Thread: Testers wanted - archiving tool.

I've just finished the first version of my "SusieQ Archiver" ( named after the song by CCR ).

The file format is very simple and so is the implementation, so I'm looking for 10 - 20 or so people to test it for me.

A little warning: DO NOT go and archive a huge file (larger than your physical RAM + pagefile, or even close to it if I were you). See, by simple, I meant it reads each file in one lump; it allocates a buffer to store the entire file then writes it into the archive. Bad bad bad if you try to archive a 728MB ISO like I just did.

Reading large files in chunks somehow is on the TODO list right now, along with compression, which I actually already have in there but decided against it for now until I'm sure I've got the actual format at least half stable.

Should be easy to use - just try running it and you'll get a usage message ( this has to be run from the command line ).

It's directory based, so just point it at a directory and watch it archive. Oh, I haven't built in support for directories inside the archive yet (another TODO) so I'm not sure what it'll do (if anything) when you tell it to archive your desktop (for example and if you have folders on your desktop).

Right I'm starting to ramble, so I'll just point you to the .zip download.

Yes, it's a zipped EXE. Sorry, but I don't want to release the source code. I will if I deem this version, well, crappy and want to rewrite it, however.

I've got AVG Antivirus and avast! running all the time plus I scanned it before I uploaded it. Obviously if you still don't want to take the chance, by all means don't.

http://leesblog.thejefffiles.com/sqa.zip

Just tell me here if you're testing it, and send any notes / comments / crash notices to my email address ( [email protected] ).

<offtopic>
Typing that link reminds me I really should update that blog sometime.
</offtopic>

EDIT: I don't know if it's just me, but I clicked the link and it went... weird. Right clicking it and "Save target as..." seems to work though.

Ahluka, what does this have to do with game programming??

If I've missed something here, just slap me and send me on my way.

EDIT: Post 500!!!!

*Slaps*

Now get away from me.

What do you mean? This has everything to do with game programming. Archiving game data. I don't know about you ( or anyone else ) but I think it's pretty damned important to get your assets in one place.

Ok... next question then... does the world need YAAT?

Originally Posted by ahluka

Archiving game data.

But nowhere in the original post do you mention that.

Originally Posted by psychopath

But nowhere in the original post do you mention that.

That's because I'm assuming everone here can put "Archiver" and "Game Programming" (forum) together and get "Oh, it's for archiving game data".

Come on guys.

aight ill help you with testing

Comment/Suggest: Design Win32 easy to use interface? This dos stuff is killing me.

Updated

Dammit I just realised I didn't change the version number. Meh.

Anyways here's a bug report courtesy of Mario F.

Error:
I Obtain "ERROR: Failed to open output file for sqa.exe" when trying to extract with the following command:

sqa -x test.sqa

Steps to reproduce:
1. - sqa.exe is placed inside the folder I wish to archive.
2. - Archiving is done through sqa -t . -o test.sqa
3. - Decompress with the command described and with sqa.exe still located inside the same folder.

Well so far the bug stands fixed, after a fashion. It determines the name of the program ( since there's nothing stopping you renaming it I didn't hardcode "sqa.exe" ) and if it catches it during archive creation, it excludes it. Hack-ish but it works.

Same link as before if I uploaded it properly. Try it and see.

mrafcho001: Indeed I will. When the bug reports have stopped and they're all fixed, I'll knock out a dialog.

YAAT

Please don't tell me someone came up with an acronym for Yet Another Archiving Tool. And the real important question is: Does the world really need another computer game?

Keep up the good work ahluka!

Thankies Bob

Question: Directory support. Is it really necessary to support directories inside the archive? Well I'm thinking "no", which I guess is right, but it's partially because I'm not sure how to implement them.

I guess I'll take a look at DOOM's WAD code and q2's PAK code and have a fiddle tomorrow - bloody tired right now.

Originally Posted by BobMcGee123

And the real important question is: Does the world really need another computer game?

*Gasp!* I can't believe you asked that!... Die!

Originally Posted by ahluka

Well so far the bug stands fixed, after a fashion. It determines the name of the program ( since there's nothing stopping you renaming it I didn't hardcode "sqa.exe" ) and if it catches it during archive creation, it excludes it. Hack-ish but it works.

A CRC check probably would do.
Just tested it... you didn't upload it correctly

Originally Posted by Mario F.

*Gasp!* I can't believe you asked that!... Die!



A CRC check probably would do.
Just tested it... you didn't upload it correctly

Dammit. I'm going to check that in about 12 hours ( sleep first ) so start running if you're messing with me

I downloaded it, but I don't know what to do with it. I must insist that it's not all that user friendly

I noes, I noes. I'll get to work on the dialog tomorrow after I've checked out my upload.

Bai 'till tomorrow, people.

Originally Posted by ahluka

That's because I'm assuming everone here can put "Archiver" and "Game Programming" (forum) together and get "Oh, it's for archiving game data".

You obviously have more faith in people than I do.

Anyway, I'll leave you be now, since i'm not really contributing anything to the thread.

Originally Posted by ahluka

Dammit. I'm going to check that in about 12 hours ( sleep first ) so start running if you're messing with me

Ugh! my bad! Sorry, it wasn't intentional. Go to bed. I downloaded to my desktop and didn't realize it created sqa(2).zip. It works fine