> The way I see it, Aley doesn't want to make any new file formats that
> people don't like. Aley's also discussing the type of compression to be
> used before implementing it. Aley added sad support, but there's
> absolutely nothing wrong with adding support for a file format which was
> written when nobody was around to discuss it.
>
> Si, on the other hand, has modified the dsk format without telling
> anyone (and I really hope he hasn't done anything else). All I have to
> say is: get the basics working first, then add the extra functionality
> *AFTER* you've released the source code. I really hoped Si wouldn't do
> this, but it seems that I was wrong, and that he might be attempting to
> make the Win32 version better than the others.
As Si wrote, you simply missed the point.
DSK format is still DSK, since DSK is taken from Linux, so it cannot be
compressed or changed.
The same is SAD. It cannot be compressed, since it must be compatible with
other
programs w/SAD support.
As I wrote, I preffer standard ZIP compression, we can use zip32.dll in
Win32, and
public external ZIP/UNZIP (available as GPL program) in DOS and Linux.
I have seen this in ZX32 and I like it.
> Then again, Windows programmers are all alike -- they've got no respect
> for other platforms. DOS programmers are about as bad, too: "Go and get
> DOS because it's the right STANDARD!!!!" -- if we listened to that sort
> of advice, we'd all be living in trees.
Oh no!
a) I preffer better Win32 SimCoupe, than worse one. :)))
b) It is still easier to get a DOS than to remake all DOS-only programs
for your Linux (or what you use).
But this is common to all platforms: If you ask anybody to convert his
Amiga/Sony PSX/Win32/DOS/ZX Spectrum/..... program, he simply
says go and get that machine/op.system.
That isn't wrong. Most programmers don't have sufficient resources
to make everything Linux-friendly. And they have no reason, since they
don't have money from you.
And when most prgorams you want use are Win32 ones, you may
think Win32 programmers are satans..... ;-)
But the situation is not as bad.....
> >Regardless the file formats, we could add ZIP support to SimCoupe.
>
> Please could you use zlib, with gnuzip files? You'll end up with similar
> (possibly slightly smaller) file sizes, that way.
>
> Btw, the *extentions* can be anything you like, such as saz/sad.gz
> (gzipped sad), dsz/dsk.gz (gzipped dsk), and sdz/sd.gz. clear? Try not
> to use zip or gz as a single extention, though.
You are always able to read the contents of an archive, so it can have any
extension, but I
really preffer hte original one (packed SAD will be still SAD).
Also, I STRONGLY recommend ZIP, not GZip.
Also, extension must be max.3 chars long (for DOS users).
> I'm wondering how good a zip/tar.gz format would be for a disk -- i.e,
> storing the actual files, and not a plain image of the disk. There's
> probably little point if you're going to gzip it anyway. It would
> involve replacing SamDOS/MasterDOS functions somehow, though.
Why?
> Use zlib, and you can do it internally. At least people won't have to
> download gzip and install it. If you were to do it externally, I don't
> think deleting the original compressed file (after uncompressing it for
> use with simcoupe) would be a very good idea. Understand that the file
> "image.dsk" might already exist, and be different to the one you're
> inflating.
ZIPped files are available via Internet. We don't need GZip, we don't want
it!!!!!
I know that it has better compression ratio, but who cares???
A few bytes or kilobytes. We just need the ZIP support, it's the most
compatible method and its compression is much better than storing
plain images.
Also, internal ZIPping is possible, as well as internal GZipping.
> Btw, I've got an idea: you could treat the floppy as a ramdisk, and load
> and save images to it -- that would only be optional, of course.
What?
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Aley [eili] Keprt - student, programmer (multimedia soft. etc.)
phone: +420-68-538 70 35
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** http://get.to/aley
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