About Jarwin

About Jar1.02

Jarwin specific features

How to …

     Configure Directories

     Associate Jarwin with Jar archives

     Set miscellaneous options

     Build a files list

     Add files to an archive

     Extract files from an archive

     Delete files from an archive

     Compute files size

     Uninstall Jarwin

Miscellanous

How it works

 
 
 
 

About Jarwin

    Jarwin is GUI for the 32 bits version of the compression software Jar1.02 by ARJ Software (http://www.arjsoftware.com). It was tested on Windows95 only.

    Jar is a powerful compression engine but it is a console application and its use is not very intuitive.
    Jarwin provides a classical GUI (such as WinRAR) for the most useful features of Jar. It also adds a new feature in the way it can extract files.

    Jarwin requires Jar1.02, MFC42.dll and MSVCRT.dll (should be in your system directory).

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About Jar1.02

    Here are 2 benchmarks to show Jar efficiency :

    COMPUTER: Pentium-100, 24MB memory, no external cache
 

    FILE SET:  The Calgary Corpus (18 files totaling 3,251,493 bytes, popular file set used to compression rates).
 

Archiver 
Method 
Compression time 
Compressed size 
 
 
 
 
JAR32 
Maximum 
31s 
903,863  (100%) 
JAR32 
Default 
21s 
 910,676  (101%) 
RAR 2.00 
-m5 -mde -s 
261s 
951,992  (105%) 
RAR 2.00 
Default solid 
48s 
997,418  (110%) 
RAR 2.00 
Default 
41s 
1,008,455  (112%) 
UC2 rev 3 
Default 
30s 
1,051,516  (116%) 
PKZIP 2.04 
Default 
17s 
1.074,550  (119%) 
 

       FILE SET:  Microsoft Visual C++ 1.52 (462 files and directories totaling 18,806,153 bytes, mix of executables, text, DLLs, and object files).
 

Archiver 
Method 
Compression time 
Compressed size 
 
 
 
 
JAR32 
Maximum 
264s 
5,984,311  (100%) 
RAR 2.00 
-m5 -mde -s 
1004s 
6,351,777  (106%) 
JAR32 
Default 
173s 
7,050,008  (118%) 
RAR 2.00 
Default solid 
273s 
7,856,362  (131%) 
UC2 rev 3 
Default 
190s 
8,556,558  (143%) 
PKZIP 2.04 
-ex 
140s 
8,906,367  (149%) 
PKZIP 2.04 
Default 
96s 
8,945,476  (149%) 
 
    JAR32 shows its best compression with large directories of files (more than 3 Mb).

    For more information about Jar, read your Jar documentation.

Index

Jarwin specific features

     Jarwin can build a list file of files to be added or extracted which can be used with Jar commands that Jarwin doesn't support.

     Jarwin can extract files with their relative path in the archive. Jar can only extract files with their full path or without path. Thanks to extra computation, Jarwin offers a more convenient alternative to these methods.

     Jarwin supports drag and drop and provides shell extensions.

     You can also compute the size of the files that you will compress or that you will extract.
 
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How to …

    In this section I will indicate Jar switches and commands associated with each Jarwin feature. If you don't know Jar, you don't have to take care about it.

Configure Directories

    Go in the 'Configuration' menu and select 'Directories …' . The 'Directories' dialog appears with these options :

Startup Directory
    It's the directory where Jarwin will start the next time you'll load it : the directory of the last opened archive or the directory of your choice.

Add Directory
    It's the directory where Jarwin will add the archive when you open the Add dialog : the directory of the last created archive, the current directory or the directory of your choice.

Extract Directory
    It's the directory where Jarwin will extract the archive when you open the Extract dialog : the directory of the last extraction, the current directory or the directory of your choice.

Temporary Directory
    It's the directory that Jar will use to create its temporary files : the archive directory (ie the -w switch is disabled) or the directory of your choice (ie the –w switch is enabled with the selected directory). Jar will run faster is the temporary directory is not on the same disk as the manipulated files.

