Why doesn't FM append .zip to a compressed file imported to a container field?

[MrG]

Why doesn’t FM append .zip to a compressed file, imported to a container? When import files to a container field with choice "compress if possible" the file "inside" the container will be zipped , but the container "file name” doesn't append .zip in the file name.

Should it be more logical to append .zip when the file is imported as compressed, just to tell that it is?
And only keep original file ending if not compressed.

Example
MyFile.pdf to MyFile.pdf.zip when imported as compressed...

Edited September 23, 2016 by Lee Smith
Modified the Subject

[bcooney]

afaik, the compression isn't a .zip

[Lee Smith]

see if this page is of any help FileMaker help > insert file options.

[Wim Decorte]

7 hours ago, MrG said:

 

Example
MyFile.pdf to MyFile.pdf.zip when imported as compressed...

Not really, AFAIK FM compresses the file for its own use to save on storage.  It is not meant to make the compressed file available to you.

[MrG]

Quote

It is not meant to make the compressed file available to you.

To whom should the file be "available", if not to the users?

Lets say you have 300 post of container-fields where 50% of them is compressed. How should you know which one?

Edited September 27, 2016 by MrG

[comment]

26 minutes ago, MrG said:

To whom should the file be "available", if not to the users?

To the hard disk. If you have inserted an uncompresed file into a container field, then you can only retrieve the original, uncompressed, file. How Filemaker stores the file in the interim is between it and the OS file system.

[MrG]

The issue is also about how to "see" which one of the posts who has a container-field who have compressed file, or not

[Wim Decorte]

why would you care?  As @comment says: it's FMS' decision to compress or not compress to facilitate storage.  It will always give you back the original if you ask for it; never the file as it stores it.

 

[comment]

50 minutes ago, MrG said:

The issue is also about how to "see" which one of the posts who has a container-field who have compressed file, or not

I am afraid I don't understand this issue. I suppose you could compare the container field's internalSize attribute against its fileSize and make an educated guess regarding the compression - but I don't see what practical purpose would be served by this.

 

Edited September 27, 2016 by comment

[MrG]

Quote

why would you care?

Ie, if you have DB register with attachment, who has been send out with e-mails, you later perhaps want to find all posts with container who include files that not is compressed and trough them away.

If compression is .zip or .gzip or something else, do not mater if "something" is ending the file names who is imported as "compressed (if possible)".
Isn't that logical?

here is more about this issue, posted 2014.

 

[Wim Decorte]

I'm afraid I don't follow your logic.  Whether the file was compressed or not by FM shouldn't matter to you.   I don't see why your cleanup routine would need/want to check whether a file is compressed or not?

If I follow your logic I would keep a record whose file is 4GB but zipped by FM but throw away a file that is 1KB but not zipped?  Would you not want to set the criterium on size alone, regardless of how FM decided to store the file?