Optimize archive on Context Menu

[deipotent]

I’ve noticed a couple of anomalies with the Test progress dialog in PA 9, which is more noticeable with large archives:

1. When a ZIP archive is tested using PA from Explorer using the context menu, the progress dialog is immediately opened, but is not updated until the ZIP file structure has finished being read in by PA and the testing has actually started. With large archives on CD/RW, this causes a delay before you see any useful info on the dialog.

I would prefer it if PA painted the progress dialog immediately as soon as the archive is opened, with the text “Reading file structure…” (or something like that) in the “Current File” group box, and the archive filename in the “Total” group box.

2. Related to the above (and something that will probably be fixed when (1) is fixed), if you test multiple archives, then when one archive has finished being tested and the next archive (which is large) is opened, the “Current File” group box text stays as the last file that was tested in the previous archive, and the current archive being tested in the “Total” group box also stays as the previous archive until the ZIP file structure of the next archive has been read and the actual testing begins.

I would like to see both texts updated as soon as the next archive is opened, not when the testing actually begins.

This is more noticeable when testing large archives on slower CD/RW’s.

Not the clearest of descriptions so let me know if you need clarification of what I mean.

[davidsplash]

in simple termes you mean you would like some information abut what powerarchiver is doing on say c drive archives or cdw or cdr archives. It seems a bit slow telling you what it is doing if you are saving the archive to a disk and zip drive.

[deipotent]

Not really. I’m talking specifically about when Testing Archives using the Explorer shell extension. If you test a large archive which is on CD/RW, the Testing progress window is displayed immediately, but it is blank (ie. hasn’t been painted). I’m guessing PA is reading the zip’s Central Directory information. When it has finished reading this info the Testing progress window is painted with the background, progress bars, buttons, filenames and the actual testing begins. I want the progress window to be painted immediately when it is displayed, before the Central Directory is read. This should happen wherever the archive is located (ie. Hard disk, floppy disk, CDR/W, network drives) although the problem is more noticeable with large archives on slower media.

Related to (2), if you are testing multiple archives at the same time (again using the PA shell extensions), then the transition when the testing of one archive has finished and another begins is only shown on the Testing progress dialog when the Central Directory has finished being read, instead of the next archive being displayed on the progress window as soon as the archive is opened (ie. before the Central Directory has been read).

Here’s an example:

• Select A small archive and a large archive in Explorer and then select Test from the PA shell extension.
• When the small archive has finished being tested and the large archive has been opened for testing (but before the actual testing has begun), the progress window will still show that the small archive is being tested until the Central Directory of the large archive has finished being read. I’d like the progress window to be updated immediately as soon as the large archive is opened, instead of after the archives Central Directory has been read. PA should also inform you that it is reading the Central Directory (eg. “Reading file structure…” as mentioned above)

Hope that clears it up a bit.

[deipotent]

Here are a couple of images to help illustrate what I’m trying to convey:

This image illustrates what I see for a few seconds after selecting a large archive to be tested by PA. I would like to see the window painted as soon as the archive is opened, instead after the Central Directory has been read.

[deipotent]

This image illustrates my second point. This image was taken after the EasyFTP_1_3_2.zip archive had been tested, but before the testing of Firefox_0_8_Source.zip archive had actually begun (ie. whiole the Central Directory of Firefox_0_8_Source.zip was being read by PA).

I would like to see the “…{56DFB5…}.jpg” text changed to “Reading file structure…” (or something like that) to indicate what PA is actually doing. Also, the text “Current File: EasyFTP_1_3_2.zip” should be updated as well to “Current File: Firefox_0_8_Source.zip” to indicate that this is the archive that PA is currently being tested.

[davidsplash]

in simple terms its the speed of information about what powerarchiver is doing. Especially on cdrw or cd-r or zip disks.

When will a fix be avaliable as winzip has nbo problem with this?

[spwolf]

So basically, current progress bar to advance when PA is starting to open current file… We will check it out for future versions.

thanks,