Archive Utility Annoyance
Yesterday I encountered a situation that I suppose most people wouldn’t have even realized happened, but for me turned out to be a case of my computer trying to be a little too helpful. It all started when I was attempting to decompress an archive containing a .swc file - basically a zip file that flex can use as a code library - but instead of the .swc, I got folder containing its contents. It took me a minute to realize what I was looking at, but when I did I thought to myself “well, that’s annoying.” It turns out the default behavior for the archive utility is to decompress the archive and if the only file in it is another archive it keeps going. It assumes that’s what you’d want, which I guess for most people it is.
The inconvenience this caused me was only mildly annoying, but what really got me was when I realized there was seemingly no way to change that behavior. I could forgive this if it was just a feature built into the Finder app, but I noticed that for the split second while my file was being expanded that the Archive Utility app was displayed in the tool bar, meaning that it is an actual application.
After looking in all of the usual places applications are stored on a mac I finally found it, thanks to WikiPedia, at /System/Library/CoreServices/Archive Utility.app
Ahh, System/Library/CoreServices, I wonder why I didn’t I just look there in the first place?
It seems trivial, but really, why build a full application with toolbars, additional features, and a properties panel, and then not give the user an obvious way of getting to any of it? I can picture the conversation now..
“The archive utility will go in CoreServices.”
“But sir, we put all of the other utility applications in Applications/Utilities, don’t you think that will confuse the users?”
“Nobody should ever actually have to run it. When a user clicks on an archive it’ll open up, unarchive the files, and then disappear before the user even knows what hit them, that’s what we call a seamless user experience, Johnson!”
“Sounds more like a ‘wham bam thank you mam’ experience.. Why did you make me spend all that time on the interface and program in all of those preferences if nobody will ever get to see or use it?”
“Don’t you have some TPS reports to fill out or something?”
Oh well, at least I was able to get to my .swc.
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January 11th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Just happened to see your post on the Archive Utility program. Could not agree with you more. I loved most features i Leopard but Apple continues to perpetuate some stupid practices. Burying archive utility and providing no instructions for the average end user is one. iCal, of course, is the classic blunder. A more useless calendar program would be hard to find. You woud think a copany known for its excellent graphics would create a calendar program that was visually appealing and, by God, actually customizable for people who don’t have perfect eyesight.
OK, end of rant.
March 6th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Whew, Thanks! I thought I was crazy. This saved me.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Thanks for this. This has been driving me insane all morning.