Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

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LWillms
Posts: 14
Joined: 01.05.2015, 09:52

Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#1 Post by LWillms » 26.12.2015, 18:48

A growing number of applications uses a ZIP-compressed archive as their standard application file format. Some using the "Open Container Format" (OCF), others doing their own thing.

I would like Freecommander to treat such application files as the MIME-Type for an EPUB-file suggests: application/epub+zip, which I understand to mean that is both: a ZIP file which may be opend by an UNZIP-Program and an EPUB file, i.e. an Electronic Publication or E-Book. Those EPUB-formatted documents have unter Windows the .epub file name extension.

Other examples of such application archives are CAPX and MXL (musical score file formats), Microsoft Offices DOCX, the ODT and other files of the OpenOffice and relatives, and more.

Currently Freecommander treats files with such extensions either or -- either to be opened by the respective application as registered in the Windows Registry, or as Archives to be opened by Freecommander's own means. So when I added CAPX to the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives, Freecommander would unzip the archive and show the directory of its content, but would no longer call the actual application. So I reverted that.

I don't know if one could change the Registry accordingly with e.g. "epub+zip" without disturbing the regular functioning of the operating system, so I think it would be better to create a list of such hybrid files in Freecommander. Freecommander could then provide means to query which way such a container should be opened: as application by the application itself, or as an archive by Freecommander.

Timon
Posts: 729
Joined: 13.09.2012, 08:51

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#2 Post by Timon » 26.12.2015, 19:21

As a workaround you can use
Ctrl+PageDown to open such a container as an archive by Freecommander (even without adding extension to the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander)
and
Ctrl+Enter -> Enter to open such a container as application by the application itself (if you added extension to the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander)

LWillms
Posts: 14
Joined: 01.05.2015, 09:52

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#3 Post by LWillms » 26.12.2015, 19:45

Timon wrote:As a workaround you can use
Ctrl+PageDown to open such a container as an archive by Freecommander (even without adding extension to the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander)
and
Ctrl+Enter -> Enter to open such a container as application by the application itself (if you added extension to the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander)
That could be a way to implement the user interface.

CTRL-PageDown works only when the extension is configured as Archive, but the actual application is not being loaded for CTRL-ENTER.

Timon
Posts: 729
Joined: 13.09.2012, 08:51

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#4 Post by Timon » 26.12.2015, 20:33

CTRL-PageDown works only when the extension is configured as Archive
You are ABSOLUTELY wrong. If you have necessary plugin to open such content, then extension could be ANY. For example, I can rename any archive with .zip or .rar or .7z extension to .bbb extension (you can use any combination of letters and numbers to make test) and could open that new file with CTRL-PageDown. It would be opened longer than registered archive type, but would be opened! Of cource, I don't have .bbb extension set as registered archive type.
but the actual application is not being loaded for CTRL-ENTER.
As I wrote, you should use Ctrl+Enter -> Enter
When you user Ctrl+Enter you place file under cursor to command line, at the second step with Enter it would be executed.

LWillms
Posts: 14
Joined: 01.05.2015, 09:52

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#5 Post by LWillms » 26.12.2015, 21:13

Timon wrote:
CTRL-PageDown works only when the extension is configured as Archive
You are ABSOLUTELY wrong.
Well, I have tested it, of course. When I enter CTRL-PgDn, nothing happens. Using XE build 703.
Timon wrote:
but the actual application is not being loaded for CTRL-ENTER.
As I wrote, you should use Ctrl+Enter -> Enter
When you user Ctrl+Enter you place file under cursor to command line, at the second step with Enter it would be executed.

Timon
Posts: 729
Joined: 13.09.2012, 08:51

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#6 Post by Timon » 27.12.2015, 16:48

Well, I have tested it, of course. When I enter CTRL-PgDn, nothing happens. Using XE build 703.
Then the problem is that you have no necessary plugin to open such content. Please attach example file (if it has no sensitive data) to find solution for you.

LWillms
Posts: 14
Joined: 01.05.2015, 09:52

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#7 Post by LWillms » 27.12.2015, 17:30

Timon wrote:
Well, I have tested it, of course. When I enter CTRL-PgDn, nothing happens. Using XE build 703.
Then the problem is that you have no necessary plugin to open such content. Please attach example file (if it has no sensitive data) to find solution for you.
Plugin for what? I have the specific applications to open all the zipped container formats which I mentioned, and maybe some more. Adn the "Freecommander" can open zip archives. And when I enter CTRL-PgDn to a file with a ZIP extension, it works as you say. But not on zipped Container formats.

What do you think is missing?

joby_toss
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Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#8 Post by joby_toss » 27.12.2015, 23:08

Please, add your "zipped" formats here:

Image

Timon
Posts: 729
Joined: 13.09.2012, 08:51

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#9 Post by Timon » 28.12.2015, 06:28

Plugin for what?
FC XE uses plugins to open files as archives. It could open even unknown extensions that could be identified by file content. If you can't open something then there is no plugin for that type of files (for example, it could be .zipx or .7z container that are not supported in FC XE by default, and there is need to install third party plugins to work with such type of files).

