Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Gautier]

After years of "maintenance" or "cosmetic" releases of UnZip-Ada, here is a 
more important one...

UnZip-Ada is a library in "pure" Ada (not a binding, no dependency to 
compiler, external library or operating sytem)
for decompressing data from Zip files into files or data streams.

UnZip-Ada is free software.

Some features:

  - *new*: task-safe
  - *new*: parts not concerning decompression are now in a `Zip' library;
      possibility of manipulating, searching or building Zip archives too
  - *new*: Zip_info's dictionary tree is now (at last!) balanced: optimally
      fast access to entries, much faster loading too

  - decompression to file or to a data stream
  - decompresses all Zip methods up to and including Deflate (v. 2.x);
      this includes files made by PKZip, Winzip, Info-Zip's Zip,
      Java's JARs, OpenDocument files, and many others
  - decryption (v. 2.x)
  - possibility to read the Zip directory once into a Zip_info variable
    and use it to search quickly and decompress selected archived files, or
    traverse completely the directory to do some specific task
  - options: junk_directories, test_only

Other informations to be found in UnZipAda.txt (archived in unzada20.zip)

URL: --> http://homepage.sunrise.ch/mysunrise/gdm/unzipada.htm

Happy unzippings!

Gautier
__
NB: For a direct answer, address on the Web site!

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Poul-Erik Andreasen]

Gautier wrote:
> After years of "maintenance" or "cosmetic" releases of UnZip-Ada, here 
> is a more important one...
> 
> UnZip-Ada is a library in "pure" Ada (not a binding, no dependency to 
> compiler, external library or operating sytem)
> for decompressing data from Zip files into files or data streams.
> 
> UnZip-Ada is free software.
> 
> Some features:
> 
>  - *new*: task-safe
>  - *new*: parts not concerning decompression are now in a `Zip' library;
>      possibility of manipulating, searching or building Zip archives too
>  - *new*: Zip_info's dictionary tree is now (at last!) balanced: optimally
>      fast access to entries, much faster loading too
> 
>  - decompression to file or to a data stream
>  - decompresses all Zip methods up to and including Deflate (v. 2.x);
>      this includes files made by PKZip, Winzip, Info-Zip's Zip,
>      Java's JARs, OpenDocument files, and many others
>  - decryption (v. 2.x)
>  - possibility to read the Zip directory once into a Zip_info variable
>    and use it to search quickly and decompress selected archived files, or
>    traverse completely the directory to do some specific task
>  - options: junk_directories, test_only
> 
> Other informations to be found in UnZipAda.txt (archived in unzada20.zip)
> 
> URL: --> http://homepage.sunrise.ch/mysunrise/gdm/unzipada.htm
> 

hej

Fine piece of software.

But your licence is absolute useless not to say flawed:

  "Permission granted to use this library, without any warranty, for any
   purpose, provided this copyright note remains attached and modified".

When you get hold of a pice of software in a legal manner (in this case
by downloading from your site). You are allways allowed to use it
in any way you see fit, as long as you dont copy it or puplicise it.

So this note dosn't grant any new rigths at all to the user. On the 
conterary you are actualy trying too put limitations on the use (witch 
you have no legal base to do) by  requiring him to keep the the 
copyrigth notice, a litle bit odd since you are not granting him rigth 
to copy :-)

If you want your libery to be used in any larger scale i recomend you to
use one of the well-known licences as BSD or GPL or LGPL . BSD or LGPL 
will probley give you the most user since a pure GPL will restrict the 
use to ather GPL-programs.


Poul-Erik Andreasen

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Jacob Sparre Andersen]

Poul-Erik Andreasen wrote:
> Gautier wrote:

>> UnZip-Ada is free software.

> But your licence is absolute useless not to say flawed:

[...]

> If you want your libery to be used in any larger scale i recomend
> you to use one of the well-known licences as BSD or GPL or LGPL. BSD
> or LGPL will probley give you the most user since a pure GPL will
> restrict the use to ather GPL-programs.

My assumption is that Gautier's intent is something similar to the BSD
or Beer-Ware licenses [1], but you are correct that the permission
should be "use and distribute" instead of just "use", to make the
software FLOSS and not just free in monetary terms.

