BOMArchive Helper ?

[William H. Magill]

It was just pointed out to me that if you have a ".zip" file on 10.3.4,  
"cntl-click" on the file, the "open with" application, is no longer  
Stuffit, but is something called:
            "BOMArchive Helper"

This is also now the "documented way" (as in the help system) to create  
an archive...
select the file, from the file-menu select "Archive" - bingo a .zip  
file is created.

There is apparently a new CoreService:

   
/System/Library/CoreServices/BOMArchiveHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/ 
BOMArchiveHelper

But a search of the developer site for "BOMArchiveHelper" yields  
nothing.

(And naturally, there is no man page.)

However, it is clear? from the "Data Management/ Archives and  
Serializations" section that this is apparently deeply imbedded in the  
OS.

So, the question is -- what does this REALLY mean?

A) Is Apple's zip different from the PC zip?
B) Apple is adopting the classic "zip" format -- as in the old DOS  
application program?
C) ".zip" archives created on OS X can simply be passed over to a  
Windows box?
        (I know, the contents might be gibberish, but the Windows box  
can open the archive.)
D) Why is it called a "BOMArchive" ?
         Does this somehow relate to the .bom files  (man bom, lsbom,  
mkbom, etc.)

E) man bom also points to man ditto and man zip ... but, again  
naturally, "man zip" doesn't exist.

D) was this added in 10.3.4 or simply not noticed before, but part of  
10.3.0?


T.T.F.N.
William H. Magill
# Beige G3 - Rev A motherboard - 768 Meg
# Flat-panel iMac (2.1) 800MHz - Super Drive - 768 Meg
# PWS433a [Alpha 21164 Rev 7.2 (EV56)- 64 Meg]- Tru64 5.1a
# XP1000  [Alpha EV6]
magill at mcgillsociety.org
magill at acm.org
magill at mac.com