> dbk@mcs.com (Dan Keith) writes:
>
> >So, unless someone dissuades me or convinces me otherwise, I am going to
> >base the
> >MagicCap port on the latest Zip port that is unencumbered by copyright.
>
> Well, for what it's worth I'd say that Andrew Plotkin's MaxZip is the
> best interpreter of Z-machine files that I've yet seen. Particularly
> from a "Macintosh perspective" as you put it. I think Andrew did a
> great job!
>
> - Neil K.
>
I totally agree about MaxZip! It's a great job. I am now MaxZipping all of
my available Zip games just because it's such a great way to run them.
What I'd like, though, is for MaxZip to be considered THE Macintosh
implementation of Zip and for it to be folded into the standard Zip source
distribution.
It should be noted (not to diminish Andrew's efforts) that MaxZip is still
a port of the "standard" Zip code (with some excellent improvements and
Mac-ification of the UI, filing and launching). It would be nice if the
MaxZip modifications would be folded into the Zip source code
distribution. This would ensure that there is only one body of Zip code
that gets upgraded, improved and ported to other platforms. I am very glad
that Andrew Plotkin distributes the source code to MaxZip; although I am
concerned (possibly unnecessarily) that he restricted the copyright on
derivative works of MaxZip. This makes MaxZip MORE restrictive than the
Zip code from which it is derived. I wonder if this means that the Zip
code core of MaxZip will diverge from the portable Zip over time. This
would likely be unfortunate for the if-community.
Perhaps Andrew's intent is that MaxZip will become the Zip for the
Macintosh and he has already talked to Mark Howell about this; in which
case, I'm just going over old ground. It'd be a shame to have to wait for
bug fixes and version upgrades for MS-DOS zip to be applied to the MaxZip
source. Correspondingly, MaxZip will likely have improvements that could
be used on all platforms (Windows/Zip, anyone?).
-- Dan "Bud" Keith - dbk@odesta.com Once in a while, you get shown the light In the strangest of places, if you look at it right.