Add feature to handle ZIP, RAR, etc files

[gwilkes]

There is a large need to be able to zip and un-zip ZIP files. Almost all of the file managers I have used support this. Our company filters a lot of other attachments not zipped to prevent malicious code from sneaking onto out computers. From my standpoint (and my company's) this is the one major feature badly needed to move away from Windows Explorer (which as you should know also has this feature). If you add this feature, XYplorer will be an even more outstanding buy for the features already there and the money. I hope you can add this in the near future. Thanks.

Gus Wilkes

[zer0]

There is a large need to be able to zip and un-zip ZIP files. Almost all of the file managers I have used support this. Our company filters a lot of other attachments not zipped to prevent malicious code from sneaking onto out computers. From my standpoint (and my company's) this is the one major feature badly needed to move away from Windows Explorer (which as you should know also has this feature). If you add this feature, XYplorer will be an even more outstanding buy for the features already there and the money. I hope you can add this in the near future. Thanks.

Gus Wilkes

It is already on the roadmap (link in my signature). Also, Explorer does not handle RAR files natively, which you probably already knew. With Zip files, you can view them in Preview pane if zip is added as a custom office extension and you can DnD from there to where needed.

[admin]

There is a large need to be able to zip and un-zip ZIP files. Almost all of the file managers I have used support this. Our company filters a lot of other attachments not zipped to prevent malicious code from sneaking onto out computers. From my standpoint (and my company's) this is the one major feature badly needed to move away from Windows Explorer (which as you should know also has this feature). If you add this feature, XYplorer will be an even more outstanding buy for the features already there and the money. I hope you can add this in the near future. Thanks.

I don't understand. There is well-known archiving software that can be integrated using the shell context menu. Why is that not good enough?

I also don't understand the part with "prevent malicious code". In what way would native un/zipping by XY help this?

And generally, companies interested in aquiring XY in large quantities usually approach me directly by email. There are always things to arrange that do not belong into this forum.

[PeterH]

I also don't understand the part with "prevent malicious code". In what way would native un/zipping by XY help this?

As I know, companies forbid (for example) .exe files as attachments in mails, to prevent receiving malware.
If you need to send a .exe, you have to wrap it somehow - and often zip is used. At the end it's "circumvention" of security - but it's security-related

And integration of .zip handling in XY, with, for example, handling a .zip file like a virtual disk, or using XY-preview, or using XY-automation and such would really be very helpful.
(And previewing a .ini-file *inside* of a .zip is as much "file management" as previewing a .ini outside a .zip.)

That is: .zip handling native in XY would be much more integrated file management for the user.

That's how I see it.

[LittleBiG]

I don't understand. There is well-known archiving software that can be integrated using the shell context menu. Why is that not good enough?

I understand in one case. If he wants quick preview about the content of archive. Finding a solution was difficult for me. Now I use WinMount Free, because it shows archive content as tooltip, and it works well in XY. So no I can decide to extract or not, then I use shell context menu.

My opinion is there are so many good (free as well) archivers, so Don should concentrate to improve the way of file management. Personally I have bought XY without these extras (ftp, filesync and archives), despite that I'm a really happy user!

Almost all of the file managers I have used support this.

And I can say immediately about 10 things which are not supported by other file managers.

With Zip files, you can view them in Preview pane if zip is added as a custom office extension

You are right, but sometimes (in case of huge zip or lot of files in it, for example my 500 Mb zip with ten thousands of icons) it could be painfully slow, and freeze XY.

And integration of .zip handling in XY, with, for example, handling a .zip file like a virtual disk

WinArchiver Virtual Drive is a free Virtual CD/DVD ROM utility. It can mount not only all popular CD/DVD image files, but also all popular archives.

[admin]

(And previewing a .ini-file *inside* of a .zip is as much "file management" as previewing a .ini outside a .zip.)

Well, the mere fact that archiving software is a large and vivid branch within the software industry tells me that your claim is debatable. My impression is that there is a clear line between file management and archiving.

The fact that many alternative file managers offer zip support can be traced back to Norton Commander which has been the role model for most alternative FMs. That makes it an expected feature for many users, but not necessarily an intrinsically good feature. I try to see and design my app as a whole, rather than as a collection of popular features. But I also have to care for survival, of course. Hence I have added Dual Pane some time ago, have added a drive bar recently, and have put zip support on my road map. So it probably will come.

