WinZip(R) Self-Extractor 2.1 Copyright (C) 1995-1996 by Nico Mak Computing, Inc. All Rights Reserved Web: http://www.winzip.com E-Mail: support@winzip.com Postal Mail: P.O. Box 540, Mansfield CT 06268 USA See WHATSNEW.TXT for a list of changes in this version *** What is WinZip Self-Extractor? WinZip Self-Extractor is a utility program that creates native Windows self-extracting ZIP files. These self-extracting ZIP files are ideal for electronic file distribution because they: (1) can contain multiple compressed files, ensuring that important files do not become separated from the rest of the package; (2) allow the receiver to use a familiar Windows interface to decompress files, without owning or knowing how to use a separate unzip utility; and (3) optionally run a "setup" or "installation" program, which may be included by the developer when the files are decompressed. WinZip Self-Extractor is an optional add-on to WinZip, an award winning utility to manipulate ZIP files. This portion of the documentation describes ZIP files and self- extracting ZIP files, discusses the benefits of self-extracting ZIP files, and summarizes WinZip Self-Extractor features. *** What is a ZIP file? The ZIP file format is an industry standard for compressing and grouping files. One ZIP file can contain multiple files. Files contained in a ZIP are usually compressed. Typical uses for ZIP files include: - Most files available in "file areas" on bulletin boards and electronic services like CompuServe and the Internet are distributed as ZIP files. Two benefits of using ZIP files for electronic file distribution are that only one file transfer operation ("download") is required to obtain all related files, and file transfer time is minimized because the files in a ZIP are compressed. - It is often useful to send a group of related files to an associate. Rather than distributing individual files it is often easier to distribute the files as a ZIP file to benefit from the file grouping and compression. ZIP files are created using a ZIP utility like WinZip(R) or the PKZIP(R) utility from PKWARE(R). *** What is a Self-Extracting ZIP File? A self-extracting ZIP file is an executable program file (.EXE file) that includes a ZIP file and software to extract or "unzip" the contents of the ZIP file. Users can run (execute) a self-extracting ZIP file just as they run any other program. When a self-extracting ZIP file created by WinZip Self-Extractor is run, a dialog box is displayed. This dialog box makes it easy for the user to change the "unzip to" folder and change other options before extracting or "unzipping" the files in the self-extracting ZIP file. Self-extracting ZIP files created by WinZip Self-Extractor are - 100% compatible with the PKZIP 2.04g file format, so they can be unzipped by standard unzip utilities like WinZip and PKUNZIP. - Only about 12k larger than a regular (not self-extracting) ZIP file. *** What are the advantages to Self-Extracting ZIP Files? Users can extract or "unzip" files from a self-extracting ZIP file without running a separate unzip utility or knowing how to use an unzip utility. Thus self-extracting ZIP files are particularly suited for distribution of software to beginning users who are not familiar with the concept of ZIP files. Self-extracting ZIP files created by WinZip Self-Extractor are native Windows programs so they are easy to use even for users with no MS-DOS experience. *** How Does it Work? There are two parts to WinZip Self-Extractor: 1) The WinZip Self-Extractor program creates self-extracting ZIP files. 2) When WinZip Self-Extractor creates a self-extracting ZIP file it includes part of itself in the self-extracting ZIP file. The part of WinZip Self-Extractor included in the self-extracting ZIP file is what makes it possible to unzip the files by simply running the self-extracting ZIP file. The person who creates the self-extracting ZIP file runs WinZip Self-Extractor once, specifying the name of the ZIP file and options, including the default "unzip to" folder and a program to be run automatically when the unzip operation completes. WinZip Self-Extractor stores this information in the self- extracting ZIP file so it is available when the self-extracting ZIP file is run. See the online help section titled "Creating Self-Extracting ZIP Files" for details on the procedure, and the file license.txt for information on licensing. *** Summary Of Key Features - Easy distribution of one or more compressed files. - Low overhead (as little as 12kb, depending on selected options) - Options to create 16-bit or 32-bit Windows self-extractors, or MS-DOS+Windows self-extractors (one EXE works on either MS-DOS or Windows). - An optional command is run when the unzip operation completes, making it easy to run a SETUP program included in a self-extracting ZIP file. - A Wizard to simplify the process of building self-extracting files. - Any folder information in the ZIP is automatically restored. - 100% compatible with the PKZIP 2.04g standard.