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The Compression Utility that Covers All
FAQ
 
Frequently Asked Question

This section contains answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) that are handled by our support staff, along with some tips and tricks that we have found useful and presented here as questions.

Note: In these answers we will follow a few shorthand conventions for describing user-interface procedures.
Key combinations will be presented like this: Ctrl+Alt+Delete, which means that you should press and hold down the Control key, the Alt key, and the Delete key at the same time.
Menu selections will be presented like this: File->Open, which means that you should open the File menu, and then make the Open selection.

You can click on any of the following FAQ's to find out further information:
Question 1 When I create an archive in BiGZiP, do I have to add the .zip file extension or does BiGZiP assume it is a .zip file and add the file extension automatically? And what is the impact when using other BiGZiP plugins?
Question 2 When I add files to the archive the software automatically opens at the Java directory. Could this be changed to a more user friendly directory ie C:\, Data, My Documents, etc.?
Question 3 What advanced functionality is available for Super Java Guru's?
Question 4 Can I still use .zip files that have been zipped up with other compression programs like Winzip? Can other programs read BiGZiP .zip files?
Question 5 What are the advantages of Java and how does it relate to BiGZiP's capabilities?
Question 6 Java Virtual Machine (JVM) - It sounds complicated but what is it and what does it do for me?
Question 7 Is BiGZiP fully Java Compliant and endorsed by Sun Microsystems
(the inventors of Java)?
For Advanced Users
Question 8 How do I run BiGZiP from the command line?
Question 9 What JVM version does BiGZiP support?

Question 1 When I create an archive in BiGZiP, do I have to add the .zip file extension or does BiGZiP assume it is a .zip file and add the file extension automatically? And what is the impact when using other BiGZiP plugins?
ANSWER

If you type in a name without an extension it will do one of two things:

  • If there is more than one plugin present, it will bring up a dialog asking you to select a plugin.
  • If only one plugin is present (as in the case of a new installation) BiGZiP will automatically add the extension of that plugin.

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Question 2 When I add files to the archive the software automatically opens at the Java directory. Could this be changed to a more user friendly directory ie C:\, Data, My Documents, etc.?
ANSWER Go to preferences and under general you will find the category "Open directory". Make your choice there and it will perform what you have asked above. The same can be done for the zip plugin. Go to the preferences and select the plugin tab. Highligh the zip plugin and click on preferences, then make your selections.

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Question 3 What advanced functionality is available for Super Java Guru's?
ANSWER All configuration for BiGZiP is handled via the "Preferences" option. However, the configuration of the individual plugins is located in the "Plugins" section of the "Preferences" option. Select the plugin to configure and click on the "Preferences" button.

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Question 4 Can I still use .zip files that have been zipped up with other compression programs like Winzip? Can other programs read BiGZiP .zip files?
ANSWER Zip files are actually saved in a standard format, making them portable between any computer or operatiing system. Therefore, not only can you use BiGZiP to read a .zip file created by Winzip, BiGZiP will read .zip files from any other zipping program. In addition, you can create a .zip with Winzip in Windows 95/98/NT and then unzip it on a Macintosh running BiGZiP.

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Question 5 What are the advantages of Java and how does it relate to BiGZiP's capabilities?
ANSWER The advantage to software written in Java is that any brand of computer with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed on it will be able to run software written in Java. BiGZiP is written in Java which means that BiGZiP will run on any computer so long as the user first installs a JVM on their computer. In addition, many computers already have a JVM installed along with the computers standard operating system.

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Question 6 Java Virtual Machine (JVM) - It sounds complicated but what is it and what does it do for me?
ANSWER A JVM is not a physical device but rather a piece of software that you install on your computer. The JVM acts as an interpreter between your computer's native language and the Java language. So it basically translate's Java based software into a form that your computer can understand. A JVM is necessary for Java programs such as BiGZiP to execute. Without a JVM, Java programs such as BiGZiP will not even install onto your computer. The huge benefit is that there are JVM's for many different types and brands of computers and BiGZiP will run on all of them.

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Question 7 Is BiGZiP fully Java Compliant and endorsed by Sun Microsystems
(the inventors of Java)?
ANSWER The software is fully Java Compliant but is not yet endorsed by Sun purely because we are in Beta testing. When the testing phase is complete, BiGZiP.COM will present the software for endorsement. BiGZiP obeys the Java development requirement for 100% Pure Java certification and so we expect it will be endorsed when presented.

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Question 8 How do I run BiGZiP from the command line?
ANSWER The main class can be located in the root path of the install folder. Its name is BiGZiP.class and can be executed via "jre BiGZiP" or "java BiGZiP" so long as the BiGZiP install folder, jhall.jar and swingall.jar (if not using Java 1.2)  is in the class path.

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Question 9 What JVM version does BiGZiP support?
ANSWER BiGZiP works correctly with any JVM that is SUN Java 1.1.8 compliant. BiGZiP has also been tested with Java 1.1.7 and 1.1.6, both produce a correct working operation but yield imperfect GUI content. Note that BiGZiP also requires Swing 1.1 for it's GUI components.

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