"Open with" on files in zip archives?

[Reinhard]

Hi!

is it possible to start an application with the "open with" dialog, when the file to open is residing in a zip archive?

I got an error. Or do I have to make a special arrangement for that, tailored for WinRAR, 7Zip or alike?

Thanks.

[Aaron]

Hello,

Beyond Compare passes the exact path of the file, including in the zip. If the program knows how to handle a patch that includes a zip file (such as c:\folder\archive.zip\test.txt), then it should be able to work with our Open With command.

If you create a custom Open With that calls Beyond Compare, we are able to handle the paths. Which program are you using, and can it handle a path passed in from the command line pointing to a file within an archive?

[Reinhard]

Got it. Now I understand why it didn't work for me. I assumed that the files are extracted/re-imported to the archive by BC, itself, and passed to the program as a copy.

Which program are you using, and can it handle a path passed in from the command line pointing to a file within an archive?

Tried to use PAINT.NET, DXTBmp (a DDS image processing tool) and some other game-modding related tools.

I guess there is no chance, because probably none of them will ever be able to deal with paths poking into an archive.

Thanks for Listening, Aaron.
Reinhard

[Aaron]

No problem.

One bit of advice: you could try creating a custom Open With command in Beyond Compare that would run the extraction process for you to a temporary location. Would these files need to be saved back into the archive, or are you opening them just to view them?

[Reinhard]

Just for viewing them.

[Aaron]

Hello Reinhard,

You could create a .bat file that first calls your installed zip program to perform an unzip from the command line to a temporary location, then call the program you wish to view the file on that temporary version. Once this is setup to run on a specific file, you can replace that filename/location with a .bat file command line variable (%1).

In BC3, you can then set the Open With to call this bat file on a specific selection, use the %f parameter, and that parameter can be accessed within the .bat file as %1.

[Reinhard]

Yes, thanks, will try it later.

Hope one of that archivers understand the "c:\folder\archive.zip\test.txt" syntax. My poor windows batch language knowledge is ages old.