🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <CMM.0.88.620320798.f-leoe@kyrre.uio.no>, f-leoe@IFI.UIO.NO (LarsErik0sterud) writes:
>
> The dutch PACK.PRG from ST-News packs MUCH better !!!!
> Get it from the comp.binary.atari.st archive !!!

I agree.  I've run PACK on 40-50 programs, it seems to reduce the
size from 30-40% pretty consistently.  It's pretty neat to watch
it strip over 90 kB off from ST-Talk Pro 2, approximately a 42%
reduction.

I've never had any problems with any of the TOS, TTP, or PRG files
I've run through it.  I only tried one ACC, which then caused con-
tinuous rebooting, so I assumed it wasn't intended for accessories.
(Since there was zero documentation, assuming was my only option.)
Perhaps that was just a fluke.

PACK does require a bit of time to unpack a program at run-time,
which works out to a little slower from RAM disk, about the same
from hard disk, and faster from floppy (faster to unpack than to
read it in).  SQUISH is reported to be faster in all cases.

Here's a comparison of DC-Squish vs. Pack, using Larry Rymal's
reported numbers for DC-Squish (% reduction in size):

   Program     DC_Squish    Pack 2.0
   --------    ---------    --------
   JUGGLER2       14%          31%
   GFABASIC       14%          18%
   GFABASRO       15%          19%
   UIS-II         15%          21%
   ICONEDIT       16%          37%
   FLASH1.6       23%          32%

In any case, I've been pretty pleased with PACK.  (Delighted would
be a more accurate description.)

-- 
Mark T. O'Bryan                 Internet:  obryan@gumby.cc.wmich.edu
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI  49008