PIM 1.20 beta is here!

[encode]

NO COMMENTS!

Just download and enjoy!

[LovePimple]

Thanks!



Seems to work perfectly! I will continue testing.

[encode]

By the way, you can tell me your name and I will add you to credits as a Beta tester!

Any change in compression ratio in this version?.

[encode]

Any change in compression ratio in this version?.

In this version I add the TGA image compression. So compression differs only on these files.

[stoney1919]

One thing I miss in the new Pim (compared to Pimple, 1.43 beta) is the ability to send files to Pim via the Send To menu. If I try to send, for instance, a plain text file to Pim I get the error message "Unknown archive". Also, I could drag and drop a file to Pimple and it would be loaded. Pim lacks this also.

Everything seems to work fine here

Sugestions:
- Remove the extra black space (right & bottom) in about menu;
- Format file path in compressing window. Sometimes the last characters are hidden. I like the 7zip solution;
- Is it possible to not recompress archives? PIM takes a lot of time recompressing zip, rar, 7z etc files.

The engine is very good.
Archive size: in my (real) tests PIM is very close to winrar (best). Sometimes better, sometimes worse. But 7-zip (ultra) compresses even more.

[spark]

--reply to post from the 'PIM 1.0 is here!' topic, which is now closed--

encode said,
PPMd - Used by WinZip 10.0. Currently looks like only WinZip can handle such files. Maybe in future ZIP files with PPMd compression will be popular.

ZipStar v5.2 correctly extracts the PPMd (and BZip2) compressed ZIP archives from WinZip v10.

And ZipStar is free for personal/non-commercial use.

http://www.speedproject.de/enu/zipstar/index.html

[LovePimple]

I'm sure that PIM will very soon be able to handle ALL zip files.

[encode]

One thing I miss in the new Pim (compared to Pimple, 1.43 beta) is the ability to send files to Pim via the Send To menu. If I try to send, for instance, a plain text file to Pim I get the error message "Unknown archive". Also, I could drag and drop a file to Pimple and it would be loaded. Pim lacks this also.

Eventually I add this feature. But now I'm working on compression and other basic things.

- Remove the extra black space (right & bottom) in about menu;

Such layout in 'About' dialog is some kind of tradition since PIMPLE.

- Format file path in compressing window. Sometimes the last characters are hidden. I like the 7zip solution;

This feature will be added in next version.

- Is it possible to not recompress archives? PIM takes a lot of time recompressing zip, rar, 7z etc files.

No. Since PIM works in solid mode. Furthermore, in some cases PIM really can compress already compressed files (GIF, JPG, PNG). But the main thing - if we compress something, we cannot rollback the model state and just store file - i.e. after compressing ZIP file or something, the model already changed and we cannot restore it's original state.

ZipStar v5.2 correctly extracts the PPMd (and BZip2) compressed ZIP archives from WinZip v10.

Yes, that's true! I download and test it and it's works. Anyway, I didn't knew that before!

I'm sure that PIM will very soon be able to handle ALL zip files.

Yes, eventually, I'll add the BZip2 and PPMd decompression for ZIP files, since both PPMd and BZip2 are open-source programs, furthermore they are organized as a data compression libraries.

Anyway, beta testers wanted! I need at least two testers. If someone wants to help me, test PIM, create your own suggestions/improvements list and send me this list and your name via email or post it here (for credits in 'About' dialog).

Also you can post your suggestions/improvements list here, anonymously - this is also helps.

Furthermore, at least one beta tester must be from United States or from England - to avoid some grammar errors in PIM. The good example is BeeGUI archiver - along with poor english, this archiver contains a new word 'Higth' (instead of 'High') in 'Process priority'.

[encode]

The 'Progress' dialog with formatted file path:

[LovePimple]

No problems so far...

[encode]

Actually, this version at least contain one bug - 'an empty folder' issue. If you try to add an empty folder PIM, will crash. This bug already fixed in next 1.25 beta version. (Next release is soon)

Some good news though, now I'm working on BZip2 decompression for ZIP files. Also, all unknown methods in ZIP file will be marked with '*', for example: PPMd*, or Deflate64*.

[LovePimple]

Actually, this version at least contain one bug - 'an empty folder' issue. If you try to add an empty folder PIM, will crash. This bug already fixed in next 1.25 beta version. (Next release is soon)

I have only been testing decompression of other (ZIP etc) archives.

[LovePimple]

Some good news though, now I'm working on BZip2 decompression for ZIP files. Also, all unknown methods in ZIP file will be marked with '*', for example: PPMd*, or Deflate64*.

Excellent!

[encode]

Interesting link:
http://www.winzip.com/ppmd_info.htm

[encode]

http://pkware.com/business_and_developers/develope r/appnote

[LovePimple]

Interesting link:
http://www.winzip.com/ppmd_info.htm

http://pkware.com/business_and_developers/develop er/appnote

Will PIM soon be able to decompress all formats now that you have access to this information?

- Is it possible to not recompress archives? PIM takes a lot of time recompressing zip, rar, 7z etc files.

No. Since PIM works in solid mode. Furthermore, in some cases PIM really can compress already compressed files (GIF, JPG, PNG). But the main thing - if we compress something, we cannot rollback the model state and just store file - i.e. after compressing ZIP file or something, the model already changed and we cannot restore it's original state.

In winrar we can change compression mode in run time!
I don't how they did it, but they did...

[encode]

Will PIM soon be able to decompress all formats now that you have access to this information?

Well, new upcoming version of PIM already can extract using Store, Deflate and BZip2 methods. Next is the PPMd! Also, no reason to add support for outdated algos (older than Deflate), since this algos are back from 80's... Note, the full list of methods:

0x00: Store
0x01: Shrink*
0x02,0x03,0x04,0x05: Reduce*
0x06: Implode*
0x07: Tokenize*
0x08: Deflate
0x09: Deflate64*
0x0a: DCL Implode*
0x0c: BZip2
0x12: IBM Terse*
0x62: PPMd*

In winrar we can change compression mode in run time!
I don't how they did it, but they did...

WinRAR uses an LZ77-based algorithm, so such tricks can be done with its algo. Generally speaking, PIM uses a PPM-based algorithm (LZP+PPM), it's the different story.

[encode]

Also note, WinRAR CANNOT extract ZIP files with BZip2 compression!