Greetings,

Jacob

[1] Close to the end of <http://people.freebsd.org/~phk/>.
-- 
"The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there
 should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't
 we just take the safety labels off of everything and let
 the problem solve itself?"

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Poul-Erik Andreasen]

Jacob Sparre Andersen wrote:
> Poul-Erik Andreasen wrote:
>> Gautier wrote:
> 
>>> UnZip-Ada is free software.
> 
>> But your licence is absolute useless not to say flawed:
> 
> [...]
> 
>> If you want your libery to be used in any larger scale i recomend
>> you to use one of the well-known licences as BSD or GPL or LGPL. BSD
>> or LGPL will probley give you the most user since a pure GPL will
>> restrict the use to ather GPL-programs.
> 
> My assumption is that Gautier's intent is something similar to the BSD
> or Beer-Ware licenses [1], but you are correct that the permission
> should be "use and distribute" instead of just "use", to make the
> software FLOSS and not just free in monetary terms.
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> Jacob
> 
> [1] Close to the end of <http://people.freebsd.org/~phk/>.

The Beerware-licence is also my favorite. Unfortunaly it is not
very well-known, maybe wee should advocate more for it :-)

Remind me of this one.

The special GPL'kind of free speach:

One industrial tycoon to another, while introducing his protege:
Tycoon A: "I have granted this young man completely freedom to speach".
Tycoon B: "Why on earth have you done that".
Tycoon A: "He thinks the same way as i do".


Poul-Erik Andreasen

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Gautier]

Poul-Erik Andreasen:

> Fine piece of software.

Thank you!

> But your licence is absolute useless not to say flawed:
> 
>  "Permission granted to use this library, without any warranty, for any
>   purpose, provided this copyright note remains attached and modified".

NB: you modified the note there: in the original one, it is written 
"unmodified". Should I call my lawyer ? ;-)

> When you get hold of a pice of software in a legal manner (in this case
> by downloading from your site). You are allways allowed to use it
> in any way you see fit, as long as you dont copy it or puplicise it.
> 
> So this note dosn't grant any new rigths at all to the user. On the 
> conterary you are actualy trying too put limitations on the use (witch 
> you have no legal base to do) by  requiring him to keep the the 
> copyrigth notice, a litle bit odd since you are not granting him rigth 
> to copy :-)

Right, it doesn't grant the right to copy or distribute, but doesn't forbid it 
either. Anyway, isn't it true that everything that is not forbidden is allowed 
? Oh, after re-reading the copyright note, I see with horror that there is no 
explicit mention that Poul-Erik is granted the right to drink a beer after 
reading the note. Should I make a quick modification (Friday evening is 
there...) ?

> If you want your libery to be used in any larger scale i recomend you to
> use one of the well-known licences as BSD or GPL or LGPL . BSD or LGPL 
> will probley give you the most user since a pure GPL will restrict the 
> use to ather GPL-programs.

I had always a good echo from users with that copyright note. You can see the 
licence as a CLGPL (C for compressed).
Cheers!
Gautier

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Poul-Erik Andreasen]

Gautier wrote:
> Poul-Erik Andreasen:
> 
>> Fine piece of software.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
>> But your licence is absolute useless not to say flawed:
>>
>>  "Permission granted to use this library, without any warranty, for any
>>   purpose, provided this copyright note remains attached and modified".
> 
> NB: you modified the note there: in the original one, it is written 
> "unmodified". Should I call my lawyer ? ;-)

My deepest apologise :-)

>> When you get hold of a pice of software in a legal manner (in this case
>> by downloading from your site). You are allways allowed to use it
>> in any way you see fit, as long as you dont copy it or puplicise it.
>>
>> So this note dosn't grant any new rigths at all to the user. On the 
>> conterary you are actualy trying too put limitations on the use (witch 
>> you have no legal base to do) by  requiring him to keep the the 
>> copyrigth notice, a litle bit odd since you are not granting him rigth 
>> to copy :-)
> 
> Right, it doesn't grant the right to copy or distribute, but doesn't 
> forbid it either. Anyway, isn't it true that everything that is not 
> forbidden is allowed 

No. Not in copyright issues. Sorry i would like that to.


