This application lets you extract the contents of a resource in a file, and copy it into the data fork of a new file. It lets the user leech (or extract) all or any of the resources of a specified type in a specified file, and leeches them into a data file with the file type and creator provided by the user.
Compatibility
This program only works on machines with at least the 128K ROM, i.e. anything from a 512KE Mac upwards. I have only tried it on a Mac Plus at present, but it should work on the others also. Let me know if you have any problems, and I’ll try to fix them.
Instructions
When you find a file which you think contains a resource which is suitable for leeching, run this application. You will be greeted by a dialog which asks for the resource type you want to leech, which should be four characters long. After typing the appropriate resource type, you should choose what creator and file type to use for the data file this program will create. As a default, it will leech MacPaint™ PNTG resources into a SuperPaint™ PNTG data file. If you do not have SuperPaint, use the MPNT creator to use MacPaint instead. When you are happy with the details, click “OK”. If any of the fields were left empty, the insertion point will be placed in that item so you can add something. If any of them are too short (but at least one character) the application will automatically add the correct number of spaces to the end to make it up to four characters in length. If it is too long, the extra characters over four will be automatically truncated. Remember also that all three fields are case sensitive, so make sure you have it exactly right.
You will then be prompted for the file you want to leech. Select a file in the dialog, then click “Open” to continue. If you click “Cancel”, you will be returned to the initial dialog. If you Open a file which doesn’t contain at least one resource of the specified type, an alert will pop up to say this and you will be returned to the initial dialog to try again. Any errors occurring throughout the process always return you to that dialog.
Once you have Opened the correct file, you will be asked for a name for the leeched resource to be written to. If the resource has a name, that name will be provided as a default, with the resource type after a period; e.g. “World.PNTG” for a MacPaint resource named “World”. If the resource doesn’t have a name, the name of the file and a number is used instead of the resource name, e.g. “Something #1.PNTG” if you are leeching a PNTG resource from the file “Something”. If you aren’t happy with this name, choose an appropriate name. Notice that you are told the size of the resource and which number it is out of how many resources of that type in the file. Select the folder you want to save it into, then once you have clicked “Save” the resource will be leeched into that file, or if you want to skip this particular resource and go on to the next one, click the “Skip” button in the dialog to do just that. Clicking the “Cancel” button will skip all of the remainder resources and return you to the first dialog. (Useful when there are many resources!)
Once the resource has been leeched, if there are any more resources of that type in the file, you will be returned to the save dialog so you can leech the next one. Otherwise, you will be returned to the original dialog, where you can either choose another resource to leech, or click the “Quit” button if that’s what you’d like to do.
Limitations & Known Problems
Under the experimentation done so far, I can only manage to successfully extract PNTG resources (which have not been hacked around with) and dull and boring things like STRs, STR#s, etc. Still, its a reasonably useful utility to have, though it won’t do sounds, other pictures, etc. Never mind: if you want to do sounds, use Sound Leech (see the Acknowledgements section below) or my Shareware SndConverter™ application, and to do PICTs use ResEdit to copy the PICT resource and paste it into SuperPaint™ etc. If you aren’t sure if the application will manage to leech a particular resource, just give it a go; you may be pleasantly surprised. Please let me know of any particularly useful things you manage to leech, i.e. pictures and non-standard sounds.
Future Enhancements
Any ideas? I’m reasonably satisfied how it came out, but if you would like some improvement done, let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.
1.0a1: 8-10 January 1990 Program written as per specification
1.0a2: 11-15 January 1990 Rearranged order of dialogs & several other
improvements, incl. new error report
1.0a3: 15 January 1990 Increased MultiFinder sizes, fixed title PICT
probs, and fixed error alert handling problem
Docs: 15 January 1990 Improved & updated to version 1.0a3
1.0b1: 10 February 1990 Prepared for first distribution
Docs: 10 February 1990 Updated info for distribution version
Acknowledgements
Resource Leech was inspired by Sound Leech 1.00 by Robert S. Mason, Jr, which he has copyrighted (1988). It in no way replaces Sound Leech, as you cannot use this program to leech sounds, and you cannot use Sound Leech to leech any other resources (successfully, anyway, to my knowledge).
About Resource Leech…
I am releasing Resource Leech as Freeware, which means that you may give it to anyone you like, and you don’t have to send me any money (though I wouldn’t be offended if you did!) Also, you may not charge anything for it, apart for the usual Freeware distribution charges. However, I ask that you send me a letter, postcard or e-mail to register as a user of this program (even if you don’t use it much!) as I maintain a database of my registered users, even for Freeware such as this. If you didn’t get this program from the Dejal Userware disk directly, please make sure you let me know where you got it from. Also, you may be interested in other programs written by me, including some high quality Shareware applications. Write to the address below, or contact me via e-mail, for more information. If you want to receive the Dejal Userware disk, send US$5 or provide your credit card details (I can accept VISA, MasterCard, Bankcard and American Express, as well as cash & checks in any major currency or international money orders) — I can even accept credit card orders via e-mail!
If you find any bugs, or would like any improvements done, please write to me and I’ll do my best to help you. Remember, this program is Freeware, not Shareware, so it is nowhere as good as my Shareware products, and hasn’t had anywhere near as much testing as them. Don’t judge the quality of my paying Shareware efforts based on free hacks like this one. Of course, I can accept no responsibility for any loss in profits, damage or whatever occurring from the use of this program (though let me know if anything like that happens!)