Jar Directory
    It's the directory where Jarwin can find Jar32.exe.

Jarwin Directory
    It's the directory where Jarwin can find Jarwin.exe, Jarwinshext.dll and Jarwin.cfg. It will be used to store list files.

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Associate Jarwin with Jar archives

    Go in the 'Configuration' menu and select 'Shell Extensions …' . The 'Shell Extensions' dialog appears with these options :

Associate Jarwin with Jar archives
    Check this option to run Jarwin when double-clicking on an archive in the Explorer.
    By  unchecking this option, you will restore the previous association.

Enable Extraction Extension
    Check it if you want to enable extraction extension (context menus in Explorer). This extension allow you to extract an archive as is in the current directory ('Extract Here'), to extract it in the specified directory ('Extract to <directory>') or in the directory of your choice ('Extract to ...').

Enable Compression Extension
    Check it if you want to enable extraction extension (context menus in Explorer). This extension allow you to add selected files to the specified archive ('Add to …'). The list file ~JarwinAdd is created in your Windows temporary directory.

Default compression rate
    It's the compression rate that will be used when you add files to archive from the Explorer.

Skip Topmost Directory
If you select one directory, the files within the directory will be added in the root of the archive (same behaviour as Winzip).

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Set miscellaneous options

Go in the 'Configuration' menu and select 'Miscellaneous …' . The 'Miscellaneous' dialog appears with these options:

Beep when finished
    Beeps 3 times when Jarwin has finished the computations which last at least the number of minutes indicated in Time before enabled.

Edited files compression rate
    Sets the compression rate when Jarwin saves in the archive the files that have been edited.

Double-click launches:
    Choose the action of the double-click: open the file with its associated program or view it with the selected program. Note that whatever the action you choose, the other will be available in the context menu and in the toolbar.
 
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Build a files list

    A files list allows you to select different files and directories in different directories and then add, extract or delete them at the same time.
    To build this list, select the files you want to add to the list then click the 'Add to files list' button or use the context menu.
    To view or remove files from the list, click the 'Edit files list' button or use the context menu. Then a dialog box appears where you can remove files from the list by selecting the files and clicking 'Remove' or pressing Del. You can also expand directories and remove the files you don't want inside these directories. Note that when files are selected, the 'Remove' button becomes the default button so you can immediately remove the files by pressing 'Enter'. In this dialog box, you can get the size of all the files by clicking the 'Total Size' button. You can also get the size of the selected file by right clicking.
    The list is reset each time you perform a Jarwin action which succeeds or a Jar action which succeeds or not or when you enter and leave an archive.

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Add files to an archive

    Select the files you want to add and click on the 'Add' button (or use the context menu and select 'Add …'). The 'Add' dialog appears :

Archive name
    Select the name of the archive you want to add files to. The archive may exist or not. You can't add files to a multi-volume archive (although you can rebuild it, add your files and split it again, but Jarwin doesn't support it).

Action
    Select the action to perform :
    Add (command 'a') : adds all files to the archive replacing existing ones.
    Freshen (command 'f') : replaces files in the archive older than the ones you add. It updates only existing files in the archive ; the new files are not added.
    Update (command 'u') : replaces files in the archive older than the ones you add. Add also the new files.

Compression
    Select the compression method : the Best method (-m4) should not be used for frequently updated archives because it makes the update slower. This method proves more efficient than the Better one for files sets of more than 2 Mb.

Path options
    Select the way files are stored in the archive :
    Full Path (-jf): the files are stored with their full path (ie C:\Windows\System\Shell32.dll will be stored as \Windows\System\Shell32.dll).
    Partial Path (-jf) : the files will be stored just as you selected it : if you selected 'foo.bmp', it will be stored as 'foo.bmp' ; if you selected the directory 'foo', all files in this directory will be stored as 'foo\…'. This options is not provided by Jar and Jarwin has to use a little trick to enable it (see the 'How it works' section).
    No Path : all selected files and files in selected directories will be added with no path .

Use files list
    Check it if you want to add the list you've just built.

