HDTenEightyP/CompuServe · Datasets at Hugging Face

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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

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