? Oh, after re-reading the copyright note, I see
> with horror that there is no explicit mention that Poul-Erik is granted 
> the right to drink a beer after reading the note. Should I make a quick 
> modification (Friday evening is there...) ?
> 
>> If you want your libery to be used in any larger scale i recomend you to
>> use one of the well-known licences as BSD or GPL or LGPL . BSD or LGPL 
>> will probley give you the most user since a pure GPL will restrict the 
>> use to ather GPL-programs.
> 
> I had always a good echo from users with that copyright note. You can 
> see the licence as a CLGPL (C for compressed).

I kind of like that idea. if we comprees it iven more maybee wee could
make it dissapear completely :-)

> Cheers!
> Gautier

Cheers


Poul-Erik Andreasen

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Jacob Sparre Andersen]

Gautier wrote:

> Right, it doesn't grant the right to copy or distribute, but doesn't
> forbid it either.

And in that case the default is (by law and international treaty) that
distribution is strictly forbidden.

> You can see the licence as a CLGPL (C for compressed).

But that is not what you have written.

As things are now, I wouldn't dare to use your library for anything at
all.  I consider you much more trustworthy than ACT, but the copyright
notice in the files clearly prevents me from distributing your source
code (and maybe also compiled versions of it).

I know that the Beer-Ware license is twice as long as your text, but
please consider it, if you really want people to use your code.

Greetings,

Jacob
-- 
recursive, adj.; see recursive

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Gautier]

Jacob Sparre Andersen:

> I know that the Beer-Ware license is twice as long as your text, but
> please consider it, if you really want people to use your code.

Twice the size is still OK. I'll consider it. Apparently the crowds are 
waiting impatiently to use my code :-).
______________________________________________________________
Gautier         -- http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/index.htm
Ada programming -- http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/gsoft.htm

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Harald Korneliussen]

  -- Codes for methods

  stored:    constant:= 0;
  shrunk:    constant:= 1;
  reduced_1: constant:= 2;
  reduced_2: constant:= 3;
  reduced_3: constant:= 4;
  reduced_4: constant:= 5;
  imploded:  constant:= 6;
  deflated:  constant:= 8;

  SupportedMethods: constant:=
    2 ** stored    + 2 ** shrunk    +
    2 ** reduced_1 + 2 ** reduced_2 +
    2 ** reduced_3 + 2 ** reduced_4 +
    2 ** imploded  +
    2 ** deflated;

Ick! ;-) Translation from C via Pascal shines through occasionally.
But it's really interesting, we are certainly not spoiled with pure
Ada libraries. Thanks for making it public, and I hope you go with a
standard license.

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Jacob Sparre Andersen]

Harald Korneliussen found the code:

>   -- Codes for methods
>
>   stored:    constant:= 0;
>   shrunk:    constant:= 1;
>   reduced_1: constant:= 2;
>   reduced_2: constant:= 3;
>   reduced_3: constant:= 4;
>   reduced_4: constant:= 5;
>   imploded:  constant:= 6;
>   deflated:  constant:= 8;
>
>   SupportedMethods: constant:=
>     2 ** stored    + 2 ** shrunk    +
>     2 ** reduced_1 + 2 ** reduced_2 +
>     2 ** reduced_3 + 2 ** reduced_4 +
>     2 ** imploded  +
>     2 ** deflated;

Looks like something I might write:

   type Method_Codes (Stored,
                      Shrunk,
                      reduced_1,
                      reduced_2,
                      reduced_3,
                      reduced_4,
                      imploded,
                      deflated);
   type Method_Support is array (Method_Codes) of Boolean;
   pragma Pack (Method_Support);

   Supported_Methods : constant Method_Support := (others => True);

Any reason not to do it like this?

Greetings,

Jacob
-- 
People in cars cause accidents. Accidents in cars cause people.

