inst-vcl.txt

Delphi zip/unzip component. Delphi Zip/Unzip Package, v1.20 For Delphi 2 and 3, and C++ Builder v1.x

Delphi Zip
Version 1.20, Sept 28, 1997
by Eric W. Engler


See CHANGES.TXT for note on changes since version 1.10.  If you 
already have v1.10 installed, then install this update right over
the top of it.  Make sure you rebuild the Component library with
the updated VCLs included with this release.


This is a complete release, so you DO NOT need to have any prior   
version before installing this release.


  IMPORTANT NOTE FOR C++ BUILDER DEVELOPERS
  -----------------------------------------
  I wrote up some very important notes that you should read
  before doing the following install.  See the file 
  "\ZIP\DOC\CBUILDER.TXT", which came with this release.


Installation
------------

This is one of the biggest freeware software releases for Delphi and
C++ Builder.  To get going quickly and correctly, please follow these
instructions.  Read them over once before starting.  If you don't
understand a step, get help before you start the install!


1.  You MUST install this package on a computer that has Delphi 2 or 
3, or C++ Builder.  Minor version upgrades to any of these compilers
should not affect this package, but you should always rebuild your
VCL component library after doing a minor or major upgrade.


2.  You MUST have PKUNZIP.EXE v2.04g on your hard disk before trying 
to install this package.  It should be located anywhere in the MS-DOS
search PATH.  After this package is installed, you'll no longer need
PKUNZIP.EXE on your hard disk.  The DLLs and VCLs distributed with
this release do NOT require the PKZIP/PKUNZIP programs.


3.  Decide which "base directory" you will use for the ZIP package.
I am using C:\ZIP on my computer, but you can use whatever you
want.  Install this package from the MS-DOS prompt. This set of
MS-DOS commands will set up your directory tree (assuming your
base directory will be \ZIP):


CD \
MD ZIP
CD ZIP
COPY <source>DELZIP11.ZIP
PKUNZIP DELZIP11    (unzip the main distribution archive)
INST                (run the INST.BAT batch file)


4.  The VCLs included with this release are:
      TZipMaster - the main ZIP support VCL
                   (used by demo1 and demo2)
      TSortGrid  - a very handy descendant from TStringGrid
                   (used by demo1 and demo3)
      TZipDir    - a simple utility VCL to get the contents 
                   of a ZIP archive (used by demo3)

    The files required to support these VCLs are located in the
    VCL subdirectory.  You have two choices for how to proceed
    (option A is recommended):

      A) add the directory C:\ZIP\VCL to your VCL search path
                             or
      B) copy the files in C:\ZIP\VCL to another directory already
         in your VCL search path

    If you want to use option A, the instructions for this are
    included below.  If you want option B, then please copy those
    files now.
  

5.  Install the three VCLs       

    This procedure will install the VCLs into the IDE.  After
    this, you will be able to see them on the "Samples" tab.

    Delphi 2:
      a) Close any Files or Projects that are open.
      b) Select the "Component...Install" choice.
      c) If you want to add C:\ZIP\VCL to the library search
         path, you may do it now using the second edit box.

      d) Click on the Add button.  
      e) Enter the path and filename of where the ZIPMSTR.PAS 
         file is located, or find it now with Browse. 

      f) Click on the Add button.  
      g) Enter the path and filename of where the SORTGRID.PAS 
         file is located, or find it now with Browse. 

      h) Click on the Add button.  
      i) Enter the path and filename of where the ZIPDIR.PAS 
         file is located, or find it now with Browse. 

      j) Click on OK.  The component library will rebuild.

    Delphi 3:
      These instructions assume you will place the VCLs into
      the standard user package "DCLUSR30.DPK".  Advanced 
      developers may want to use a different package, or to
      make a new package.  Packages can be confusing, so I will
      only document the simplest case, of putting them into 
      "DCLUSR30.DPK", which will work fine for most developers.
 
      a) Close any Files or Projects that are open.
      b) Select the "Component, Install Component" choice. Make
         sure the "Into existing package" tab is selected.
      c) Check to see if package: "DCLUSR30.DPK" is already 
         selected.  If not, you should now locate "dclusr30.dpk".
      d) Add the C:\ZIP\VCL directory to the search path
         box (unless you copied the files to a path already
         in the search path).

      e) In the Unit name block, enter ZIPMSTR.PAS. Click OK.
      f) It will ask if you want to rebuild the Component Library.
         ANSWER NO (saves time to do it only 1 time later).

      g) Click on Add.
      h) In the Unit name block, enter SORTGRID.PAS. Click OK.
      i) It will ask if you want to rebuild the Component Library.
         ANSWER NO (saves time to do it only 1 time later).

      j) Click on Add.
      k) In the Unit name block, enter ZIPDIR.PAS. Click OK.

      l) It will ask if you want to rebuild the Component Library.
         ANSWER YES this time.  The component library will rebuild.
         If it does not automatically install the new VCLs to the
         component palette, then click on the "install" button of
         the package option dialog box.

      m) When done, close the package option dialog box by
         clicking on it's upper right corner.  Say "Yes" to
         keep the changes.