Archive Spanning
    When spanning on not fixed disks, the temporary directory will be set to the Windows temporary directory (commonly C:\Windows\Temp) ; Jar will also beep at the end of each volume (-v modifier v). You can modify this behaviour by editing the command line.
    Span Archive : toggles the spanning of archive (-v)
    Volume size : select the size of each  volume (in thousand bytes, that is 1000 and not 1024). You should use Autodetect when spanning on floppy disks.
    Format Disk : full formats the archive disk (-v modifier s"format A:"). The first disk must be formatted.
    Wipe Disk : wipes the disk (-v modifier s"deltree /y A:\*"). Becareful: if a disk is write protected, the suppresion won't work and Jar will hang on (not with the first disk, because Jar checks it). So press Ctrl+C ONCE  and you will be prompted to insert another disk, then unprotect it and go on.

    When extracting an archive spanned on multiple disks, insert first the last disk which contains the *.j file, and then you'll be prompted for the first disk.

Path in Archive
    Select the path in the archive where the files will be stored (-o) . They are added in root by default.

Archive Tree
    Toggles the computing of the archive tree. With huge archives it may take time.

List file only
    Only generates the list file ~JarwinAdd in the Jarwin directory. Does not perform any Jar action. This list file can be useful if you want to perform Jar commands that Jarwin doesn't support.

Command Line
    Toggles the use of the user-made command line that you can edit with the Edit button.

Index

Extract files from an archive

    Select an archive and double click on it, then, after Jarwin finished its scanning, select the files you want to extract an click on the 'Extract' or the 'Extract to' button (or use the context menu). The 'Extract' button extracts files in the current directory with partial path and overwriting existing files. The 'Extract To' button starts the 'Extract' dialog:

Extract Directory
    Select the directory where you want to extract files to (-o). It may exist or not.

Extract What
    All Files : extracts all files in the current archive directory.
    Selected Files : extracts only the selected files.
    Files List : extracts the files in the files list.

Path options
    Select the way files are extracted from the archive :
    Full Path (command x) : the files are extracted with their full path (ie \Windows\System\Shell32.dll will be extracted as <extract directory>\Windows\System\Shell32.dll). When the files to extract are in the root directory, this option is automatically set instead of Partial Path which is slower.
 Partial Path (command x) : the files will be extracted just as you selected it : if you selected 'foo.bmp' , it will be extracted as 'foo.bmp' ; if you selected the directory 'foo', all files in this directory will be extracted as 'foo\…'. This options is not provided by Jar and Jarwin has to make extra manipulation to enable it (see the 'How it works' section).
    No Path (command e) : all selected files and files in selected directories will be extracted with no path . When the files to extract are not directories, this option is automatically set instead of Partial Path which is slower.

Overwrite without prompting
    If checked, Jar doesn't ask before overwriting an existing file (-y).
    With the path option 'Partial Path', it's Jarwin which will ask you for overwriting.

Update options
    Select the way files are extracted from the archive :
    None : all selected files are extracted.
    Freshen, Newer Files (-f): only files newer than those on the disk are extracted. Files that are not already on the disk are not extracted.
    Freshen, Older Files (-f1): only files older than those on the disk are extracted. Files that are not already on the disk are not extracted.
    Freshen, Date changed,etc (-f2): only files whose date or size has changed compared to those on the disk are extracted. Files that are not already on the disk are not extracted.
    Update, Newer Files (-u): only files newer than those on the disk are extracted. Files that are not already on the disk are extracted.
    Update, Older Files (-u1): only files older than those on the disk are extracted. Files that are not already on the disk are extracted.
    Update, Date changed,etc (-u2): only files whose date or size has changed compared to those on the disk are extracted. Files that are not already on the disk are extracted.

Chapters
    Extract chapters: toggles chapters extraction.
    From (-jb): indicates the first chapter to extract (greater or equal to 1).
    To (-jb): indicates the last chapter to extract. If you want to extract only one chapter, leave this field empty (=> -jbFrom). If you want to extract all chapters from 'From', set this field to 0 (=> -jbFrom-). If you want to extract several chapters, set this field to a number greater than 'From' (=> -jbFrom-To). Multi-chapter extraction is not allowed with 'Partial path'.

