freeware to catalog list of flight sim zip files needed

  • Thread starter Thread starter ll
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L

ll

Hi all,
I'm looking for a freeware application to catalog my huge list of
flight sim zip files. I would like for it to not only list the file
name, but to pull text from any "read me.txt" files within the zip
files (if present) and write that text to a cell in the row for that
file. Also, it would be nice to make a thumbnail of any jpegs within
the zip (if present) and put that thumbnail in the same row of a table.
If the files aren't there, then you just have the empty cells.
Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.
 
I'm looking for a freeware application to catalog my huge list of
flight sim zip files. I would like for it to not only list the file
name, but to pull text from any "read me.txt" files within the zip
files (if present) and write that text to a cell in the row for that
file. Also, it would be nice to make a thumbnail of any jpegs within
the zip (if present) and put that thumbnail in the same row of a table.
If the files aren't there, then you just have the empty cells.
Click to expand...

I never heard of a program that would do all of that, but it's a good
idea. Why not learn to write code and create it?
 
ll said:
I'm looking for a freeware application to catalog my huge list of
flight sim zip files. I would like for it to not only list the file
name, but to pull text from any "read me.txt" files within the zip
files (if present) and write that text to a cell in the row for that
file. Also, it would be nice to make a thumbnail of any jpegs within
the zip (if present) and put that thumbnail in the same row of a table.
If the files aren't there, then you just have the empty cells.
Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.
Click to expand...

There are standard systems for that, which have been used for zip files
for many years. Simtel CD's use that system, for example.
In every zip file there should be a file called files.bbs (or
descript.ion) which tells us about the content of the zip file, the
description is often a file list with explanations for each file in the
zip archive.

Then you can use any of the standard progs to see these file comments.
Total Commander has a built-in file comments editor and viewer.
(nagware)

But you don't have the comments in the standard format if they are
named readme or something like that. That is a problem.

Maybe if you rename these readme files in all your zip files in batch
mode and then you can use the same standard as everybody else?
 
Thanks for the great input - I wonder if Visual Basic could be written
to do something like this?
Roger, which Simtel and Total Commander applications use this? It
sounds interesting.

Thanks,
Louis
 
ll said:
Thanks for the great input - I wonder if Visual Basic could be written
to do something like this?
Roger, which Simtel and Total Commander applications use this? It
sounds interesting.
Click to expand...

There are other programs which use this standard, but I have no need to
search for them, as TC is my favorite file manager. Maybe one of the
freeware file managers.

There were some small programs that were used to look through such
shareware CD's, they could be called a files.bbs reader etc..

Of course you can write one. just unpac the files.bbs file from the zip
file in a temp dir, show it in a text editor/viewer, etc..
 
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