Author Topic: Favorite ZIP/RAR application? (Read 140,727 times)

zridling · « **Reply #25 on:** August 31, 2005, 02:50 PM »

go on... go on...

pseudolus · « **Reply #26 on:** August 31, 2005, 02:55 PM »

Oops! finger fumble there. Here's what I meant to say...

I have been using Servant Salamander as my preferred file manager for several years now. It has several file compression tools available (PAK, ZIP, RAR, 7zip). It views compressed files as folders and adds or removes files transparently as desired with drag&drop, hotkey, menu or toolbar buttons.

It is similar to Total Commander, which I have tried many times. I find myself back to SS, perhaps because I am now so familiar with it, but it has tools that I cannot find in TC.

springro · « **Reply #27 on:** July 26, 2007, 05:36 PM »

re: Zipmagic

I used to use zipmagic on an old Win95 computer that hadn't limited hard drive space. You could do just about everything with files inside a zip as if they were standard files, with any program. Heck of a slowdown if you are changing files, but otherwise it was often faster than not compressing.

I'm wondering if ZipMagic Dlx9 got the same depth into the XP file system, anyone know?
All I see on their web site is "access through std file dialog" - which concerns me a bit that it wouldn't allow other programs direct access to files in a zip.

Thanks!

Rob

lanux128 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 27, 2007, 01:10 AM »

like pseudolus, i use Altap Salamander and additionally WinRAR for all zip/unzip purposes..

also check out SpinZip by skwire for some specialised needs..

• SpinZip - Compressing files into multiple .zip archives with each .zip being independent

[attach=#]

Nxqd3051990 · « **Reply #29 on:** July 27, 2007, 02:34 AM »

Winrar 3.7
nXqd

Lashiec · « **Reply #30 on:** July 27, 2007, 02:58 PM »

Another vote for WinRAR here, it's simply the best compression app ever made.

BTW, lanux, you could give the passport to better lands to SpinZip, as WinRAR has the same ability. When you're going to compress something, go to the "Files" tab and check "Put each file to separate archive". Pretty useful feature for those long ROM zipping sessions

. Although I don't know if it's capable of doing what sri was asking for in that thread

Renegade · « **Reply #31 on:** July 27, 2007, 04:00 PM »

Well, my favorite archiver can be found here. But you probably saw that coming!

And on the topic there, I won a little victory today and finally got some good attention for the command line functionality for ALZip. A couple more little tweaks and it will truly be server ready. I'm pretty anal about things, so I don't just say that lightly.

Just in case anyone wants a sneak preview of what's in store for the ALZip v7.0 release next week, I've got a little video of some of the new functionality - the ALZip Speed Extractor. It's quite unusual, but very useful and extremely fast.

steeladept · « **Reply #32 on:** July 27, 2007, 07:28 PM »

YES, YES, YES....

I am just getting into serious server usage now, and I have used AlZip for quite a while now. LOVE IT!

WinZip and WinRar just don't do it for me for the cost vs. usage. Maybe that is just me. The only thing WinRar can do that AlZip can not is create RAR files, but then nothing else can. However, AlZip can extract MANY more formats than WinRar from what I have seen and the ALZ format seems to work as good or better than RAR for personal useage. Support for self-extracting files is great and easier for me to use than either WinZip or WinRar, and it is the same SFX format WinRar uses. I don't see where I can go wrong choosing AlZip over WinRar, and unlike Renegade, I don't work for them or get any compensation.

Enough extolling its virtues.

jgpaiva · « **Reply #33 on:** July 27, 2007, 09:20 PM »

Same here, steeladept.
I've been using AlZip for about a week, and i'm finding it to be better than both 7zip and winrar. (although i have to admit that i first changed because i didn't like the "buy me" message of winrar)

Also, i'm eager to see how will that ALZip Speed Extractor work, it does look like a grand idea.

Renegade: may i make a suggestion regarding that? There's a basic problem with it. As i never know how the inside of the archive is before i open it, i'd never use the "extract here on double click" function, which is the most interesting feature.
BUT, if there was some safety about it, like "if there's more than one file on the base dir, extract to here/ArchiveName", oh man that'd be perfect

Renegade · « **Reply #34 on:** July 28, 2007, 03:15 AM »

Quote from: jgpaiva on July 27, 2007, 09:20 PM

Same here, steeladept.
I've been using AlZip for about a week, and i'm finding it to be better than both 7zip and winrar. (although i have to admit that i first changed because i didn't like the "buy me" message of winrar)

Also, i'm eager to see how will that ALZip Speed Extractor work, it does look like a grand idea.

Renegade: may i make a suggestion regarding that? There's a basic problem with it. As i never know how the inside of the archive is before i open it, i'd never use the "extract here on double click" function, which is the most interesting feature.
BUT, if there was some safety about it, like "if there's more than one file on the base dir, extract to here/ArchiveName", oh man that'd be perfect

That's already in there — the options are always paired like this:

1) FOLDER
2) FOLDER / ARCHIVE FILE NAME

So you can set the extraction to something like:

Desktop
Desktop/Filename

To extract to the desktop or to a named folder on the desktop. Of course you can also set your own custom folder as well. So the folder pairs would then be:

Some User Folder
Some User Folder/Filename

When you have ALZip configured to extract files immediately, if a folder already exists, then ALZip simply creates a new one like "filename(1)" or "filename(2)"... That's so that you don't get prompted with an overwrite message. The whole thing is supposed to be able speed after all!

It really is very fast. And it works inside of other applications other than Windows Explorer as well. e.g. When I download a ZIP file inside of Opera, when I double-click on the file in the Opera Transfer window, I still get the context menu displayed.