List file only
    Only generates the list file ~JarwinExtract in the Jarwin directory. Does not perform any Jar action. This list file can be useful if you want to perform Jar commands that Jarwin doesn't support.

Command Line
    Toggles the use of the user made command line that you can edit with the Edit button.

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Delete files from an archive

    Select an archive and double click on it, then, after Jarwin finished its scanning, select the files you want to delete an click on the 'Delete' button (or use the context menu). You can delete either selected files or the files list. Jarwin will prompt you to confirm deletion of the file list if it exists and if you refuse, it will prompt you for the deletion of the selected files if any.

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Compute files size

    Select the files whose size you want to compute then right-click and look at the last line of the context menu. It gives you the size and the number of files you selected. The number of files may differ from the one displayed in the status bar when you are in an archive because this archive information comes from Jar which counts directories as files.

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Uninstall Jarwin

    Select Help/Uninstall to remove registry entries and restore previous association. Then delete Jarwin directory.

Index

Miscellanous

    To cancel a Jar operation, open the DOS box and press Ctrl+C.

    You can view/open files with the 'View/Open File' command in the context menu and in the toolbar or by double-clicking on them.

    Drag and drop support:

    When you are in the disk, the title bar indicates the current directory.

    When you are in an archive, the title bar indicates the archive full name and the current archive directory. The status bar also shows the uncompressed size of the archive, the number of files (including directories) and the compression ratio, that is the compressed size (not including the archive header) divided by the uncompressed size.

    In Details View, you can sort the files by clicking on the corresponding column header. When in an archive, some directories may not have date information. This is because these directories were not stored in the archive.

    When running Jar, Jarwin is disabled and you can see that Jar is running in a console in your task bar.

    When starting Jarwin by double clicking an archive, the Jarwin window may take time to appear because it retrieves the archive information. Yet the hour-glass disappears before the computing is over and the window is not there , thus you may think that something went wrong but in fact you just have to wait a little.

    Jarwin doesn't store directories in the archive, so if you add empty directories, they won't appear in the archive.

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How it works

    Jarwin uses his own configuration file to run Jar (Jarwin.cfg). You should not edit it or at least you should not modify the default switches.

    Jarwin uses list files instead of wildcards to select the manipulated files. These list files are ~JarwinAdd, ~JarwinExtract and  ~JarwinDelete in the Jarwin directory.

    When double clicking an archive, Jarwin runs Jar with the v command to retrieve archive information. Then it processes it. This may take some time (about 9 seconds on a Pentium 200 for a 3,000 files archive).

    When running Jar, Jarwin uses the following command scheme:
        jar32.exe <command line> <archive name> !<list file>

    For Delete, the command is 'd' and the switches are '-r- -y'.

    The addition with partial path is performed by placing '.\' between the partial path and the upper path: if you want to store C:\Toto\Titi\Tata\Tutu.txt as Tata\Tutu.txt just add it full path as C:\Toto\Titi\.\Tata\Tutu.txt. Jar won't go back in the path further than the point.

    The extraction with partial path is performed this way:
        - A temporary directory ~JarwinTemp is created in the root directory of the extraction drive.
        - The files are extracted full path in this directory.
        - Jarwin moves these files to the extraction directory regarding to the update options.
        - The temporary directory is removed.
    If something goes wrong during this process, the temporary directory may not be deleted.

    Jarwin will use at least 0.5Mb RAM just the time of the retrieving of the archive information plus 0.5Mb per 2500 files to process (more or less). Jarwin is arbitrarilly limited to 1,250,000 files in an archive (which would require 250Mb to process it).
 
 Index
 

Jarwin 1.4 Copyright © 1998-99 Guillaume Durand
e-mail: guillaume.durand@bigfoot.com
http://www.multimania.com/kinkodev/jarwin/jarwinEnglish.html