Zip and Unzip .zip Files

[xxgeek]

Windows 10 has a built in tar.exe that works very much like the Linux tar

Earlier versions of Windows do not have tar.exe, but I believe it can be installed if desired.

I've been playing around with it and came up with a couple of uses.

1.) Zip up everything in DefaultDir$, and place the resulting .zip file in DefaultDir$

2.) Unzip a .zip file residing in DefaultDir$ to DefaultDir$

1. eg: can come in handy when making an installer or adding downloaded files to a project
2. eg: can be used after downloading a .zip file(using curl) to DefaultDir$

Since tar.exe is not an internal shell command there is no need to start it up using cmd.exe, but RUN lines with cmd.exe were left in to show it works too.


    'xxgeek 2023
   NOTE: SAVE this to it's own Folder before RUNing.
   'zip or unzip files to or from DefaultDir$ using tar.exe
   'xxgeek Nov 2023
   'tar.exe is built into Windows 10+, I believe it may be downloaded for earlier versions.

   'User must provide any zip files used for extraction.
   'zipFile.zip can be any .zip file the user wishes that resides in DefaultDir$
   nomainwin

   'example #1
   'zip all files and subfolders/files in DefaultDir$ into a file named 'newFile.zip'
   'run ONE of the following, they all do the same thing
   newFile$ = "newFile.zip"
   run "tar.exe -a -c -f ";newFile$;" *.*",hide  'uses a variable with tar (recommended)
   'or
   'run "tar.exe -a -c -f newFile.zip *.*",hide  'uses a literal with tar
   'or
   'run "cmd.exe /c tar -a -c -f newFile.zip *.*",hide      'uses a literal with cmd and tar
   'or
   'run "cmd.exe /c tar -a -c -f ";newFile$;" *.*",hide      'uses a variable with cmd and tar
   end
'#################

   'example #2
   '(user supplies zipFile.zip or changes name to an existing .zip file in DefaultDir$)
   'unzip any .zip file(in DefaultDir$) into DefaultDir$
   ' - (DefaultDir$= the folder this code's file is RUNing from)
   'run one of the following (zipFile.zip can be replaced by a variable here as well)
    zipFile$ = "zipFile.zip"
   'run "tar.exe -x -f ";zipFile$,hide  ' uses variable (recommended)
   'or
   'run "tar.exe -x -f zipFile.zip",hide  'uses literal
   'or
   'run "cmd.exe /c tar.exe -x -f ";zipFile$,hide  'uses variable
   'or
   'run "cmd.exe /c tar.exe -x -f zipFile.zip",hide
   'end


[tsh73]

Hello xxgeek
just got a time to check - indeed tar.exe is in Windows 10
Tried it from command line
tar -h
shows short help, no -a key, no zip format mentioned
had to search more
now I know

-a, --auto-compress
(c mode only) Use the archive suffix to decide a set of the
format and the compressions. As a simple example,
(...)
tar -a -cf archive.zip source.c source.h
creates a new archive with zip format
(...)

Thanks for showing us a way.
Only thing I could add that
tar -a -c -f filename.zip
could be written as
tar -acf filename.zip

[xxgeek]

could be written as
tar -acf filename.zip

Yep, that's the "correct" way to write it.
Too many years putting spaces between switches in Dos brainwashed me.
But hey, it was coded to be backward compatible, so nobody would have noticed.

Except you Anatoly

I put a little code together as an example to download, unzip, and run one of the unpacked files.
In this case, it downloads a Microsoft/Sysinternals app named Autoruns, then runs it. Autoruns is a great app for checking/disabling programs etc that start when Windows boots up.

Replace the URL, the string for the newFile$= variable and the name of the file to RUN and you're good to go with your own download. BUT, keep in mind many zip files will unzip to a FOLDER of it's own and the programmer(you) need to add the additional code to get the desired file to RUN.

