Info-ZIP Zip 3.0f ("BETA") source kit is now available.

[Steven Schweda]

Info-ZIP Zip users may wish to try out the latest "BETA" source kit,
version 3.0f, which is now available at:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=118012
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/infozip/zip30f.zip

Barring the discovery of horrible problems, this kit may be very close
to the actual Zip 3.0, whose release could occur later this year.
Please submit your (whining) complaints (which are, of course, always
welcome) as soon as possible, if you would like any changes made before
that release.

The kit includes the usual documentation. Below is a quick summary
of news items of particular (potential) interest to VMS users.

Features
--------

- Large-file support (optional, not enabled by default) where the C RTL
permits (modern, non-VAX systems).

- Basic support for ODS5 extended file names (that is, long names and
8-bit characters, but not Unicode). New command-line options control
file-name case preservation.

- Symbolic-link support (optional, enabled by default) where the C RTL
permits (very modern, non-VAX systems).

- Bzip2 compression option (optional, not enabled by default). Requires
a separate bzip2 kit. (Mine works. Others may work.)

- An official facility code (1955) is now used in exit status values.
An error message file, ZIP_MSG.EXE, included for use with SET MESSAGE.
(Old behavior may be specified at build time.)

Other Notable Changes
---------------------

- Builders (MMS/MMK and .COM) work differently from Zip 2.x builders,
and have more options. Architecture-specific product files are placed
in separate directories ([.ALPHA], [.IA64L], [.VAX], and so on).
Reading the installation instructions (INSTALL, [.vms]install_vms.txt)
may be necessary.


UnZip 6.00d ("BETA") may also appear before we're all dead. Stay
tuned. In the mean while, other than emitting the occasional spurious
"76 bytes" warning, UnZip 6.00c ("BETA"), which is available at the same
place, should do the job.

[Steven Schweda]

Only an announcement.