[suggestion] Compare self extrating zip files.

[Guest]

Just a simple suggestion:

From time to time I receive self extracting zip files, which I would like to be able to compare with other zip files or directory structures.

Currently, I turn them back into normal zip files using 'zip -J', but that modifies the file (Striping out meta data, like the default path to extract to), and obviously does not work if the zip is on a read only file system.

Seeing as the self extracting part is only a simple bit of executable code prep ended onto the beginning of a normal zip file, I would think it would be relatively simple to treat the file as a normal zip.

[Chris]

Re: [suggestion] Compare self extrating zip files.

You should be able to expand self extracting .zip files by adding the extension .exe to the archive associations in BC.

Regular executables will show up as compressed files, but they still should compare without too many problems.

To add the association, go to the General section of Tools|Options. Make the archive associations entry *.zip;*.gz;*.tgz;*.tar;*.cab;*.jar;*.ear;*.war;*.e xe

I'll add differentiating regular executables and self extracting zips to the wish list.

[Zoë]

Re: [suggestion] Compare self extrating zip files.

As an explaination: The "zip/not-zip" choice is made right away in BC and is only based on the filename so we don't have to open every possibly matching file. Adding '*.exe' to the Archive Associations like Chris suggested should make self-extracting zips work, but all other exes will display with the zip icon as well.

When we add explicit support for self-extracting exes it will probably be by adding some sort of "Open as zip" command that would try to open a selected file.