ANN L O O KNN A TNN A R CNNN 

BY: Bob G. Dodson

FROM: CRASH User's Group-Salem, Oregon


NNNN Users of MS-DOS are probably familiar with the program called "ARC" that
will allow files to be bundled together into a library and compacted as a
single file for archieving or easy data transmission via telecommunication.N A
company with the unlikely name of Ampere Metal has taken this idea and run
with it for the C-64.

NNNN The primary use of ARC is intended to be for creating backups of
wordprocessor files, database files, graphic screens, assembly language source
code, and others.N In short, files that are handy to keep around, but not used
very often.N By using ARC, you can lump associated files into one library and
then compact it, saving up to 50% of disk space.N Program files compact
readily as well, although not as much as text files, and can be treated the
same as data files. Think of ARC as a LYNX-type library maker, but with the
added bonus of squeezing the extraneous bytes out of the file.N The authors
claim you can expect to put the equivalent of about 800 blocks worth of
programs on a disk or approximately 1300 blocks of text files using ARC.

NNNN ARC, once loaded, handles with the feel of a CP/M or MS-DOS system.N
Drives are referred to as letters (A through H for units 8 through 11, drives
0 and 1 respectively).N Easily used commands like DIR, DEL, MOVE, TYPE, et
cetera, allow powerful file editing.N For instance, to copy a file from drive
A to drive C, you would type "MOVE a:testprogram c:". You may specify all
files, pattern matching files, files from several drives to one drive and
more.N TYPE allows you to view a file on the screen.N DEL allows you to easily
delete files. ARC also has a built in text editor to allow easy editing of
text files. The familiar DOS wedge is even built in! Once you've experienced
ARC on your 64, you'll be hard pressed to go back to plain vanilla BASIC 2.0.

NNNN When creating an ARChive, you have the options of storing only with no
data compression, packing-type compression, squeeze, squash, crunch or crunch
twice. Each option compacts (except store only) the data in a different way,
some are more suited to text files, other to graphic files.N If left to it's
own choice, ARC will choose the most suitable method of treatment for the
file.N As a test, I took five text files totaling 250 blocks in length and
after running them through ARC, ended up with a single file with a size of 112
blocks.

NNNN Once an ARChive is created, you end up with a (usually) much smaller file
on the disk.N You can extract files from the archive (back to their original
size and form), view files in the archive and even print files from their
compacted form (without extracting).

NNNN Perhaps the best news is that ARC is SHAREWARE and is distributed quite
freely for you to try and evaluate.N If you like it, you are requested to send
$10 to $20 to the authors.N If you don't like it -scratch it and forget it.N
The current version is ARC 2.30 and comes with a compressed file containing
the 24 page manual (the documentation is for version 2.00). The manual is very
well written, although deliberately vague in some respects.N If you contribute
money, you will receive the complete documentation and the newest version of
ARC on disk.

NNNN ARC may be obtained from AMPERE METAL, 80 Hale Road Unit 4, Brampton,
Ontario, Canada L6W 3M1.
 
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