THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700
rodwelch@pacbell.net


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: February 3, 2003 07:28 AM Monday; Rod Welch

Pkzip configured to avoid changing dates when files transferred.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Zip File Operation Seems to Be Changing Date of Files
3...Manual Explains New Procedures, Pkware Forgot to Distrubute


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CONTACTS 
0201 - Pkware, Inc.                                                                                                                                                       O-00000817 0706
020101 - Mr. Mark Gresbache                                                                                                                                               O-00000817 0706
020103 - Support Department

SUBJECTS
04702 Archive Records Global Pointers Schedule Set Up
Backup Interim Run from the File Menu in Schedule, SDS Records or Edi
Pkzip Date of Operation is Assigned to All Files Assembled Have to Ru
Date of Transfer Being Assigned to Files Processed Need to Preserve F
Productivity Impeded Constant Change Needs Stable Technology Requires
Productivity Reduced by Upgrades Technology Requires Testing Discover
Manual for Pkzip Missing Sent Letter to Pkware

1209 -
1209 -    ..
1210 - Summary/Objective
1211 -
121101 - Follow up ref SDS 9 0000. ref SDS 8 0000.
121102 -
121103 - Discovered today that Pkware changed the pkzip program so that it now
121104 - changes the date of files transferred to the date of the transfer,
121105 - rather than preserve the date so there is control to maintain files in
121106 - sync and to avoid writing over changed and newer files. ref SDS 0 N575
121107 - This caused Millie to invest time doing rework and has been an ongoing
121108 - problem since 020903 because there is nothing in the product
121109 - information that discloses the changed functionality and the procedure
121110 - for correcting the problem.  Information today received from the
121111 - vendor showed that problem is corrected with 10 seconds of activity,
121112 - but will require a long time to recover from the harm.  Demonstrates
121113 - challenge of "upgrading" to "new improved" products. ref SDS 0 N582
121114 - There is supposed to be a manual that covers this, but we do not seem
121115 - to have the manual. ref SDS 0 ZL9F
121117 -  ..
121118 - Submitted ref DIT 1 0001 thanking Mark for assistance and asking for
121119 - manul that should have been distributed with the program purchased on
121120 - 020903. ref SDS 4 AH3J
121121 -
121122 -
121123 -
121124 -
121126 -  ..
1212 -
1213 -
1214 - Problem
1215 -
121501 - Zip File Operation Seems to Be Changing Date of Files
121502 -
121503 - Follow up ref SDS 9 M65O, ref SDS 5 R38K.
121504 -
121505 - On 021012 added a new feature to accomplish interim daily backups,
121506 - ref SDS 5 7A7F, using the Pkzip program in a file....
121508 -                    ..
121509 -                   c: sd 01 backup.bat
121510 -
121511 - ...that has commands like...
121512 -
121513 -        z -P -a -a+ -r -tmmddyyyy Chhmmss c:\01\*.*
121514 -        z -P -a -a+ -r -tmmddyyyy Chhmmss c:\sd\01\*.*
121515 -        z -P -a -a+ -r -tmmddyyyy Chhmmss c:\sd\03\*.*
121516 -
121517 - ..., as shown in the record on 021012, ref SDS 5 R38K, and based on
121518 - commands shown in the record on 020903. ref SDS 4 WZ4F
121520 -  ..
121521 - Since that approximate time, we have encountered a problem
121522 - transferring files between computers where the date of the files seems
121523 - to be changed by the transfer process itself to the date of the
121524 - transfer.  This has the following negative effects.....
121525 -
121526 -    1.  Since tranfers are based on dates, and dates are seemingly
121527 -        updated by the zip commands, the same large volume of files is
121528 -        transferred each pass even when the file has not changed, which
121529 -        defeates the objective of the transfer specification based on
121530 -        the date.
121532 -         ..
121533 -    2.  Files transferred from c11 in Concord to c12 and then to c13 in
121534 -        San Francisco are getting new dates on each transfer.  Days or
121535 -        weeks later when the same files are transferred from C13 to C12
121536 -        and back to c11, the same body of files are transferred each
121537 -        pass because the date of the files seems to be changing to the
121538 -        current date each pass.  This overwrites any files that may
121539 -        have been used on c11 between the transfer dates, even though
121540 -        the transferred files were unchanged at anytime since the prior
121541 -        transfer.
121543 -  ..
121544 - This procedure is new.  Previously transferring the files per se did
121545 - not change the date of the files.  The specification for transferring
121546 - files has remained constant.  The only change has been...
121547 -
121548 -    1.  A new pkzip program was purchased on 020903. ref SDS 4 FG4O