LWillms
Posts: 14
Joined: 01.05.2015, 09:52

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#10 Post by LWillms » 01.01.2016, 17:52

Timon wrote:
Plugin for what?
FC XE uses plugins to open files as archives.
Wer lesen kann, ist klar im Vorteil... please read my opening contribution in this thread.

It is explained unequivocally that we are dealing here with files for specific applications which are packed as ZIP archives with a collection of serveral files in there.

Freecommander would need a mechanism which allows such files to be opened either by their specific application or by the ZIP plugin. Why is that so difficult to understand?

The CTRL-PgDn which you mentioned would be a good way to open those files as a ZIP archive, while the regular ENTER launches the Registry-registered application.

Karol
Posts: 963
Joined: 19.08.2007, 12:05

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#11 Post by Karol » 01.01.2016, 18:01

Other examples of such application archives are CAPX and MXL (musical score file formats), Microsoft Offices DOCX, the ODT and other files of the OpenOffice and relatives, and more.
Simply try to open, as suggested by Timon, some DOCX, DOTX, ODT with Ctrl+PgDn. It works fine for me.

Timon
Posts: 729
Joined: 13.09.2012, 08:51

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#12 Post by Timon » 01.01.2016, 21:40

For example, I have some .ISO file (some type on container)
There is NO .ISO extension in the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander.

With Ctrl+PgDn I can inspest .ISO file content (of course, I have necessary plugin installed).
With Enter on that .ISO file launches the Registry-registered application.

P.S. You should understand, that if you add anything in the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander, they WOULD NOT be launched as Registry-registered application, their content would be opened in that case. That's the problem! Delete unnecessary extensions from the list and you would be able to do everything as you want (launch file as the Registry-registered application with Enter).

LWillms
Posts: 14
Joined: 01.05.2015, 09:52

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#13 Post by LWillms » 07.01.2016, 10:33

Timon wrote:P.S. You should understand, that if you add anything in the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander, they WOULD NOT be launched as Registry-registered application, their content would be opened in that case. That's the problem! Delete unnecessary extensions from the list and you would be able to do everything as you want (launch file as the Registry-registered application with Enter).
You are slowly creeping towards understanding the problem.

Everything which you wrote up to now was completely off the mark.

This sub-forum is for feature requests, and my feature request is to avoid that problem by allowing to configure such application files with a dual, say MIME-Type, so that they can be opened by the user both as ZIP-archive and by the registry-registered application. E.g. by CTRL-PgDn as ZIP, by ENTER or Double-CLICK from the mouse (index-finger button) as the application.

Timon
Posts: 729
Joined: 13.09.2012, 08:51

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#14 Post by Timon » 07.01.2016, 17:42

You are slowly creeping towards understanding the problem.
I was writing from the beginning that everything is working perfectly without any improvements, just do not add everything you want/see in the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander. Just use Ctrl+PgDn in that case.

In any way, ZIP-archive is not container, it is just archive and nothing more! Could you please provide extensions you want to treat like container types?

LWillms
Posts: 14
Joined: 01.05.2015, 09:52

Re: Archive: Allow for ZIP-compressed container formats

#15 Post by LWillms » 17.01.2016, 10:48

Timon wrote:
You are slowly creeping towards understanding the problem.
I was writing from the beginning that everything is working perfectly without any improvements,
But it isn't, not at all. Unless one clings to the ignorance which you display.
Timon wrote:just do not add everything you want/see in the list of file name extensions to be treated as archives in Freecommander. Just use Ctrl+PgDn in that case.
But without configuring the extension as a ZIP-compressed thing, CTRL-PgDn doesn't open it as an archive. That's why I have made this feature request in the first place.
Timon wrote:In any way, ZIP-archive is not container,
This is like saying that a human being is not a Chinese. But in reality, every Chinese is a human being, but not every human being is a Chinese.
Timon wrote: it is just archive and nothing more! Could you please provide extensions you want to treat like container types?
I had named some. Let me try to lengthen the list, which can't be exhaustive:

EPUB -- Ebook according to IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum)
CAPX -- compressed musical score prodced by capella score writer
MXL -- compressed MusicXML (digital musical score)
DOCX -- MS Office Text
XLSX -- MS Office Calc
--- and all other MS Office file formats (since at least MS Office 2007)
ODT -- Open office Text
ODS -- Open Office Calc
OXT -- Open Office add on installer
--- and all other Open Office file formats
XPI -- Mozilla add on installer
CDR -- Corel Draw since program version X4 (14)

and many many more, in increasing number, I can't know them all. That's why I want them to be freely configureable.

Many of those using the the generic OCF (Open Container Format). OCF is replacing FIFF as you can see in the case of Corel Draw

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