Hacks should be released in ONE ZIP file please

[jpt62089]

Originally Posted by Erwin

Hi

In order to make it easier for members when they download hacks and to prevent multiple attachments when a hack is posted, we will soon be restricting hacks to just ONE ZIP file. Try to put all XML, TEXT, PHP, into the ZIP file please.

We have decided to restrict archives to ZIP since it comes standard in most Windows PC. TAR etc require 3rd party software.

Screenshots can still be posted separately but can be also included in the ZIP.

Thanks!

What if the hack only has one file? its kind of pointless when its only one file :-/

[Andreas]

Well, most Hacks do consist of multiple files anyway.
And even if it is only one file ZIP saves Bandwidth

[Erwin]

There are coding and other reasons for this too. It would be of great assistance if hackers could do this.

[Paul M]

What if a hack has multiple versions available in the same thread ?

If a hack is just one xml plugin file this makes very little sense - it make the process slower for author and installer.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

It would hardly make it slower, and has a lot of advantages. Maybe we should reconsider allowing multiple files if you have more then one version active.

One other advantage is that you would have some very basic chek if the download was not corrupted. (zip file would fail to open, with txt you will never know).

But the main reason is that most hacks come with more then 1 file (even if only a plugin and a description/instruction text file) and it would be much easier if a member can have them both together instead of in seperate files which could get confusing if you keep a lot of hacks stored somewhere that you have installed.

[Paul M]

Originally Posted by MarcoH64

It would hardly make it slower

If it's just a single file then the end user now has to unzip a file they previously could just download and use - a longer process. Okay, I'll grant you it's not much longer and probably not worth worrying - but it is a longer process.

Originally Posted by MarcoH64

Maybe we should reconsider allowing multiple files if you have more then one version active.

This is my main point - it doesn't make sense to zip up multiple versions into one zip - the end user only needs one of them. In my specific case I am referring to my Flashchat mods - there are multiple live versions because of the different versions of Flashchat in use.

[Logikos]

I'll begin to ZIP all my hacks when i get the chance and update my all my hack threads. When you guys upgrad to 3.5. I think it would be nice to see how many downloads again.

[Erwin]

Originally Posted by Live Wire

I'll begin to ZIP all my hacks when i get the chance and update my all my hack threads. When you guys upgrad to 3.5. I think it would be nice to see how many downloads again.

That's one reason why we want it all in 1 file. There are other reasons to do with the proposed database and future features planned.

[Logikos]

Excellent!

[Revan]

Originally Posted by Erwin

Hi

In order to make it easier for members when they download hacks and to prevent multiple attachments when a hack is posted, we will soon be restricting hacks to just ONE ZIP file. Try to put all XML, TEXT, PHP, into the ZIP file please.

We have decided to restrict archives to ZIP since it comes standard in most Windows PC. TAR etc require 3rd party software.

Screenshots can still be posted separately but can be also included in the ZIP.

Thanks!

(This entire post was made under the assumption that Attachment Size Limit has not changed, or it is still too low for my points below to be valid, which I have not checked as of yet. If it has, please ignore this post)
I am sorry, but I am unable to comply with this rule for my RPG Integration Hack. It contains mass amounts of images, and even putting all images in 1 zip file would make it too large for the Attachment feature. And given that the next version of my hack will contain even MORE images, to be able to comply the limit must be increased to ~20 MB.
I have more than 400 images (some are very small but still), and as you can understand it would be impossible to work with an attachment limit below that.
The only other solution I have would be to offer the images as a download on the site Dan and I are making for the RPG project, but licence verification would be limited to a replica of the GeekyDesigns way (a post here with a hash inside a code block that would need to be input on the site), which creates hassle for the end-user.
I will watch this thread and my PM box for any updates on this


//peace