Running PACK With Individual Files

You can start PACK with a single command from the command line. You can type the names of all the files you want to compress directly on the command line. Include the drive and path if the files are not in the working directory. You can specify file names with any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters. File-name extensions are not required; however, if you specify a file name that has an extension, also type the extension.

The command-syntax is as follows:

  PACK sourcefile [packedfile]
    [/H:headerpath\
    |/H:headerfile
    |/H:headerpath\ headerfile]
    [/D:headerdate]
    [/T:headertime]
    [/C] [/A] [/R]

where:

sourcefile

Specifies the name of the file you want packed (compressed). This parameter is required. Include the drive and path if the file is not in the working directory. Global file-name characters are permitted.

When the data is compressed, the name of the source file is placed in the header of the compressed file and is used as the destination file name during unpacking.

packedfile
Specifies the name of the file that will contain the compressed data. Files that contain compressed data can be recognized by the @ symbol as the last character in the file name. If you do not specify this parameter, PACK places the compressed data in sourcefile and modifies its name to contain the @ symbol.
/H:headerpath\ or /H:headerfile or /H:headerpath\headerfile
These parameters can be used separately or they can be paired.
• H:headerpath\
  Specifies the destination path to be placed in the header of the file that contains the compressed data. Drive letters are not permitted. Unless this path is overridden with the UNPACK command, it will be the destination path when the file is uncompressed. headerpath must end with a back slash (\).
  /H:headerfile
  Specifies the name of the file to be placed in the header of the compressed file. This file name will be used as the destination file for the uncompressed data and cannot be overridden.

  If a header file name is not specified, PACK automatically uses sourcefile as the name of the file that is placed in the header of the compressed file.

  /H:headerpath\headerfile
  Specifies that both a destination path and a destination file name are to be placed in the header of the file that has the compressed data.
  /D:headerdate
  Records the date in the header of the file that has the compressed data, and also in the destination file when it is uncompressed.

  The date must follow the format /D:MM-DD-YYYY (for example: /D:08-20-1991 and /D:12-30-2010)

  /T:headertime
  Records the time in the header of the file that has the compressed data, and also in the destination file when it is uncompressed.

  The time must follow the format /T:HH.MM (for example /T:02.06 and /T:14.54). Hour 00 represents 12 a.m. and hour 12 represents 12 p.m.

  /C
  Specifies that the current path be placed in the header of the file that contains the compressed data. When the UNPACK command is used, this path will be the destination path for the file that contains the uncompressed data.

  You cannot use /C when the headerpath is used.

  /A
  Adds data from sourcefile to the data in packedfile.

  The source file can be either in a compressed or uncompressed state. If the source file is in an uncompressed state, the data is compressed before being added to the file containing the compressed data.

  /R
  Removes the file specified by sourcefile from the file that contains only compressed data. The sourcefile parameter must specify the path and file name exactly as they appear in the header of the file with the compressed data; otherwise, the following error message appears on the screen.

  The specified file to remove was not found.
  

  The /R parameter is valid only when used in conjunction with sourcefile and packedfile.

  Note: To display the path and file-name information stored in the header of the file that contains the compressed data, use the UNPACK command and specify the SHOW option. For information about the SHOW option, see the UNPACK command in the online OS/2 Command Reference.

  You can also get end-to-end compressed data by using global file-name characters. For example:

    PACK *.EXE BUNDLE

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