REQ: Plug-in to enable multiple archiving of single source

[DRP535]

This is just a shot in the dark here but I was wondering if there already exists or if there doesn't whether anyone would like to write a plug-in that would automatically use multiple archivers to compress the same selected files.

Allow me to explain.

The latest versions of WinRAR, WinAce & the trusty old ZIP module included in TC 6.03a are all very good and basically run neck and neck with each other on most files, but inevitably Ace is better on some while RAR is better on others and sometimes ZIP even produces the smallest result. At the moment if you want the smallest possible archive without regard to what format it ends up being, the only way to do it is to create all three alternatives (involving 3 separate steps) and then compare the filesizes before deleting the two largest ones.

Ace & RAR both save their compression options in their own ini files, so once this is done actuation within TC is exactly the same as for ZIP, so the procedure is identical in each case for these three most efficient archivers.

Would it be possible to create a plug-in that could automate this 3-step procedure so that in one step TC could be made to create first the ZIP then the RAR and finally the Ace archives of the selected files?

***Edited to include "REQ:" in subject***

[Hacker]

At the moment if you want the smallest possible archive without regard to what format it ends up being, the only way to do it is to create all three alternatives

No, the only way is to use PAQAR ( http://www.binet.com.ua/~artest/paqar/paqar4.rar ).

For your purpose I think a batch file would be best, something like:
@"c:\Program Files\winrar\winrar.exe" a -r test.rar
@"c:\Program Files\winace\winace.exe" a -m5 -d4096 -r -s test.ace
@"c:\Program Files\7-zip\7z.exe" a -r -mx=9 -mm=deflate64 -mfb=255 -mpass=4 -tzip test.zip

And then delete by hand or use something like SortOutCon ( http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=1366 ), although you might be faster deleting by hand, and if you choose SortOutCon anyway, be very careful where you start it from(!).

HTH
Roman

[Clo]

2DRP535
Hello !
- I guess this is a good idea; I ought to do that "by hand" frequently for years.
- I support your request.
Unfortunately, I'm not a programmer, I can't do more …

 Kind regards,
Claude
Clo