Spark
From Just Solve the File Format Problem
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− | '''Spark''' (Acorn Spark compressed archive) is a type of compressed file archive traditionally found on RISC OS systems, with [[RISC OS filetype|file type]] DDC (Archive). Created by SparkFS, these archives were often used to transfer data in a form that could be unpacked by the freely redistributable SparkPlug tool. The format is | + | '''Spark''' (Acorn Spark compressed archive) is a type of compressed file archive traditionally found on RISC OS systems, with [[RISC OS filetype|file type]] DDC (Archive). Created by SparkFS, these archives were often used to transfer data in a form that could be unpacked by the freely redistributable SparkPlug tool. |
+ | |||
+ | == Format details == | ||
+ | The format is an incompatible variant of [[ARC (compression format)|ARC]]. The most obvious differences from ARC are that the high bit of the ''compression method'' byte is set, and the member file header has an additional 12 bytes, for RISC OS file attributes. Subdirectories are possible, in a way, by storing them as nested Spark archives. | ||
== Software == | == Software == |
Revision as of 16:21, 31 August 2019
Spark (Acorn Spark compressed archive) is a type of compressed file archive traditionally found on RISC OS systems, with file type DDC (Archive). Created by SparkFS, these archives were often used to transfer data in a form that could be unpacked by the freely redistributable SparkPlug tool.
Format details
The format is an incompatible variant of ARC. The most obvious differences from ARC are that the high bit of the compression method byte is set, and the member file header has an additional 12 bytes, for RISC OS file attributes. Subdirectories are possible, in a way, by storing them as nested Spark archives.
Software
- nspark - a tool to catalogue and unpack Spark archives (in source code form)
- nomarch v1.3+ can unpack Spark archives.
- [1], [2] → Spark, SparkPlug
Sample files
- Many of the files at The Arcade BBS Filebase (ftp)
- E.g. Sprite Picture files → level1