Unzipping files

[namliam]

I have searched for a while both Google and here on the forum, but no luck (yet).

I am trying to auto unpack some files, however... No WinZip....
We do have the default XP Extractor available and I have learned that that uses the dunzip32.dll to do the unzipping....
and actually there are some more dll's related, but no exe (I think).

Anybody that would just happen to know how to call that dll (and/or others involved) to use the 'xp extractor' from either VB VBA and/or (even preverably) the dos command line?

Greets

 

[reclusivemonkey]

Are you tied to using the XP Compression utility? I couldn't find anything either, but there are alternatives. 7zip is a completely free utility you should be able to get working in this scenario.

 

[namliam]

Well kindoff... I think....

Thing is.... I have this tool that runs of the network, thusly can be run from any PC.
I cannot depend upon any licenced or free (un)zipper beeing available. The only thing i can be sure of is XP, and this is what people are normaly using. Except its a pain, go to the folder right click extract ... bla bla bla....

It must be automatable... it is a dll after all... so one must be able to call it, if only from VB(A). But as I stated I would prever dos command to be available as well.

I have not searched for this, but is there any free zipper out there that dont need intalling? That I can just 'call' from a central place on the network and it will work....

Hmz, new idea... something for the next weeks I guess. If anyone comes up with anything usefull.... Please please do tell me... pretty please with sugar on top?

Greets

 

[reclusivemonkey]

I cannot depend upon any licenced or free (un)zipper beeing available.

Yeah, I suspected as much. You seem to know what you are doing to me, so I thought you wouldn't be assuming anything

It must be automatable... it is a dll after all... so one must be able to call it, if only from VB(A). But as I stated I would prever dos command to be available as well.

I searched for quite a while and couldn't find anything either. Have you tried asking on any of the windows/vb developer usenet groups?

I have not searched for this, but is there any free zipper out there that dont need intalling? That I can just 'call' from a central place on the network and it will work....

Hmz, new idea... something for the next weeks I guess. If anyone comes up with anything usefull.... Please please do tell me... pretty please with sugar on top?

Greets

Are you compressing the information as well? If you are then there is an alternative. You can use the CAB format. As I understand it, you can call this from the command line, to both compress and uncompress (just googling now). However if you cannot control the compression format, that's not going to be an option. I will keep you in my thoughts though

 

[namliam]

Actually I receive files, as well as send.

Receiving is mostly in 'tar' format or 'gz' which are both unix compact formats, some zip's too.
Sending is mostly zip.

Would like to do both (offcourse), but the receiving end is a little more important than the sending...

I have not had the change to really persue this, currently it is like number 524 on my to-do list, with about the lowest priority possible... But I will get around to this someday, hopefully finding a solution...

Thanks for your time so far.

 

[ghudson]

unzip without WinZip

Funny how you discover things while looking for something else. I just "discovered" this web page that has all kinds of goodies for those in need of zipping and unzipping files. I know how to do it with WinZip but namliam posted an interesting question on how to do it with the built-in extractor that Windows XP offers.

I had playd around with the compressing/uncompressing function Windows XP has but that was not the same thing. This link will give you the code to unzip a zip file using the built-in zipping option that comes with Windows XP [no need for WinZip or any other 3rd party software]...
http://www.rondebruin.nl/files/windowsxpunzip.txt

This is the main page to more zipping and unzipping examples...
http://www.rondebruin.nl/windowsxpzip.htm

Although this is an Excel site, the Excel Tips site has a lot to offer...
http://www.rondebruin.nl/tips.htm

The code credit goes to Ron de Bruin [Microsoft MVP - Excel] for the code.
I was just lucky I noticed a posting freakazeud from Utter Access had on a Microsoft forum @
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/FlyoutOverview.mspx

 

[namliam]

This works nicely for "default" zip files, unfortunatly when processing 'gz' files... No go....

I dont know exactly what format 'gz' is, If I rightclick=> extract, no problem but the code crashes... Will post the exact error later.

 

[reclusivemonkey]

gz is the GNU version of Zip. More info here;

http://www.gnu.org/software/gzip/gzip.html

 

[namliam]

Thanks, but still... Why does it work with the right-click? And not with the code?

My thoughts? => XP regards zip files as folders and that 'property' is beeing used. GZ files are not?

 

[ghudson]

Can you rename the .gz files with the .zip extension and still use the code from the above links I provided?

 

[namliam]

Renaming the file doesnt work either. I tried this trick asap when I found the error, same as access 'cannot' import a .dat file. Rename it to txt and 'no more problems'.

It doesnt generate an error and it does generate the unzip folder, but no file

I promissed the full error, See attached jpg. The error occures at the line visible below the error box.

Greetz

 

[reclusivemonkey]

Sorry, I don't have any solution. Again, you could always use the available application for MS-DOS, but if you can't guarantee people will have access to this, you are stuck again :-S. I share your pain; from what I could tell, the version of "Zip" that Windows uses is a free version, obviously its the GNU version...