AFX

pasdel

                                 AFX Version 0.1
                                     19.08.91
                            --------------------------

                                    Automatic
                                       File
                                    Extractor



   With this Program it is possible to  unpack  and use files which were packed
   with LHarc. The only difference users will notice is in the speed of access:
   A Floppy-drive will seem  to  accelerate  to  the  speed  of  a Hard Disk or
   RamDisk.


   1. Packing of Files:
   --------------------

   AFX supports only LZ5-Files, these must have the suffix 'AFX'. AFX-Files can
   be generated and packed with LHarc V 2.01d.

   The Compress function of LHarc  is  called  with  the Command 'c',  then you
   must specify the Filename  (including  Wildcards).   The  Files are then all
   SINGLE Packed and Saved under their own name.



                                 With the Command



                                      C *.*



                          all files will be compressed.


   2. How it works:
   ----------------

   When a File is  opened,  an  automatic  check  is  carried  out to ascertain
   whether the file has a valid LHarc-Header and  is LZ5 packed. If this is the
   case then sufficient memory will be reserved to perform the unpacking.

   There are two possibilities:


      1.   Not all Programs can  satisfactorily  handle errors on opening. With
          this in mind AFX  contains  its  own  custom memory-management, which
          in this Version can process 20 KB.

      2.   A buffer will  be  needed  for  the  unpacked  data. The bigger this
           Buffer is, the faster the file will be  processed, but also the more
           memory is occupied. If, for example, a Buffer of 128KB is available,
           things will go very quickly. Note that 1MB is needed for for 10 open
           Files. In this Version the Buffer is set at 2KB.


   On installation AFX occupies about  23-24KB.  Only  if many Files are opened
   simultaneously will more memory be called upon.

   On Registering this parameter will be increased.


   3. What functions are supported?
   --------------------------------

   At the  moment  only  the  Functions  fread,  fseek,  fopen  and  fclose are
   supported. Also fsfirst always returns the Length of the unpacked File.

   It cannot unpack Program Files. Instead  these  are given the special suffix
   PFX. The companion program PFX will deal with these.


   4. Speed:
   ---------

   Short files (up to 10KB) are read-in at approx. 55 KB per Second.

   Larger files are read at approx.  70-90KB  per Second -- depending on Buffer
   size.



   5. Future Versions:
   -------------------

     - If a single Byte in a File  is  changed then the file must be re-packed,
       otherwise errors will occur.


   6. Shareware:
   -------------

   AFX and PFX are distributed as Shareware.  Each  Program is priced at 20 DM,
   but both as a package are  available  for  just 30 DM.  Registered Users are
   entitled to Updates for 10 DM.

   The registered version of AFX contains:

     - Adjustment of the Buffer size, in order to maximise speed.

     - A faster fseek routine.

     - No start-up screen to annoy you!

     - The very latest versions of PFXPAK, Fortune and LHarc.


   7. "History" of past versions:
   ------------------------------

   Version 1.3:

     - It was faster than V1.2.


   Version 1.2:

     - This gave some problems with a few Programs.  This has now been cured.


   Version 1.1:

     - Limited in the files it  would  work  with. Keyboard interface had a few
       bugs which caused occasional crashes.


   Version 1.0:

     - First Version to  run  properly.  Before  there were great unreliability
       problems and the Source Text needed to be totally revised.



   You can contact me at the following address:


          Thomas Quester
          Lampenland 9
          2050 Hamburg 80
          Germany

          Tel: 040/7205431
          Btx: 0407205431
          BLZ: 20010020

          National Giro Hamburg: Account_number: 6220 12-201

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