121549 -
121550 -    2.  Pkzip was configured for backup on 021012 and a+ is a new
121551 -        command that was added to the standard specification so that
121552 -        the archive bit would be removed.
121553 -
121555 -  ..
1216 -
1217 -
1218 - Research
1219 -
121901 - Called Gary.
121902 -
121903 - He understands that the Pkzip people changed the program after one of
121904 - the versions.  Gary will investigate when he gets home.
121905 -
121906 -
121908 -  ..
1220 -
1221 -
1222 - 0904
1223 -
122301 - Called Pkware using the record on 020903 showing date of purchase and
122302 - customer ID. ref SDS 4 FG4O
122304 -  ..
122305 - Talked to Mark again in the support department.
122307 -  ..
122308 - We reviewed Mark's explanation at that time that pkzip version 5.0 for
122309 - DOS works the same as version 2.5.  Mark did not recall our discussion
122310 - because he has a lot of calls from customers, but feels the record on
122311 - 020903 correctly states his understanding of backward compatibility.
122313 -  ..
122314 - Mark said the reason pkzip is changing the dates of files transferred,
122315 - per above, ref SDS 0 GT4I, is because Pkware changed the program
122316 - several years ago.  The default operation now changes the date of
122317 - files assembled to the date of the transfer, rather than preserve the
122318 - original date so that people can control overwrites.
122320 -  ..
122321 - I asked why anyone would want to change the dates of files when they
122322 - are zipped up for transfer or backup?
122324 -  ..
122325 - Mark said he doesn't know why this change was made, and he does not
122326 - understand why anyone wants to work under the pkzip default protocol.
122327 - He has notified the development team about problems it causes, but
122328 - there has been no feedback on how customers can use this new
122329 - configuration to advantage, nor have the developers corrected the
122330 - problem.
122331 -
122332 -      This is another example of "new improved" products to make people
122333 -      more productive reported by Steve Balmer at Microsoft on 010510,
122334 -      ref SDS 3 YG5K, that actually reduces productivity while people
122335 -      spend days, weeks, months discovering problems and doing rework
122336 -      to correct them.
122337 -
122339 -  ..
122340 - Mark said we can change pkzip to preserve the dates of files assembled
122341 - for transfer with the following command....
122342 -
122343 -                  C>pkzipc -config -times=all
122345 -  ..
122346 - This only has to be done once.
122348 -  ..
122349 - While we talked, I changed the directory to where pkzipc is located
122350 - and ran this command....
122351 -
122352 -              C:\sd\01>pkzipc -config -times=all
122354 -  ..
122355 - This means we should now be configured to avoid overwrite problems
122356 - that have been occurring, per above. ref SDS 0 GT4I
122357 -
122358 -        [On 030227 notified Gary to set this configuration.
122359 -        ref SDS 1 IM5G
122361 -  ..
122362 - After pressing Enter, the following scrolls onto the screen.
122363 -
122364 -
122365 -   PKZIP(R)  Version 5.00  FAST! Compression Utility for Windows
122366 -   Copyright 1989-2002 PKWARE Inc.  All Rights Reserved. Registered
122367 -   Version
122369 -    ..
122370 -   PKZIP Reg. U.S. Pat. and Tm. Off.  Patent No. 5,051,745
122371 -
122372 -                     PKZIP Configuration Settings
122374 -    ..
122375 -   204         = Disabled             More
122376 -   Add         = All                   Compress   = Disabled
122377 -   After Date  = None                  Extract    = Disabled
122378 -   Before Date = None                  View       = Disabled
122379 -   Comment     = No files             Move Files  = Disabled
122380 -   Compression = Level 5 - Default    Newer       = None
122381 -   Directory   = Disabled             NoExtended  = Disabled
122382 -   Extract     = All                  NoFix       = Disabled
122383 -   EOLTranslate= None                 NoZipExten  = Disabled
122384 -   Header      = Disabled             Older       = None
122385 -   Larger      = 0                    Option Char = -
122386 -   List Char   = @                    Overwrite   = Prompt
122387 -    ..
122388 -   Locale                             Password    = Disabled
122389 -    Time       = 12-Hour              Path        = None
122390 -    Date       = MMDDYY               Recurse     = Disabled
122392 -    ..
122393 -   Sfx Type    = WIN32_X86_C500       Test        = All
122394 -   Shortname   = None                 Times       = Access, Create, Modify
122395 -   Silent      = Disabled             View Option = Normal
122396 -   Smaller     = 0                    Volume
122397 -   Sort                                Compress   = Disabled
122398 -    Compress   = Natural               Extract    = Disabled
122399 -    Extract    = Natural              Warn. Pause = Disabled
122400 -    View       = Natural              Zip Date    = None
122402 -    ..
