                    i5comp v1.0 Release Notes
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       (InstallShield v5.x Compression and Maintenance util)
                     -] fOSSiL - Oct-11-1998 [-

1. INTRODUCTION
---------------
   If u ever used icomp.exe from InstallShield v3.x u know how frustrating
it was to discover that version 5.x did not offer such a wonderful util.
But the need for one exists (u have to screw with IS5 installations somehow!),
and that is how i5comp was born.

   i5comp has been in beta stage for almost a year now, and I think I can
safely say that it is now good enough for public use.


2. INSTALLATION
---------------
   1) Put 'i5comp.exe' wherever u want (preferrably somewhere in PATH).
   2) Put 'zd*.dll' files in %WinSysDir%. For example, on Win95 that
      might be 'C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM' and on NT - 'C:\WINNT40\SYSTEM32'.
      Or u can put these files anywhere in PATH.


3. CONCEPTS
-----------
   1) COMMAND SYNTAX
   Unlike weird icomp.exe, i5comp mimics the command syntax of ARJ/RAR
style compressors, but the big difference is that the established syntax
order can not be broken, meaning that u have to specify <cmd> [-opts] <cab>
in this order, no mixing is allowed.
   Just run i5comp with no parameters to see the explanation of syntax,
commands and options.

   2) FILE INDEX
   Every file inside a cab has a fixed index. U can see that index when u
do 'i5comp l your.cab' in the 'Ind' column. InstallShield allows duplicate
filenames within one cab, so u might have to referr to the file by its
index to ensure that u extract/replace the right one.

   3) MASK MATCHING
   In addition to the references to files by name and index u can use
filemasks ('fmask' for short in the command line help). The mask matching in
i5comp is extended compared to standard DOS one. U can use, for example,
masks like this : a*b.dll, *b?c?d*.d*, etc. For example, '*b?c*.dll' will
match with 'boc.dll', 'bac12.dll', 'aablc.dll', but will NOT match 'bc.dll'.

   4) FILEGROUPS
   Every file inside a cab belongs to some FileGroup. Because of this
structure, u have to specify a FileGroup with a -g option when adding files
to a cab.

   5) COMPRESSION DLLs
   Somewhere in the middle of the development of versions 5.x InstallShield
changed the way the files are being compressed. Because of that the option -v
was created. It allows u to specify which version of compression dll to use.

   !!! IMPORTANT !!!

   U *MUST* be completely sure u are using the right one when adding/replacing
files in a cab, otherwise the installation will fail. By default, i5comp will
use the dll from v5.10.145 which is compatible with v5.00.200 and above.
   To ensure u are using the right one, look at the ZDATA5x.DLL that came with
the installation u are screwing with and specify -v<n> afterwards.


4. THAT'S IT
------------
U are probably already bored to death, so I will be brief.
Thanx to all who took interest in my util and helped with fixing bugs.
NO THANX to everyone who has found a bug and thought
"Ahh, fuck it.. this util is crap."

BETA TESTERS : MustDie, special thanx to Muffin who made me release v1.0 =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GREETZ go to : whoever thinks he deserves one, sorry, the list is too large =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( if u believe u helped me and I forgot to mention u, please,
                 by all means do tell me )
