BCT 400

Overview

In some cases cases you might be downloading shareware, games or plug-ins. These types of files will be large and should be downloaded to the hard drive of your computer. You may also be aware that it is better to move large amounts of data in a compressed mode. This means that you compress the data, making the files more compact and easier to ship and download.

You become aware of this when you have a file you need to put in a disk and discover when you try to save it that it will not "fit" on the disk! That is when you become interested in how to "zip" or "compress" data! This size reduction of the data is accomplished by the process of compressing files, which is done with the use of programs such as, "WinZip". "WinZip" is a program that will "zip" or "compress" your data for you.

We can also use these types of programs to "unzip" or uncompressed data, images, and software. When you get your disk where you are taking it and want to open it to show the information, you need "WinZip" to "unzip" or "decompress" the data so you can see it. If someone sends you a program on the net or you get one on a disk, you will want something like "WinZip" on your computer to open it or "unzip" it for you. There are several such programs, but we have chosen WinZip for this class.

For this exercise you will be downloading a small zipped document to your computer. We have chosen a small but useful program to let you get the hang of download and unzipping. You will download the WinZip software to your C:\ drive; not only it is a way to learn, it is a useful tool! It "unzips" files from the Internet that are "zipped" when you download them! By keeping WinZip on your C drive, when you download a file that is zipped, it is automatically unzipped by WinZip (well... it gives you the option of unzipping automatically ...NOW... or you can say later".

For this activity in 400, you will be finding and downloading and unzip files. One of them will be the "WinZip" file itself. Another file will be a zipped file shown below or another that you need for your own purposes. You will also download a series of sound files that you will use in your other activities in 400.

You will use "WinZip" to "unzip" the other file (program) as shown in the Instructions.

Instructions for Downloading Software Assignment

Go to Shareware.com. You will find a screen like this:

Type in under SEARCH the words WINZIP as shown below:

You will get a screen like the one below or similar. It will show your search results for WinZip.

Notice that wz32v701.exe is "linked". Click on that and it will take you to WinZip version 7.0, which is the utility you need to download for this class. Click on the wz32v701.exe link; you will get the following page or one similar to it:

This shows you various locations around the Internet where you can download WinZip. Sometimes a site will be busy or you will have trouble with the download, so you can try another site. For our purposes here, I picked one of them for the download.

You are downloading to your C: drive; we suggest you download to a TEMP file on your C: drive first. That way, if there is a problem with the download, you can just try again. When you click on the file name, you will get a dialog box like the one shown below. See? We suggest downloading to your TEMP file, as shown.

After you download it to your C:/TEMP directory, then click on START at the lower left of your computer screen and select RUN, as shown below:

You will get a dialog box like the one shown below. You can browse or type in the name of the file; usually it shows up automatically as you have saved it.

Then you will get:

Click on OKAY and WINZIP will then be installed on your hard drive. It will reside there, ready to open any ZIPPED files that come from the net or as email attachments, etc. It will automatically open (UNZIP) any file you receive that is ZIPPED. You have installed a useful utility! Now, let's put it to work for you.

Instructions for Unzipping Files Assignment

You will download and unzip a file from the selection shown by the first letter of your last name.

Click on the appropriate file above to download this zipped file to your C:\ drive. When you click on it, you will see the following screen:

You can click for the file to OPEN right now..... OR... you can click for the file to be SAVED. See the screen below:

For our purposes here, we want you to SAVE the file. Let me try to explain the difference. If you click on OPEN IT, then the file will be automatically unzipped and opened right then. Otherwise, if you select SAVE, then the file will be saved to your hard drive and then, when you are ready to open it, you click on it, WINZIP automatically unzips it then, and you can see the unzipped file(s). The difference is only as to WHEN in the process you UNZIP.

Our instructions here are for saving it to your hard drive FIRST. SO ... CLICK ON SAVE TO DISK when you get the above screen.

You will see the following screen. NO MATTER WHEN YOU OPEN THE ZIPPED FILE, YOU WILL SEE THE FOLLOWING:

Click on NEXT. You will see this:

Notice in the above that is shows you where the file is located and the name of the file: D:\unzipped\iconsabc. If you want to select a different folder to open, you have that open. You also have the option of having the program linked to an ICON on your desktop if you wish. CLICK UNZIP NOW.

The above screen is the one you will get showing that the UNZIP is complete. Click CLOSE. Now you see a dialog box with your folder in there. Here's how one of mine would look:

You will see a file folder (directory) containing the ICONS for S, T, U that have been unzipped with WINZIP. Your folder will be whatever one you selected, based on the FIRST LETTER OF YOUR LAST NAME. Open the folder; your UNZIP program will and/or has unzipped it for you so you can see it.

Click on the ICON folder. You will see the listing of files within that folder.
Simply double click on each file, one at a time to view.
After you have finished viewing the icons and deciding which five icons you would want to use for this activity.
BY THE WAY.. if you want to get back to this ICON folder again, use WINDOWS EXPLORER to do that.

REMEMBER: If you do not want to use file shown above for your letter of your last name for your zipped downloaded file, select another one more appropriate or useful to your major. Just be sure to send an email stating that you are substituting something for the icon files shown above to your assignment mailbox.

Instructions for Downloading Files Assignment

You will download the following files and save them in your computer:

5 midi files
3 wav files
2 avi files

Note:
You will use these sound and video files in several of your products, so try downloading files that will be useful for your Power Point, homepages, etc.

How to Turn in Your Work

You should design one webpage that will include:

Title for this exercise
Your Name
The 5 icons you unzipped
The 5 midi files (make links to the midis)
The 3 wav files (make links to the wavs)
The 2 avi files (make links to the avis)

Upload the webpage to your ISP account. REMEMBER to upload all the sounds and images to the account also.

You will send an email to your assignment mailbox of goals400. goals400@bamaed.ua.edu

SUBJECT

BODY

Important:

When you are saving ALL your files (sounds, webpages, images, etc.), DO NOT USE SPACES OR SYMBOLS IN YOUR FILENAMES. Get used to using lowercase letters; that way you keep consistent with all filenames. Many ISPs, including BAMA, are case sensitive, so there is a difference between uppercase and lowercase letters. If you use spaces your files will NOT come up when viewed online. A similar thing happens if the computer is trying to look for a name that has a different latter case, those files will not appear. BE CONSISTENT: NO SPACES, USE ONLY LOWERCASE.

Grading Criteria

DOWNLOAD / UNZIP	POINTS
Zipped File properly UNZIPPED and 5 icons selected and properly placed in a webpage.	2 points for each icon 10 points Total
5 midi files downloaded and properly placed in a webpage.	2 points for each midi 10 points Total
3 wav files downloaded and properly placed in a webpage.	2 points for each wav 6 points Total
2 avi files downloaded and properly placed in a webpage.	2 points for each wav 4 points Total
Webpage designed to hold the files downloaded and unzipped. The page is creative, inviting and looks professional.	5 points
Email sent to the assignment mailbox stating the Internet address where the webpage with the sounds and images is found.	5 points
TOTAL POINTS	40 POINTS