[PeterH]

Archiving? Oh - I got it wrong

So when I download xyplorer_full.zip I always thought I should use it. But it's only for archive!

/irony

Talking about .zip I think it's reductionism just to talk about archiving - even when such a file often is named "archive".

I know of archiving- and backup-programs storing in .zip.
As you have seen others put .exe into .zip because .exe are forbidden to receive per mail.
Others transfer data as .zip to reduce the size.
And local storing or remote transferring many files packed into one .zip (possibly including a folder hierarchy) can be very helpful.

And all of these functions include more or less file management.

By the way: did you, for example, ever see xyplorer_full.zip? It includes ReadmeXY.txt - a file that just wants to be viewed. Best: before installing. Would be fine just to do that. But you must open .zip in some other program, and then call some editor for viewing.
OK - not so difficult. But when you're used to preview files in XY? Then you know how it is if it's smart!

And one more: XY can (simulates) preview of .doc files. That's thing of a document processing program. Or view pictures. ... But if you have to preview a file in a .zip for learning how to handle files in it (that's file management, isn't it) you need external programs...

...now I'll stop myself - I hope you know what I want to say...

[admin]

But the OP (and most others wanting this feature) talks about "zip and un-zip". If it's only about preview this is already possible now (as you probably know). Simply add ZIP to the previewed extensions (Web and Office files), and Zip contents are previewed in the Preview tab.

[PeterH]

Sorry that I've written so much.

I didn't talk about zip preview, i.e. something like "directory-preview" of .zip, but about (integrated!) preview of *files* (ReadmeXY.txt) from inside .zip

What can be learned is that there are many possible levels of .zip-support.
And I always want them all

[Stefan]

If it's only about preview this is already possible now (as you probably know).
Simply add ZIP to the previewed extensions (Web and Office files),
and Zip contents are previewed in the Preview tab.

But you will only see the first level if there are folders and sub-folders in an archive.
If you double click an folder an new winExp window will open.

That's all not the same as an good integrated support of archive files.

It would be good if XYplorer can handle command line archive apps to pack/update/unpack archives.
This can be done by using scripting but should be an build-in feature since that belongs to an file manager tool.

But that scripts all lacks the possibility of an preview and/or modification without to open more external windows.
An preview of an archive should be possible inside XYplorer, inside an pane, just like going inside an folder.
Then we can also compare archives with already existing directories, folder-by-folder.

Also that previewed archive should be modifiable by adding/removing or modifying items.

It's true that the OS provides zip support, but that is very limited.
OK, you can install an archiver which adds more features and context menu support, but that is not portable.

I don't want to suggest XYplorer has to implement the code of archivers
but should provide an setup dialog to point the action depending on the extension to an existing command line archiver.
And XY should be able to extract archives temporary to %tmp% and show the files and folders of that archive in an pane as like an normal list.


So it is fine that such features are at least on the roadmap.

[eil]

i'm almost offtopic, but why does so much people make such turmoil about .zip archives?
only after second dozen of forums i've been visiting, i got knowledge that someone really uses that.. and it's strange. everyone i know, uses .rar 'cause it's much better in all senses. my guessing is that it's(.zip) an american/european old/first-implemented archive type, so it's like a "habit" to continue to ingrate it

[Borut]

Yap, where I work .rar is used (mostly due to superb scriptability and better compression) and lots of our clients use .rar too. I find .rar so good integrated in shell, that no preview function for .rar is actually necessary (just my opinion).

BTW, I have seen WordPerfect previewer in the plan for future. That would be interesting - I was WP aficionado 20+ years ago. Although, the newest public preview of AbiWord opens them fine.

[gtm]

This is a MUST feature in my view. Ability to unzip like in windows explorer has. Adding rar will help further

[vrtarifaachen]

This is a MUST feature in my view. Ability to unzip like in windows explorer has. Adding rar will help further

I know a lot of other file managers have this, but IMO it's no big deal. I, for one, would continue using WinRAR.

I'd rather get 64-bit XYplorer and other features.

[zer0]

Zips are more widely-available because they are natively supported from XP onwards. Same cannot be said of RAR files. This is particularly useful in the corporate world where workstations are imaged with a pre-determined set of software. Having additional software to support RAR files is an additional cost factor/license consideration.