] On Sunday 21 January 2001 23:27, you wrote:
]
] > You can use xsc/xsd compression algorithm. Sources can be found on "The MSX
] > Plaza" in the section "XSA format".
]
] Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Is XSA compression only (like gzip and bzip2)
] or does it handle multiple files as well (like ZIP and LZH)?
]
] However, I think that the final standard will be a lot like the proposal by
] Ricardo, meaning it will use an archive and a text-based info file. If that
] approach is used, it's easier to use an archive format that is already
] wide-spread. XSA would be a good choice if the format can only be edited
] using special tools.
XSA header supports multiple files if needed (the A stands for archive...).
However, I'm not proposing to follow XSA format but to simply use my
compression/decompression algorithms inside the .msx file archive.
Advantage of my algorithms:
They are fast (on MSX reading and decompressing files from floppy is faster
then reading
uncompressed files from floppy).
They do not need much memory. Compression needs a small buffer and
decompression
does not need any extra memory.
Apart from the generic cross-platform C implementation, there is also an MSX
specific
assembly implementation.
Disadvantage:
Compression ratio is less then gzip or pmarc. It is somewhere between popcom
and pmarc.
Kind regards,
Alex Wulms
--
Visit The MSX Plaza (http://www.inter.nl.net/users/A.P.Wulms) for info on
XelaSoft, Merlasoft, Quadrivium, SD-Snatcher on fMSX, the MSX Hardware list,
XSA Disk images, documentation, Japanese MSX news from Ikeda and lots more.
--
For info, see http://www.stack.nl/~wynke/MSX/listinfo.html
