Re: Zip Compression -- MIDRANGE-L

Does anyone know if there is a product that will zip and unzip files on the
iSeries using something like winzip does for windows?

A Japanese programmer who calls himself Uzaemon has a ZLIB tool has a CLcommand that makes ZIPs, it's freeware:

http://homepage1.nifty.com/uzaemon/

The InfoZip product that's normally used on Linux/Unix systems works verynicely in PASE. This is what I use, and it has worked very nicely for me.I wrote a little article about it at the following link (requires amembership to SystemiNetwork.com, but a free "Associate" membership works)

http://www.systeminetwork.com/article.cfm?id=52084

You can use the JAR utility that comes with Java to zip and unzip files,since JAR and ZIP use the same file format. If you're at all seriousabout this, I recommend that you don't use the JAR approach, because itdoesn't support all of the features that ZIP does (such as encryption, forexample) and it's very slow.

If you search the archives, you should find some JAR examples, I know I'vewritten them, I just don't know when or where :)

There's also commercial software from PKWARE, and I haven't tried it, butI've used their MS-DOS tools and they were very good.http://www.pkware.com/business_and_developers/compression/iseries/

Also, every time this question gets asked (this is a FAQ) someone suggestsGNU Zip (or "gzip"). This is a good alternative in some situations,howevever, some cautions about this idea: (a) gzip is purely compression,it's not an archive format. In other words, you can't use it to storeseveral combined files in on archive file. All it does is take anexisting file and make it smaller. (b) gzip is not the same thing as a"ZIP" file that's ubiquitos on Windows systems. GZIP files end in .GZ*NOT* .,ZIP, and the two are not compatible. (Though, there are a few"all-in-one" software packages, WinZip is an example, that support bothformats and that sometimes confuses people into thinking that they're thesame... but they're not).

Don't get me wrong, gzip is a wonderful, wonderful tool. My onlycomplaint is that people confuse it with .ZIP files commonly used onWindows systems, and it's not the same thing. Gzip is extremely common onUnix and Linux systems, but unusual on Windows systems.

IBM has a (free) download of gzip and other GNU utilities for iSeries atthe following link:

http://www.ibm.com/servers/enable/site/porting/iseries/overview/gnu_utilities.html