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merging files

Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:32 pm
by coolman66
Is there a simple way to merge multiple files in a game or program for a none technical person, my copy of Atlantid by Sprites consists of three files and i cant get it to run . has anyone got a one file version or could help with merging the three files i would be gratefull ?

Re: merging files

Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:09 pm
by retroric
Hi,

I tried Atlandid with Oricutron by downloading the ZIP here:
https://www.oric.org/index.php?page=sof ... m_log=1080

Indeed there are 3 parts, one .TAP file then 2 additional tape files with .TA1 and .TA2 extensions (you can see they are actually .TAP files by looking at them with a hex editor, you see the standard $16 $16 $16 $24 header at the start of the files).

I don't know why they are separate but I think they are not meant to be merged, and if you just load the .TAP file in Oricutron, the game just starts and loads the 2 other parts automagically, and it just works, I've just tried it !! :)

Mind you, I admit I don't really know much about these part files for tapes, that must be the first time I stumble across this, so I wouldn't know how it works exactly, I can just suppose the first .TAP file references the other two somehow...

Re: merging files

Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:26 pm
by retroric
PS - to answer your question about merging files:

With the Windows command line prompt, you can ONLY merge TEXT files, using the following syntax:

COPY file1.txt + file2.txt + file3.txt merged.txt

For merging binary files, you need a separate utility.

I tried "File Joiner", which is a freeware and portable GUI utility, very easy to use (just uncompress the archive and run the .exe file):
https://www.igorware.com/file-joiner

Using this programme, I tested if merging the 3 tape files for ATLANTID would work, and to my surprise, it actually works fine, I was able to merge all 3 files (TAP + TA1 + TA2) into one, and load the resulting file in Oricutron, and the game ran fine.

I enclose my "ATLANTID_MERGED.TAP" file for you to try.

Cheers

Re: merging files

Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 12:05 am
by Chema
I am not sure you want to achieve, but doesn't the COPY command have a /b option for merging binary files?

COPY /B File1.bin + File2.bin merged.bin

That should work.

Re: merging files

Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 3:38 am
by Symoon
Yes, /B is important with COPY, or you may have problems if certain sequences of bytes are in the files (we found out exactly what was going on there on Oric.org forum I think, but I can't recall and don't have time to search back right now).

Here's a transfer without errors detected, of both Oric-1 and Atmos versions. I should update Oric.org... We must get rid of those old "TA1" and "TA2" transfers ;)
atlantid.zip
(15.74 KiB) Downloaded 247 times
PS: the auto-start is not set on the 1st part, so it requires typing CLOAD"" one more time - that's the way it was done, there's an instruction sheet explaining that in the original tape. Trying to auto-start characters redfinitions would crash; they just should have made a small loader to manage this ;)

Re: merging files

Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:28 am
by Symoon
There it is, resulting from Googling:
/A : ASCII text file (default)
/B : Binary file copy - will copy extended characters.

include the /B switch, as the following example shows:
copy /b *.exe combin.exe
This prevents MS-DOS from treating CTRL+Z as an end-of-file character.
CTRL Z is the value 26 ($1A).

$1A is not used in Basic nor in 6502 opcodes, so apart from graphics you won't find it much in Oric programs. But if you do and don't use /B, then $1A bytes will be skipped.

BTW it seems that CTRL A = 1, CTRL B = 2, and so on until CTRL Z = 26 ;)

Re: merging files

Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 1:44 pm
by coolman66
Thanks to all who have replied my question , I have done what retoric suggested and it works my only problem is that the file joiner program he suggested failed to download with a comment saying it wasn't recognised or corrupted , I am looking for a similar one any recommendations ?

Re: merging files

Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:20 pm
by retroric
Hi guys,

Well spotted Chema and Symoon, how stupide of myself, I should have remebered that /b option !! :oops:

As for "file joiner", I dunno what's the problem coolman66, maybe your antivirus being a bit fussy?
I use Avast myself, and it didn't flag it as malware or anything. And as far as I can tell, this program is perfectly trustworthy.

The only cause for trouble is if you are running a 32-bit edition of Windows and trying to run the 64-bit version of the app.

On the download page (https://www.igorware.com/file-joiner/download) you have the choice between the 64-bit and the 32-bit versions.
In doubt, choose the 32-bit version, it can run both on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows.

Anyway, even for the non-technical person, using the Windows command-line is not that difficult, and Chema and Symoon gave the solution to use the COPY command with the /B switch. Maybe you should simply try to go this route, and just ask for help if you run into problems.

Re: merging files

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:42 am
by coco.oric
Once upon a time, i've made the tap based on Symoon files, taking care of sync bytes. So it should work on all emulators and on a real oric