    'xxgeek 2023
   'NOTE: SAVE TO a FILE in a FOLDER OF IT'S OWN before RUNing.
   'uses curl to download a .zip file(works in Windows 10+ ONLY)
   'then uses tar.exe to unzip the downloaded file
   'then RUN's a file inside the downloaded .zip file named Autoruns.exe"
   'xxgeek Nov 2023
   'tar.exe and curl.exe are built into Windows 10+, I believe they may be downloaded for earlier versions.

   'If downloaded file already exists, it will be overwritten
   file$ = "https://download.sysinternals.com/files/Autoruns.zip"
   nomainwin
   cursor hourglass
   run "curl -O ";file$',hide 'uncomment to hide the download window
   newFile$ = "Autoruns.zip"

   do
   scan
   loop until fileExists(DefaultDir$, newFile$)

   call pause 2000  'may need increased on slower PC's or if downloading large files

   run "tar.exe -x -f ";newFile$   'unzip the downloaded file

   call pause 2000  'may need increased on slower PC's or if downloading large files
   cursor normal
   'run "Autoruns64.exe" ' you can use this line instead if running on a 64bit OS
   run "Autoruns.exe"  'works with 32 and 64bit Windows 10+
   end

   'sub to  create pauses in program
sub pause mil
   t=time$("ms")+mil
   while time$("ms")<t
       scan
   wend
end sub

   'function for checking file existence
function fileExists(path$, filename$)
   dim info$(0, 0)
   files path$, filename$, info$()
   fileExists = val(info$(0, 0)) 'non zero is true
end function


[Enzo]

Are there easy networking commands for a chatroom such as the

run "curl -O;file

[xxgeek]

Dec 5, 2023 19:46:39 GMT Enzo said:

Are there easy networking commands for a chatroom such as the

run "curl -O;file

Never done it Enzo.

If you are using some software app it would depend on the apps command line features I suppose.

You wanting to create a chatroom?
Message to an existing chatroom? If so which? Or does it matter?

I know that there is msg.exe to message over a LAN, and if still available 'net send', but they aren't chatrooms.

I never used chatrooms, they irritated me too much, but with some more info I could look into the possibility.

[Enzo]

Chatroom built into my game and wanting networking client server for hosting, "world"/ realms where players login to their character and nearness based chat; and server data of current x y position in game orientation and chat message, eventually trade of in game items.

What is net send?

[xxgeek]

'net send' got replaced by msg.exe, was an option of the 'net' command.
I don't think it's in Windows after Windows XP, not sure.

I'll have to admit Enzo, what you're trying to do is beyond me.
However, if you run the code line below it will give you a full accounting of the curl command.
As you'll see, the curl command can do a lot of things on a network and over the internet, with many protocols.

Maybe you'll see something in there to help you.
About all I could do is help with the syntax, if that.

run "cmd.exe /k curl -help all"
 'or from a command prompt:
curl -help all


[Enzo]

Wow! That was a lot of different options for Windows 10, I'm looking into the GET command and PUT command to try and get a simple fileserver client going. Thanks for the input,

For those interested,

upload
curl -d "@data.txt" -X POST http://localhost:3000/data

download
curl http://localhost:3000/data.txt

I believe is what im seeing here, as long as on the server data.txt holds a container for the entire client server with upload and download latency doesn't exceed server [loops] then this is achievable with a hosted computer with a filesystem being updates by the server app and hosted via internal-external setups, JustBASIC or LibertyBASIC would have means to create web based applications very simply and a natural host container would suffice as means to enable other people to use this feature.

Is it as simple as I've explained? Surely Latency would be a large factor, however most internet connections ping at 50-250ms thus 4-20 "FPS" for a video game.


I have used in the past a old file that explained how to use a command built in not sure it if was a .dll call I believe it was and one JustBASIC could use, I basically made a little chatroom and one room video game that I tested with a friend, we demo'ed mayhem! - online, and we did get transfer of data, although a port has to be open I believe? This method was far outdated at the time maybe dating from a .dll from 2006 or so.