122403 -   Attributes  = Read-Only, Archive
122404 -   Mask
122405 -    Compress   = None
122406 -    Extract    = Read-Only, Hidden, System, Archive
122407 -   Temp        = None
122409 -    ..
122410 -   Exclude Files
122411 -    Compress   = None
122412 -    Extract    = None
122413 -   Include Files
122414 -    Compress   = None
122415 -    Extract    = None
122416 -
122417 -
122419 -  ..
122420 - Manual Explains New Procedures, Pkware Forgot to Distrubute
122421 -
122422 - Mark said this is all explained in the manual for pkzip.  He said it
122423 - is a pdf file; however, investigation shows we did not get a manual.
122425 -  ..
122426 - Checked all of the directories for....
122427 -
122428 -
122429 -                     h: 00 28
122430 -
122431 -
122432 - ...and could not find a manual nor a pdf file of any kind.
122434 -  ..
122435 - Submitted ref DIT 1 0001 thanking Mark for assistance and asking for
122436 - manul that should have been distributed with the program purchased on
122437 - 020903. ref SDS 4 AH3J
122438 -
122440 -  ..
1225 -
1226 -
1227 - 1340
1228 -
122801 - Received ref DRT 1 0001 from Mark saying in total....
122802 -
122803 -     Attached is the 5.0 PKZIPC Manual. You can find info on all
122804 -     options in this manual.
122806 -  ..
122807 - The attached file was stored with the pkzip files.....
122808 -
122809 -
122810 -                   h: 00 28 pkzs pkzipc.pdf
122811 -
122812 -
122813 - ...as shown in the record o 020903. ref SDS 4 FE6F
122815 -  ..
122816 - Opened the manual and did a search for....
122817 -
122818 -                      -times
122819 -
122820 - ...and found the following on page 111....
122821 -
122822 -     Preserving File Times
122824 -      ..
122825 -     times (win32,UNIX)
122827 -      ..
122828 -     The times option allows you to preserve the access, creation and
122829 -     modification times of the extracted files.  Specify the sub
122830 -     option all to preserve all times, use access to preserve the
122831 -     access times only, use modify to restore the time of the last
122832 -     modification times or create to restore the creation times.
122834 -  ..
122835 - There is an example given for using the times command....
122836 -
122837 -
122838 -                 pkzipc -extract -times=all test.zip
122840 -  ..
122841 - This is not same command Mark provided this morning. ref SDS 0 9G8J
122843 -  ..
122844 - On page 178 there is a table that lists the "times" command, and
122845 - shows the default value is "none."
122847 -  ..
122848 - Taking this information in total an interpretation is that when files
122849 - are restored from a zip file none of the original file dates and times
122850 - are preserved, and so the date and time assigned is the date and time
122851 - when the pkunzip executes, or possibly it is the date and time when
122852 - the pkzip executes.  The manual does not clarify this point.
122854 -  ..
122855 - Did a search for
122856 -
122857 -                      -config
122858 -
122859 - ...for instructions on using the command Mark explained this morning,
122860 - per above. ref SDS 0 9G8J
122862 -  ..
122863 - The manual moved to page 58 that says in part....
122864 -
122865 -     You have the option of specifying a default file pattern setting
122866 -     in your PKZIP Configuration Settings file.  If, for example, you
122867 -     want to automatically include all files with the extension of
122868 -     .doc in PKZIP compress and extract operations, enter the
122869 -     following...
122870 -
122871 -                 pkzipc -config -include="*.doc"
122872 -
122874 -  ..
122875 - There is no evident explanation for using the Configuration File
122876 - showing the command Mark provided this morning. ref SDS 0 9G8J  Page
122877 - 134 has an explanation for viewing configuration file settings....
122878 -
122879 -                 pkzipc -config
122880 -
122882 -  ..
122883 - Page 137 explains changing default values for Configuration Settings
122884 - by entering pkzipc -config followed by the command option then an
122885 - equal sign and finally the sub-option value to set for the default.
122887 -  ..
122888 - Page 140 shows information on using the locale command, but seems to
122889 - require specify a country instead of a format.
122891 -  ..
122892 - Page 141 says...
122893 -
122894 -     By default, PKZIP uses the 12-hour time format and MMDDYY date
122895 -     format when archiving files.  The locale option allows you to use
122896 -     the system defined time and date format settings.
122898 -      ..
122899 -     To set the default PKZIP time and date settings in the
122900 -     Configuration file to match your system time adn date settings,
122901 -     type the followig and press Enter...
122902 -
122903 -                pkzipc -config -locale
122905 -  ..
122906 - Page 165 has a table showing the default, but not how to set what the
122907 - customer wants.
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Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"