ZipSolution

Purpose:

Software is intended for developers who release sources of their applications in an archive. It automates zipping of software source codes(zips visual studio project sources) for contributing them to sourceforge.net, codeproject.com and codeplex.com by setting custom filters.

Software automates creating of so called 'update packets': you can select folder and it will pack all modified and created files starting from specified date. It saves original folder structure.
Purpose: to create update packets for small sites (consisting from html pages and powered by hands)

Also software may be used when creating binary software zipped packages with use of 'archive design mode' feature:
you can bind any folder or file to any place in archive you want.

HDE stands for help desktop environment

Features:

- excluding files and folders with masks and creation/modification time
- template name for produced archive with supporting of increment, date and version autoinsertion
- 1 template string for "internal release" and 1 template string for Release
- command line arguments support
- freedom for modifications. If it does not suit you, you can easily improve it. Here's a production code quality so you can easily adopt it to your needs
- integration with .cmd and .bat scripts, Tortoise Svn via $TORTOISE_SVN_REVISION autoreplace parameter

Main good news of 4.7-th version

1. Configuration change: Default filter *.exe removed
2. Library BULocalization was updated to 1.4 and built-in project
3. Ionic.zip.util updated to 1.4
4. Compression degree is now maximum and can be changed in zipsolution.exe.config
5. Added possibility to design archive contents. This is usefull when releasing software binaries

License:

This is a public domain open source software, a gift for people with similar needs. No warranties, guaranties and responsibilities.

Software Requirements:

Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0.5+

Known issues

Interop with TortoiseSVN

If you chose 'design of archive' data source type this replacement parameter will be replaced on empty string

Interop with Tortoise Svn via autoreplace parameter $TORTOISESVNREVISION

It is required that you perform
a) commit changes and
b) update solution folder after that from tortoise svn
before zipping solution

Unicode Zip Archives external support for unpacking

Tool produces Unicode zip archives. To extract them without any problems please use 7-zip(http://www.7-zip.org). Also unicode archives are partially supported by winRar

Where're my empty folders(subnodes) i added in archive designer?

Packing of empty folders is not supported, so they are excluded

Sources:

Program was written in C# in #Develop IDE(icsharpcode).
External librarirs:
- Ionic.Utils.Zip - codeplex.com (under Microsoft Public license)
- BULocalization - sourceforge.net/projects/bulocalization (under public domain license) version 1.4. Included in project as sources
Packaging:
- InnoSetup - sourceforge.net/projects/innosetup

Languages:

Supported languages are:
- English
- Russian

Configuration

Main form

Here you can open context menu and add, delete or alter project.
To create new solution ASAP you may drop solution folder on main form.

Also you can edit currently selected project by double clicking somewhere on the form

To call this Documentation just hit F1

Add/Edit project form

Storages list is managed by context menu and buttons. When you make double click on the folder - program will ask shell to open it

Filter list can be managed by context menu, buttons and 'Delete' key. Multiple selection of filters is allowed

Drag'nd'drop functions supported for
- Solution folder and
- Folder list

'Design of archive' data source does not support TortoiseSvn revision autoreplacement parameter.

Next shortcuts are supported:
F2 - Renames the node
Delete - Deletes the node

What Is The Difference Betwean Entire Folder And Folder Addition?

When you choose 'Entire folder' an entire folder will be binded to target node and you will not be able to edit files in that folder. This is a comfortable variant when the contents of some folder is frequently changed and you don't want to care of tracking the changes in this program.

When you choose 'Folder' - the folder will be represented as a set of editable subnodes and files. This is done to reduce efforts of manual adding the target files

To perform extra-configuring please open 'ZipSolution.exe.config' in program folder and edit settings by hands

Note: during startup program checks all settings.

In this static configuration file you can set following options:
a) auto replace time format string. This string will be processed using 'en-US' culture always
b) Time format string for "Exclude By Time" filter dialog
c) Program culture(affects on (b))
d) Default format strings for 'New...' project item dialog
e) To add or not default c# filters in 'New...' project item dialog setting
f) Compression level that affects on packing and performance

User specific configuration data is stored in %profile%\Application Data\HDE\ZipSolution\<version>.

You can use multiple versions of a program

Program configuration data stored in ZipSolution.exe.config

Integration with bat and cmd scripts:

Requirement: English header of project

To copy generated script
a) Select on the main form project
b) Double click on the form
c) Open context menu on 'Edit' form

Creating shortcuts for projects

1. Create shortcut for ZipSolution program and place it on the desktop

2. Edit the shortcut

Go to 'Shortcut' tab

Modify 'Target' field according to the following example:
"D:\Program Files\ZipSolution\ZipSolution.exe" "ZipSolution Project"

Additional parameters for integration with bat and cmd scripts and creating shortcuts for projects

1. AnswerForFilterByDateStartTimeRequestDialogIsWeekAgo

This parameter will skip 'start time request dialog' with answer on it (current date - 7 days)

Examples of usage:
BAT: "D:\Program Files\ZipSolution-4.5\ZipSolution.exe" "BULocalization" AnswerForFilterByDateStartTimeRequestDialogIsWeekAgo
CMD: start " " /WAIT "D:\Program Files\ZipSolution-4.5\ZipSolution.exe" "BULocalization" AnswerForFilterByDateStartTimeRequestDialogIsWeekAgo
SHORTCUT: "D:\Program Files\ZipSolution\ZipSolution.exe" "ZipSolution Project" AnswerForFilterByDateStartTimeRequestDialogIsWeekAgo

Errors processing

If there was no errors during processing program will terminate itself.
In all other cases it will show form with errors(independently on started it with parameter or not)

Contributors

Nicolai Stoy made available for potential 82.5 millions of German users to use this program with comfort by making Deutch translation