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into one file for easier uploading and/or downloading from BBS's and |
computer networks. ARC will compress the component files as well, thus |
saving time and money during the file transfer. ARC uses commands based on |
MS-DOS and CP/M syntax, so they may appear unfamiliar at first. However, |
once you understand the logic behind it, you'll see that in many ways the |
ARC syntax is easier to learn and remember. |
To begin with, ARC uses letters to indicate disk drives, rather than |
drive and device numbers. When using ARC with only one disk drive, you |
don't have to indicate which drive you're using, but if you do have more |
than one drive active, it is very important to tell the program which |
actions you wish to have performed by which drives. It's also important to |
remember that the author of ARC had dual drives, rather than single drives, |
in mind when he set up the lettering system, so if you're using two single |
drives, you have drives A and C, not A and B. Here's a table of letter |
equivalents for drive/device numbers. |
drive letter a device 8 drive 0 (default setting, one disk drive) |
b 8 1 (dual drive) |
c 9 0 (second single drive) |
d 9 1 (second dual drive) |
e 10 0 (third single drive) |
f 10 1 (third dual drive) |
g 11 0 (fourth single drive) |
h 11 1 (fourth dual drive) |
You can use the ARC syntax to call up programs from any drive(s) to be |
combined into one file on any other drive. |
When you are using the "archive" feature of the program, that is, |
combining multiple files into one file, or separating files that have been |
combined, you indicate that to the program by typing the word "arc" |
followed by a slash and then a letter. For example, typing arc/c tells |
the program you wish to create an archive file. Here's a list of archive |
commands, adapted from the documentation for ARC 2.10. |
arc/x (or arc/e) |
Once you've downloaded an ARC file, you need to separate it into its |
component parts before it will run on your computer. The arc/x command |
will do that, and will store the component files on any disk drive you |
specify. If you want the files stored on the same disk as the archive |
file, you don't need to specify a drive letter. |
Let's say you downloaded a file called GAME.ARC and you want to |
separate it into its component parts and keep all the files on the same |
drive (the default drive a). You'd load and run ARC and then type in |
arc/x game (or game.arc) |
In versions of ARC up to 2.30, you don't have to add the .arc suffix to the |
filename. ARC 2.50 requires the suffix; if you leave it off you'll get an |
error message. After you've typed that command, you'll get an author's |
credit and ARC version number message, and then the program will tell you |
the names of the component files as it separates them. |
If you want to separate the component files and store them on a |
different disk drive from the one in which the arc file is being dissolved, |
you would specify the destination drive like this: |
arc/xb a:game (or game.arc) |
That is, extract the files from the archive file GAME.ARC on drive a and |
store them on a disk in drive b. |
If you don't want to extract all the files from the arc file, and know |
the file names of the files you do want, you can do that by typing |
arc/e game players (or arc/e game.arc players) |
This would extract only the file called PLAYERS from the arc file. Note |
that in this case you use the arc/e command rather than arc/x. Also note |
that if the file you wish to extract contains a space in its name, you must |
use a SHIFTED space when you type in the filename. Otherwise ARC thinks |
that the word following the space is a separate filename, and you'll get a |
"file not found" error message. |
To find out the names of the component files in an arc file, use the |
arc/l command (instructions below). If you'd just like to see a directory |
of what's on your disk, simply type dir on a new line. |
Unlike some other file combination/extraction utilities, ARC doesn't |
automatically delete the arc'ed file from your disk when it finishes |
separating it into its component parts. Thus the original file is still |
available to you, should the de-arc'ed file not work for some reason. |
(It's a wise idea to check to see if your de-arc'ed file works properly |
before you delete the arc'ed version.) If you'd like to delete that file |
(or any other file, for that matter) type |
del total.arc |
If you want to delete more than one file, type the file names one after |
another, separated by spaces. If the filename itself contains a space, you |
must type a SHIFTED space; otherwise the program thinks that the word |
following the space is a separate file name, and you'll get a "file not |
found" error message. You can specify up to nine different file names at a |
time, or you can use "wild cards" to delete a number of files with similar |
names. Thus the command |
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