    C++ Builder:
      a) Read the file \ZIP\DOC\CBUILDER.TXT for very important
         notes.  Make a backup copy of your VCL library.
      a) Close any Files or Projects that are open.
      b) Select the "Component...Install" choice.
      c) Add C:\ZIP\VCL to the library search path, unless you
         copied the files to a directory already in the path.

      d) Click on the Add button.  
      e) Enter the path and filename of where the ZIPMSTR.PAS 
         file is located, or find it now with Browse. 

      f) Click on the Add button.  
      g) Enter the path and filename of where the SORTGRID.PAS 
         file is located, or find it now with Browse. 

      h) Click on the Add button.  
      i) Enter the path and filename of where the ZIPDIR.PAS 
         file is located, or find it now with Browse. 

      j) Click on OK.  The component library will rebuild.
         If you have "warnings" enabled, you will get lots
         of warning messages.  Ignore these.
            
5.  You're ready to try a demo program!


                            DELPHI DEMOS

1.  From the IDE, open the project C:\ZIP\DEMO1\DEMO1.DPR.
    Select Run.  

    Examine the forms and decide if you need to resize any of
    the controls, or change the position of anything. This is
    sometimes necessary if I developed the forms at a different
    screen resolution than you are using.

    The demo1 program is a fairly straight-forward example
    of what you can do with this package!  Everything revolves
    around the TSortGrid, which always shows you the contents 
    of your ZIP archive.  Use right-click on a column header to
    do an descending sort, or a left-click for an ascending sort.
 
    NOTE: You should have the compiler option "break on exception"
    turned off if you want to use the click-to-resort option of
    the grid.  This is only a concern when running the program
    from the IDE.
    
2.  Now, you can look at the simplest demo program.  This is
    especially useful because it doesn't have so much "clutter".
    It just shows you the easiest way to use TZipMaster from 
    within any of your programs.

    From the Delphi IDE, open the project C:\ZIP\DEMO2\DEMO2.DPR.
    Select Run.  

3.  Demo program #3 is not intended for use by most programmers.
    If you're not extremely curious about the inner workings of
    the DLL interface to Delphi, I advise you to skip this demo!
    It shows very advanced programmers how they can access the
    DLL's without using the TZipMaster VCL.  This gives them a
    few more options, but can be difficult to code and debug.
    This level of programming is how I had to start out in
    developing the DLL interface.  The last step I did was to
    create TZipMaster and demo programs 1 and 2.  The moral of
    the story: sometimes things have to get complex in order to
    make them easy!

    NOTE: You should have the compiler option "break on exception"
    turned off if you want to use the click-to-resort option of
    the grid.  This is only a concern when running the program
    from the IDE.


                       C++ BUILDER DEMO

1.  This is a simple program to show you how to use TZipMaster
    from C++.  From the C++ Builder IDE, open the project
              C:\ZIP\CDEMO1\PROJECT1.MAK

2.  Examine the forms and decide if you need to resize any of
    the controls, or change the position of anything. This is
    sometimes necessary if I developed the forms at a different
    screen resolution than you are using.

3.  Select Run.

NOTE: This demo does not show an example of deleting a file
from a ZIP archive.  This is, however, a supported method of
TZipMaster.  It is done almost the same way an "Add" is done.
See the file ZIPMSTR.PAS for an explanation of all properties,
methods, and events of TZipMaster.


                   Deployment of Your Programs

Any program you write using this package will require the two 
DLLs: ZIPDLL.DLL and UNZDLL.DLL to be present of each user's
hard disk.  You should have your install procedures put these
files into directory C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.  If that isn't possible,
then you should put them into the same directory as your .EXE
program that uses them.

NOTE: Microsoft is said to be recommending that DLLs should
be installed in application directory, rather than the Windows
system directory.  This may become a requirement of a future
version of Windows.

Of course, there are no distribution fees for the DLLs, or
any other part of the package.  This whole package is 
freeware, but does have some minor distribution restrictions
(mainly that you can't profit from the ZIP DLLs, and you need
to document where users can get source code).  Please see 
README.TXT for these restrictions.
    

See README.TXT for more general information about this release,
and also check out the DOC subdirectory.


Eric Engler
[e-mail]