Micro-ZipCat ZIPped file catalog database. Copyright © 1992 by Fred L. Freel and Micro-Bytes\Wordware All rights reserved. Run-Time Requirements: Windows 3.1. Micro-ZipCat has not been tested in Windows 3.0. PKZip.exe must be pathed-to in your System. PKZIP is a registered "®" Trade Mark of PKWare, Inc. The Visual Basic Run-Time Dynamic Link Library, VBRUN100.DLL, must be pathed to in your System. Installation: We recommend that you create a separate directory for Micro-ZipCat and it's files to reside in. Once you have the files in a dedicated User Directory, Open FILE MANAGER, and reduce it to a size that will allow PROGRAM MANAGER viewable at the same time. Open a window in PROGRAM MANAGER where you would like Micro-ZipCat to reside. With the files in the User Directory you've created visible in the FILE MANAGER, and the open window visible in the PROGRAM MANAGER, click on the file ZipCat.exe. Holding the mouse button down, drag the ZipCat.exe file into the open PROGRAM MANAGER window. As far as Windows is concerned, Micro-ZipCat is now pathed to. However, you should click on the Micro-ZipCat icon and check it's properties in the PROGRAM MANAGER FILE window. It's "working directory" should be the User Directory you've created. Setup: The accompanying ZipList.PIF file has been pre-configured for 386 Enhanced Mode operation using a DOS window. This default may be modified by editing the PIF file with the Windows PIF Editor. However, Micro-ZipCat seems to run okay with ZipList.pif, as-is, in Standard Mode. The PIF file can be located in one of three places; Micro-ZipCat's "working Directory," your Windows directory, or a directory you've set aside for holding PIFs. ZipList.pif calls a QuickBasic program that employs functions that are not available in Visual Basic, so it should be in the same directory as your PIF file, or in Micro-ZipCat's working directory. Operation: When you run Micro-ZipCat for the first time you'll note that we've included a sample catalog, SAMPLE.ZDB. The .ZDB extension is mandatory, as it is the only extension listed when loading catalogs. Before selecting the "NEW" option, load the sample file to look over Micro-ZipCat's features. Menu Options from: Load Catalog Window . . . If the "New" option is selected, fill in the File Name information requested in the "Create New Catalog" window. Remember to use the .ZDB extension. When you click the "OK" button, you will be prompted in the Add New Disk window for the disk drive where your PKZip compressed files are located. They must be in that disk's root directory. No sub-directories will be read. Your New Catalog will be created, and you will be returned to the Load Catalog window, where you may load it by either double-clicking on the file name or highlighting the filename and selecting OK. Select Name from Catalog Window . . . The "Catalog" option allows you to either "Load" a Catalog or "Add" a compressed disk to your currently loaded catalog. If you select the "Add" option, you will be prompted for the disk drive where the files are located, similar to the process used for creating a new catalog. A specific file may be selected in the Catalog file listing by either double-clicking on the file name or highlighting the filename and "Select"ing it. The "Print Catalog" option allows you to create a hard copy of the currently loaded catalog. If you pre-sort your catalog from the main Micro-ZipCat window, the hard copy will be printed in that sort order. The "Cancel" option will take you to the main Micro-ZipCat Window. Micro-ZipCat Window . . . The information provided in the various boxes in the Micro-ZipCat window are equal to those obtained using PKZip's "verbose" option. The "Sort" buttons are self explanatory. They rearrange how the files are listed in the Catalog listing. This will make specific files easier to find when your catalog grows. Each Catalog has a capacity of 860 files. The "files" box in the Micro-ZipCat window will alert you as to the total files you have in the Loaded Catalog. If you have several disks to catalog, we recommend that you "Add" them all at once, but first create a "New" catalog using just one disk. Visual Basic is limited to an array size of 64K, thus Micro-ZipCat's limitations. You will be warned when you are about to exceed the maximum of 860 files, so don't worry. The last disk you attempt to process will not be written to your catalog. It must be reprocessed in a new catalog. You may also get a "memory error" when you try to Load a large catalog after Adding many disks. No problem, you've just gone beyond Visual Basic's 64K data barrier. Re-run Micro-ZipCat, and the large Catalog will Load. An 860 file catalog is just under 87K in size, a 1000 file catalog is just under 200K. We had the a 1000 file database functional, but the arrays necessary for producing a hard copy of the catalog precluding its use. Once a Catalog is Loaded the "Catalog" Menu selection will allow you to toggle back to the Catalog List to review another file from the Catalog listing. The "About" option will allow you access to a "Help" file, as well as this file from the "History" option. History: Rev 1.0 Basic database front-end was created. Created DOS level utility to interact with PKZip. File size was limited to 500 records by Visual Basic, and the length of the file records being used. Never released. Rev 1.1 Eliminated 50 character comment field from Micro-ZipCat window. Record count increased to 860 with a bit of fudging in Visual Basic. Hardcopy limitations resolved by reducing possible record count from 1000 to 860. Released on Compuserve.