[TEC] How not to have the double same name folder when zipping

[THE_MASK]

How not to have the double same name folder when zipping .
When zipping up your folder do not zip the main folder .

Instead zip up the folders inside the main one.

[JScones]

Thanks. If modders took just 5 seconds to test their zipped files before releasing them, users wouldn't be tearing their hair out anywhere near as much.

[bigboywooly]

Hmmmmm I find its on extraction
FE
Just right clicked on a folder - A and clicked on add to " A.7z"
So I get my 7z folder called A
Now If I click on Extract to " A\" then will get the double folder
But if click extract here will just get the one main folder with the correct directory set up

Have always used the above method for JSGME

Etther way is good as long as has the desired end effect

[Fincuan]

Originally Posted by bigboywooly

Have always used the above method for JSGMEt

Your method seems to be the most common one modders currently use, at least on the SH4 side, and imho should be made the "standard". Either way isn't a good practice because in that case the user will have to know which way to original packager used before doing anything, and that isn't very convenient.

[THE_MASK]

A certain supermodder who has been around for years still has double folders LOL .

[Ducimus]

Yeah yeah i know your talking about me. lol.
It might be in extraction. I honestly don't know what the deal is for some people. Ive extracted my own 7zip files all the time, and ive never had double folders. I zip up the directory, and the file structure is intact. I then uncompress the directory straight into the mod folder and have never had a problem. So.. i honestly don't have a clue as to what the issue is. Maybe i have some older version of winRAR that does things differently. *shrug*

Edit: It also occurs to me, that if i directly compressed the data file, then when i uncompress it, the parent directory wont be right for JSGME.

For example
if i compressed data and documents directly, then i have a zip file with just those two directories. That means that when you go to unzip it in your mod directory, it will uncompress as data and document. Try enabeling that in JSGME. It won't work right, the pathing will be off.

edit 2:
Oh, and version 0.2 of that WIP is up. lol

[Fincuan]

Ducimus, the issue your talking about is as follows, at least when using 7-zip:

If you choose "Extract here" or "Extract to ..." it'll extract the contents of archive as such, without any extra folder creation or anything else. If such archive was packed using the "sober"-method it's contents will now be spilled into the folder that was chosen above, while "bigboywooly"-method works correctly.

HOWEVER....

If you choose "Extract to 'NameOfArchive'" it'll first create a folder with the same name as the archive, then extract the contents of the archive into that folder. If the archive was packed using "sober"-method it works correctly, however if "bigboywooly"-method was used the result is double-folders.

[karamazovnew]

I too like to drag the folder from the archive straight to the MODS folder, instead of extracting it. Usually, when I download a mod, I put it on the Desktop and delete immediately after. If one can't extract a file properly or read the JSGME readme, they shouldn't bother with mods, really...

[Ducimus]

Ok i think i see. Usually what i do, is open the 7zip file. Select the mods named directory within the archieve, and extract it directly to the SH/MODS directory. OR, ill just drag and drop if im too lazy to search out the path to extract to. Been doing that for so long now, it's never really occured to me people might go about it differently. Never gave it any thought, and don't see any reason to change.

[JScones]

Hmmm...I might start a JSGME tutorial thread here (and hope it gets stickied) to explain some of this stuff.

I am working on an updated manual for JSGME, but there's a point where it has to assume some user knowledge in computing, lol.

[gutted]

I just drag and drop the root folder of the mod into my MODS folder.

[JScones]

I'm adding the following paragraph to my JSGME User Guide...

There are many file archivers/compression utilities out in the market. Most provide “Extract to” and “Extract here” options. The correct extraction method for users of your mod will depend on how you zipped it up to begin with. Using the wrong method to extract your mod may result in a “double folder” error, where instead of the intended folder structure, an extra “layer” has been added. For example, “C:\Games\My Game\MODS\Cool Mod\Cool Mod\data” instead of “C:\Games\My Game\MODS\Cool Mod\ data”. This “double folder” error is the second largest cause of mod problems (behind Vista/Win7 UAC problems). To avoid users encountering this problem, you may want to stipulate the appropriate extraction method in your installation instructions.

Recognising that modders do things differently, this may be better than trying to force a standard.

There'll also be a sentence or two dedicated to this problem under the "Adding a mod" section, aimed at users (essentially getting them to check the folder structure).

Comments?

[skwasjer]

The preferred method as far as I am concerned is to open the archive, see what's in there and then decide if and how to unpack. Anyone stupid enough to not look first, and read the readme (or JSGME's readme for that matter) should just play stock.