> Finally the best way to unzip stuff, once you have the unzip program > on > the QL, is to use FileInfo II. A simple file command line and > pointing > FileInfo II at the unzip program will allow you to execute a zip > file > from Cueshell or QPAC 2 and have it unzip into the destination of > your > choice (I usually use RAM1_) I can send you a screen shot of how I > have > FileInfo II set up for this if you want, Dilwyn. This will be too much for some users I'm afraid. I already have FileInfo setup to point to unzip, though in my case I do this to get a quick listing rather than extraction. A simple 4 or 5-line basic program (see below) seems to be what most people appreciate as a first step.
The target user (to answer to Tim's comment) is a person who downloads zipped QL software off the net for the first time and can't figure out how to get it to the QL, but has enough knowledge and confidence to follow "get-you-started" instructions. As far as I'm concerned, the easiest way is to copy short enough zip files onto a PC format disk, use short enough filenames, and use something like Discover or IBMdisk to copy it off the PC disk to a QL floppy ro ramdisk or romdisq or whatever, then use QL unzip and proceed from there. Snag is, need to get these QL transfer programs to QL in the first place unless you already have a copy or able to get one on QL floppy. What seems to go wrong for most people is the actual getting QL unzip to a QL without physically receiving a copy on QL disk. You have to download it from Jonathan's website, figure out the above to get it to a QL, then figure out how to self-extract it unless you already have a QL unzip. The easy way is get it on a QL floppy from someone like me, but I can't really remember the last time anyone asked for PD stuff on a floppy from me! Don't forget, most of us on this list probably take unzip and disk transfer in our stride. It's not funny for people doing it for the first time! In other words, treat it as being for someone fairly non-technical who is downloading QL software from the net for the first time, although I usually find that with the right basic information, the majority of people do manage rather better than I expected. 1. Most QL software on the net is downloaded in zipped format which should be unzipped on a QL system of some type (i.e. don't unzip in Windows or DOS and explain briefly why not - loss of QL executable file header and dataspace on non-QL systems, usual sympton: program gives "bad parameter" error on trying to exec it). 2. Copy of QL unzip needed. Where to get it from (Jonathan Hudson website or Infozip.org mainly, sites like mine also carry copies, as do PD libraries and some QL cover disks). 3. How to transfer files to QDOS/SMSQE system and the merits and downsides of each option, e.g. cost of emulators, sizes of downloads, ease of setup, Discover needs a free registration code, practicalities of slow serial links etc etc. Options for transfer I can think of off the top of my head are: - use of PC floppies and disk transfer software running on QL (name the programs - Discover, Multi-DOS, IBMdisk etc, how/where to get them, etc) - use of file transfer software running on a PC, such as QLtools and wxqt2 (wxqt2 is a Jonathan Hudson program) - use of QL emulators (QPC and DOS device, what QemuLator is able to do, QLay needs to use special version of qltools software to transfer) - SMSQ(E)'s ability to read both QL and DOS format floppy disks - serial links (a good degree of info on this is available on my website) - any orther options I haven't thought of! 4. Once you've transferred the archived QDOS Unzip to QL system, how to unpack it when you don't have an unzip (the Chicken and Egg situation)! (i.e. explain Jonathan's self-extract routines in simpler terms and what to do when it stops halfway through self-extraction when you have to type in commands to get it going again) 5. Warn about issues like needing Toolkit 2 and to ignore the warning messages issued by some versions of unzip when you don't have Signal Extensions installed. The one I usually forget to mention is that you need expanded memory of course. Then you need to mention some programs need PE and so on. 6. How to set up Unzip on your system and very brief and simple examples of how to unzip programs - this little bit of superbasic is the kind of thing I send to most people as the simplest way to handle unzip at the most basic level: 10 input 'Where is unzip (drive name)?';unzip$ 20 input 'unzip which zip file?';ip$ 30 input 'unzip to which drive?';op$ 40 ex unzip$&'unzip';'-d'&op$&' '&ip$ or 40 DATA_USE op$:EX unzip$&'unzip';ip$ I just ran through a simple transfer to ensure I'd broadly included everything above and sure enough all sorts of small issues got flagged up (I realised I'd left out step 5 for example). I'm sure you'll understand what I mean. Keep it simple and fairly brief, or people won't read it. Once people have got past the simplest of first transfers their confidence and knowledge quickly builds up - what we need is just the basic get-you-past-the-first-stage information. I think the above is the simplest bare-bones approach, assuming the user in question is not a PE user. PE users tend to have enough knowledge to figure out most of the above for themeselves, less technical/less experienced users tend not to be PE users, which rules out some programs like multi-dos and Archivers Control Panel and Unzip Librarian and the like. Once the basic bare-bones guide is done, I'm sure the rest will follow on. I think the problem is that it is not a one-stage hurdle for the first-timer to overcome. They need enough minimum knowledge to handle getting the download from one computer to another and how to acquire, transfer, install and use Unzip. I'm sure I'm talking down to most on this list, but believe me there are plenty of people out there who need this information - I know from the help requests I get! Whoever ends up writing this (and I know if Tim takes up the challenge he'll do a good job like he's always done with his writings), I'm more than happy to help in the sense of looking at the article to see if it addresses everything asked in the common queries I get. Back in my trader days (before email etc was this common!), I had some little printed leaflets I sent off to people to explain things like ramdisks, pointer environment, Quill printer drivers etc, all written in response to commonly asked queries - documents like these formed the early versions of the Documentation CD and I always got surprisingly favourable comments on them and how they'd been so helpful, I still get reminded about them at shows these days! I'm quite pleased so many people have responded to this thread - thank you everyone. I'm off now before I get a Nasta-like reputation for long emails! -- Dilwyn Jones -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.2.3/281 - Release Date: 14/03/2006 _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
