0

If possible, I'd like to compress a number of files, and when the recipient of this zip file extract it (or double click on it) it creates a directory on the local disk and extracts the contained files to that directory. Can somebody point me in the right direction of how I can achieve this please?

  • Do you want to build this yourself? If so, what language do you want to use? What have you tried? Or could you just use like WinZip or WinRar etc? – Gerald Versluis Aug 21 '12 at 12:53
  • I'd be more than happy to use an existing solution. I haven't tried anything yet as I've not looked down the avenue of building it. If I were, I'd build it in a little C# .net console app and know exactly how I'd do it but that's a last resort. –  Aug 21 '12 at 12:54
  • 1
    Well I know that WinRar has the possibility to create a so-called SFX file, but it isn't available for the zip extension. Nevertheless, the extension wouldn't matter because you would be sending a .exe file which unpacks itself, no need for WinRar etc. so why would the extension matter? I would reckon there is a similar solution for zip files as well. – Gerald Versluis Aug 21 '12 at 12:57
  • Thanks a lot Gerald, really appreciate your reply. I do, then, have the issue of sending an exe via e-mail so I'm assuming this is going to be tricky for a number of security reasons. –  Aug 21 '12 at 12:58
  • 1
    Indeed sending exe files will be the next problem, depending on what kind of stuff you are looking for you could consider to put them on a server and just send download links. But of course I have no idea what kind of stuff you are building :) Good luck! – Gerald Versluis Aug 21 '12 at 13:01
  • It's for extracting training materials onto the hard drive of those who aren't exactly the most computer literate - so it's important to get the pdfs/docs or whatever into the right directories. –  Aug 21 '12 at 13:03

1 Answers1

2

Check out this for WinRar (just don't use it for malware!)

http://www.jackmccarthy.com/malware/WinRAR_Archive_Creation.htm

or WinZip:

http://kb.winzip.com/kb/entry/88/

Or even 7zip:

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-7Zip-to-Create-Self-Extracting-excutables

Gerald Versluis
  • 30,492
  • 6
  • 73
  • 100