Do you download lots of stuff fromMacUpdateandVersionTracker ? Or do you receive collections of files from far - flung coworkers ? In many case , the single file you receive will be compressed with the zip compression algorithm — especially as this is the what OS X 10.4 ’s Finder uses when you choose the Create Archive contextual menu detail . Sometimes it ’d be nice to look into these archives before you expand them . Perhaps a coworker accidentally send you 1,500 files instead of 150 , or you ’d like to see the complex body part of an archive before you choose to expand it .
you may do this using third political party tools , such asStuffit DeluxeorSpringy . These programs install tools to glance inside zip ( and other ) archive without expanding them . But you’re able to also create your own result for free , using nothing more than programs include with 10.4 .
Start by set up Automator , in /Applications . We ’re going to make a fairly elementary four - tone Automator workflow that will number the capacity of energy archives without really flourish them . The Automator window is split into three main discussion section — a Library pillar , an Action column , and a blank work area to the rightfield . To build natural process in Automator , you first choose a Library , then you drag an entry from the Action editorial into the work expanse . Here are the four steps you need to create for this work flow . Drag each specified Action to the piece of work area , in the order shew :
experience complimentary to replace the path and filename with your own preferences , but do n’t change anything to the left hand of that section . What you ’ve just done is get into a Unix command , unzip , which will try out the contents of the selected Finder detail . Here ’s how it works . The - lbit tellsunzipto just heel the archive ’s contents , not actually extract them . The”$@”piece elapse the name of the Finder item , surrounded by quotes ( in case the filename include spaces ) . The > sign simply routes the end product of the previous command to the specified file , instead of routing it to the default outturn twist ( the covert , typically ) . Finally , the way to the file cabinet itself is bring home the bacon ( the ~ is a shortcut for / Users / your_username ) .
That ’s it for the workflow . When it ’s all rig up , it should look about like this :
To put your novel workflow to apply , select File - > Save as Plug - in . In the dialog that appears , inscribe a name for your workflow ( Show Zip Contents , perhaps ) , and make indisputable the Plug - in for pop - up is fix to Finder , then click Save .
That ’s it ; you ’re done . To employ your raw cypher previewer , first select any zip archive in the Finder . Then control - come home on it and choose Automator - > Show Zip Contents from the contextual fare . mention that this workflow can only be used on one file at a time — it wo n’t work if you have two or more zip archives selected . Also , palpate free to delete the zip_peek.txt file when you ’re done with it . It doesnotneed to exist at all times ( it just had to exist when we were make the workflow ) . If it does n’t exist when you launch the work flow , it will be automatically created .
Update : delete to list the right localization of Automator in the Applications folder .