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Martin Krischik]

Jacob Sparre Andersen schrieb:
> Harald Korneliussen found the code:
> 
>>   -- Codes for methods
>>
>>   stored:    constant:= 0;
>>   shrunk:    constant:= 1;
>>   reduced_1: constant:= 2;
>>   reduced_2: constant:= 3;
>>   reduced_3: constant:= 4;
>>   reduced_4: constant:= 5;
>>   imploded:  constant:= 6;
>>   deflated:  constant:= 8;
>>
>>   SupportedMethods: constant:=
>>     2 ** stored    + 2 ** shrunk    +
>>     2 ** reduced_1 + 2 ** reduced_2 +
>>     2 ** reduced_3 + 2 ** reduced_4 +
>>     2 ** imploded  +
>>     2 ** deflated;
> 
> Looks like something I might write:
> 
>    type Method_Codes (Stored,
>                       Shrunk,
>                       reduced_1,
>                       reduced_2,
>                       reduced_3,
>                       reduced_4,
>                       imploded,
>                       deflated);

for Method_Codes use (
     Stored:    => 0,
     Shrunk:    => 1,
     Reduced_1: => 2,
     Reduced_2: => 3,
     Reduced_3: => 4,
     Reduced_4: => 5,
     Imploded:  => 6,
     Deflated:  => 8);

>    type Method_Support is array (Method_Codes) of Boolean;
>    pragma Pack (Method_Support);
> 
>    Supported_Methods : constant Method_Support := (others => True);
> 
> Any reason not to do it like this?

Can't think of any.

Martin

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Georg Bauhaus]

On Mon, 2007-03-19 at 14:19 +0100, Martin Krischik wrote:
> Jacob Sparre Andersen schrieb:
> > Harald Korneliussen found the code:
> > 
> >>   -- Codes for methods
> >>
> >>   stored:    constant:= 0;
> >>   shrunk:    constant:= 1;
> >>   reduced_1: constant:= 2;
> >>   reduced_2: constant:= 3;
> >>   reduced_3: constant:= 4;
> >>   reduced_4: constant:= 5;
> >>   imploded:  constant:= 6;
> >>   deflated:  constant:= 8;
> >>
> >>   SupportedMethods: constant:=
> >>     2 ** stored    + 2 ** shrunk    +
> >>     2 ** reduced_1 + 2 ** reduced_2 +
> >>     2 ** reduced_3 + 2 ** reduced_4 +
> >>     2 ** imploded  +
> >>     2 ** deflated;

> for Method_Codes use (
>      Stored:    => 0,
>      Shrunk:    => 1,
>      Reduced_1: => 2,
>      Reduced_2: => 3,
>      Reduced_3: => 4,
>      Reduced_4: => 5,
>      Imploded:  => 6,
>      Deflated:  => 8);

I'd use the original codes, if only for keeping the bit
positions. I.e. 2#0#, 2#10#, 2#100#, ...
Which might happen automatically when there is no rep spec
other than packing  :-)

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[Georg Bauhaus]

On Mon, 2007-03-19 at 14:46 +0100, Georg Bauhaus wrote:

> I'd use the original codes, if only for keeping the bit
> positions. I.e. 2#0#, 2#10#, 2#100#, ...
Uh, ...no.

Re: Ann: UnZip-Ada v.20

[gautier_niouzes]

On 19 mar, 12:30, "Harald Korneliussen" <vinterm...@gmail.com> wrote:
>   -- Codes for methods
>
>   stored:    constant:= 0;
>   shrunk:    constant:= 1;
>   reduced_1: constant:= 2;
>   reduced_2: constant:= 3;
>   reduced_3: constant:= 4;
>   reduced_4: constant:= 5;
>   imploded:  constant:= 6;
>   deflated:  constant:= 8;
>
>   SupportedMethods: constant:=
>     2 ** stored    + 2 ** shrunk    +
>     2 ** reduced_1 + 2 ** reduced_2 +
>     2 ** reduced_3 + 2 ** reduced_4 +
>     2 ** imploded  +
>     2 ** deflated;
>
> Ick! ;-) Translation from C via Pascal shines through occasionally.

I guess you spotted this remain of C code in the browsable source
(version 15), it is not anymore in the present version (v. 20). You
will see yet a few other not-so-nice things, like packages that used
to contain global variables; but since you can make packages sub-units
of a procedure, it was possible to finally zap this problem like with
a mangic wand...

> But it's really interesting, we are certainly not spoiled with pure
> Ada libraries.
> Thanks for making it public, and I hope you go with a
> standard license.

There is an improved version now (certainly not perfect) of the
license.

Gautier