program that can create and extract PPMd ZIP archives (introduced with WinZip 10). Specification is here: http://www.winzip.com/ppmd_info.htm

Although this format is not yet wide-spread and might never be, some people do use WinZip 10, and it would be nice to send them archives that use WinZip 10's full compression abilities. A command line program is totally suffient.

I've not yet found a program that is free of charge that can create PPMd ZIP archives. The only program I found is ZipStar http://www.speedproject.de/enu/zipstar/index.html that can extract PPMd ZIP archives and which is free for personal use.

Thanks for any comments,
Def

[wr975]

All those different compression/encryption algorithms in ZIP files are quite confusing. I'll never forgive WinZip for messing with the ZIP standard. 

PPMd is just a compression algorithm and IMO very slow. For enhanced zip files you can still create "normal" archives. If necessary (larger than 2 GB, splitfiles) it'll be a ZIP64 file. I think there's more support for ZIP64. Even WinRAR can unpack split ZIP64 zip files (unless it's encrypted in anything else than "Zip 2.0 standard").

I'd recommend creating a self extracting ZIP file, if you use a different compression algorithm and/or stronger encryption. So anyone can unpack it.

[def]

Thanks for your answer, wr975.
An SFX archive might just be the solution. So far I have resisted the temptation to do so, not so much because of the overhead (size of SFX stub) but because people seem to fear viruses in EXE files.
But still it might be better to send an EXE file than to support WinZip's dirty attempt to mess with PKware's ZIP standard.

Thanks again,
Def

[f0dder]

I'd just avoid .zip as much as possibble - especially those extended formats.

I use (standard) .zip (created by WinRAR) when I need to distribute small things, because just about everybody can open zips, and WinXP even has built-in support for zip.

When I need to send files to people, I use RAR. Better compression and good speed, and all people I send files to use WinRAR anyway

If I need to do a setup for something larger, I'll probably choose LZMA - cab, 7zip or nsis. Although RAR is still a viable choice, since at least the decompression algorithm is free.

[def]

Okay, okay, you convinced me. 
I hereby withdraw my wish. 

Greetings,
Def

[JavaJones]

God how I hate Winzip. I just can't understand how such an underfeatured piece of garbage can be the most popular archiving app around! Marketing, I suppose. Which makes me hate marketing all the more.

So what's special about this new PPMd format? How does it compare to .rar or .7z even? If it's not better, who really cares?

- Oshyan

[def]

So what's special about this new PPMd format?

That it is the format with the best compression that can be extracted by WinZip 10 without any addional software. 
Erm... That's all I can say about it...

Def

[JavaJones]

Ah, but why pander to silly Winzip users? Tell them to get a free archiver that supports .7z and they'll probably have better compression *and* not have to pay for the crappy Winzip.

- Oshyan

[def]

Ah, but why pander to silly Winzip users? Tell them to get a free archiver that supports .7z and they'll probably have better compression *and* not have to pay for the crappy Winzip.

- Oshyan

The reasons for that are stated in my original post. 
Seriously though, it seems that PPMd ZIP support will eventually get added to 7-Zip because PKWare decided to include it into their ZIP specification (along with LZMA within ZIP although it seems no archiver supports it yet  ) See http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?thread_id=1580258&forum_id=45797 for details (Igor's comment near the end of that page).

Def

[JavaJones]

No, the first post actually doesn't answer "why pander to silly Winzip users?". It says there are people out there who still use it - and of course there are - but doesn't answer why not just tell them to get a decent, standard-supporting (and free!) archiver. There are lots of great options - Tugzip, IZArc, ZipGenius, etc, etc. Or if they must pay, get WinRAR, which is far more capable and whose proprietary format actually doesn't suck.

All I'm saying is don't put up with their crap - tell them it's crap and get them to switch. It's your duty as a lover of good software.

- Oshyan

[def]

No, the first post actually doesn't answer "why pander to silly Winzip users?". It says there are people out there who still use it - and of course there are - but doesn't answer why not just tell them to get a decent, standard-supporting (and free!) archiver. There are lots of great options - Tugzip, IZArc, ZipGenius, etc, etc. Or if they must pay, get WinRAR, which is far more capable and whose proprietary format actually doesn't suck.

All I'm saying is don't put up with their crap - tell them it's crap and get them to switch. It's your duty as a lover of good software.

Sorry, you are right, I didn't say it as clearly as I thought. Given that most WinZip 10 users are somewhat new to computers they are really happy as soon as they manage to get along with WinZip that they are not likely to switch. Also, once they have already paid for WinZip, there's no point in arguing "try XYZ, it's even free!"
In general, I feel my job is not to convert people to other tools. I just accept the world as it is. 
Anyway, I believe that we both don't like WinZip and we both prefer other tools, so we don't have to act as if we were arguing. 

[JavaJones]

Hehe, we're not arguing. I'm just encouraging you to challenge these computer-new friends of yours to use *good* software. Try to catch them before they've paid for Winzip, but even if you don't, you can show them the advantages of Zipgenius and other alternatives. Just send them to get something cool in an archive format Winzip doesn't support.

- Oshyan

[def]

Addendum:
PKware seems to follow the WinZip path:
PKWARE's APPNOTE.TXT Version: 6.3.0 covers now LZMA and PPMd support

As a consequence, both will probably be implemented in 7-Zip since Igor Pavlov uses PKware's Zip specification. See also:

http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?thread_id=1587697&forum_id=45797

Greetings,
Def