If you like to work fast... This is really something that you should check out next week when I release it. I'll make sure to post back here in the "Announce Your Software" forum.

And it's great to hear that some people here are using ALZip! Your support is greatly appreciated! Thank-you!

jgpaiva · « **Reply #35 on:** July 28, 2007, 10:24 AM »

I'm glad to know that renegade, i'm looking forward for playing with it next week, then

iphigenie · « **Reply #36 on:** July 28, 2007, 03:11 PM »

I use TC or peazip - nice, clean, simple, portable
But i'll give alzip a try, intrigued

app103 · « **Reply #37 on:** July 28, 2007, 03:23 PM »

Speaking of zip applications, you might want to take a look at this post: SourceForge unveils winners of 'open-source Oscars'.

7-Zip won top award for overall best project and picked up the award for best technical design, too.

Grorgy · « **Reply #38 on:** July 28, 2007, 09:29 PM »

Apart from that ad in alzip which keeps telling me its free for home users and flashing thru all the things, i think i could use it, but unless that is made to stay still at least i would only consider it as a last resort.

Renegade · « **Reply #39 on:** July 29, 2007, 10:45 PM »

Quote from: Grorgy on July 28, 2007, 09:29 PM

Apart from that ad in alzip which keeps telling me its free for home users and flashing thru all the things, i think i could use it, but unless that is made to stay still at least i would only consider it as a last resort.

That's the ONLY differerence between the commercially licensed version and the unlicensed home user version - the product info banner disappears in the licensed version. I give out free licenses to DonationCoder members on request, so if you email me with your DonationCoder user name, I can PM you a license here. Licenses are personalized with 3 fields:

First Name:
Last Name:
Email:

I can use your DonationCoder username for first name, but I would need your email address. That's only ever used for update notices.

lanux128 · « **Reply #40 on:** July 30, 2007, 03:03 AM »

incidentally, i also have one.. thanks Renegade..

btw, check out this thread..
• http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=1088.0

Grorgy · « **Reply #41 on:** July 30, 2007, 03:23 AM »

Thanks Renegade, all nicely installed and the eggs look happier already

Renegade · « **Reply #42 on:** July 30, 2007, 03:50 AM »

My pleasure entirely! I hope people enjoy ALZip and get some good use from it.

tomos · « **Reply #43 on:** July 30, 2007, 05:13 PM »

that's really great! thanks Renegade

steeladept · « **Reply #44 on:** July 30, 2007, 06:05 PM »

Actually, unlike most people (apparently), I don't mind the rotating banners. They remind me of the other software that is out there that I might need to try. So far I have gotten past AlZip and started using AlShow and AlFTP because of that. I will probably use AlSong once I get my music "server" up and running again, just to try it out as well. I always liked the autoDJ feature in MusicMatch, but it got so bloated that I went back to version 6 where I first found it until I can find a good player that will provide this feature (and auto-leveling to ripped music). These are the two features that I used the most when I was setting up the server several years ago. Hmmm...Something else to look into

Anyway, great software. Keep it up.

Renegade · « **Reply #45 on:** July 31, 2007, 08:18 AM »

Just to let you all know, I've just released the new ALZip.

Let me know what you think of the new Speed Extractor if you have a chance.

Nxqd3051990 · « **Reply #46 on:** July 31, 2007, 02:58 PM »

Can ALZIP extract .exe file like Universal Extractor http://www.legroom.net/software/uniextract
nXqd

Darwin · « **Reply #47 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:14 PM »

Thanks for the head's up, Renegade. I'll take a look at the beta. I took advantage of your first offer of an AlZip Pro licence and have never regretted it. It's simple, quick, and light yet powerful. I won a WinRar licence here some time ago and am using it as my main archiver but AlZip is always a click away... and there are times when I need it, having Korean friends and family sending me stuff in *.alz format.

Nxqd3051990 · « **Reply #48 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:43 PM »

http://www.izarc.org/index.html
Someone use it ? It looks great

nXqd

Renegade · « **Reply #49 on:** July 31, 2007, 11:15 PM »

Quote from: Nxqd3051990 on July 31, 2007, 02:58 PM

Can ALZIP extract .exe file like Universal Extractor http://www.legroom.net/software/uniextract
nXqd

No. That's actually a difficult one to add — not because it's techinically difficult, but because it's likely to cause confusion for people. You drag & drop an EXE into ALZip... Well... What next? Do you compress it? Do you try to list the contents? Add an option specifically for EXEs? No matter what you do, you end up with some kind of messiness.

For someone like me or you, it isn't a problem. But what about our technically challenged friends and relatives that have a hard time figuring out how to open a file, much less even coming to terms with what the difference between a compressed EXE setup package and a pure executable EXE are? They represent the largest portion of people out there.

Universal Extractor is focused on extracting setup packages, which isn't the job of a general archiver. However, setup packages are just a very special kind of archive. Therein lies the irony and the problem.

However, this is on my list of things to put into the Wish List for ALZip (ever since I first saw Universal Extractor - I love the program and use it regularly). I want to get some more done on the command line first before I start pushing for that though. I need to figure out how to make things as seamless and intuitive as possible before I take it to the PM and lead developer for consideration though.

The general problem that you've inadvertently touched on is the "breadth" vs. "depth" problem for an application. You need to focus on a direction, but not ignore the other. This is especially important for the smaller developers out there. Microsoft has a lot of resources, and can attack both directions. Windows Media Player is an excellent example. It's not just an audio player or video player — heck, it's a development platform! Similarly, you can see this issue in the difference between consumer level and professional level audio and video software. The professional level stuff often lacks some breadth, but has very great depth.