Xelitan Zip 1.2

Xelitan Zip 1.2
File Size : 3 Mb

The name of Xelitan Zip might make you think that this application is a classic file archiver that can create and extract popular archive formats.

In fact, the application extends the functionality of a simple compression tool by adding support not just for archive formats that are not so well-known, but also for disk images and other container files.

The application's development team opted for a simple look with no menus, displaying all the options in the button toolbar. The main window, however, does include a preview area that should be able to load a file's content, although I did not manage to use it during our tests.

Xelitan Zip can open widely-used archive formats, such as ZIP, RAR, 7ZIP, XZ, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, CBR, CBZ or CBT, but it also provides compatibility with other types of files: GRP, GW3, GX, HA, HOG, LBR, LIB, LOD, LZH, LZMA, LZX, PAK, to name just a few out of over 300 file formats.

Creating archives is also possible with Xelitan Zip, which can compress any file inside 7Z, ZIP, TAR, Gzip, XZ or Bzip2 archives, with or without password protection and data encryption.

When extracting archives with Xelitan Zip, you need to open the archive for preview in the main window and then hit the extract button. While shell integration is possible, it only allows you to pack files with Xelitan Zip directly from the context menu, as no unpacking option is available.

The one thing that caught my attention while testing this application was the "Anything" button. The icon suggests that it is about opening any kind of file, but it did not understand its function until reading the details on the product page, stating that the "Open Anything" feature is designed to attempt opening unsupported archives in unknown formats.

Aside from this mystery feature, Xelitan Zip can be used for testing archives as well to check the files' integrity.

Although Xelitan Zip can compress files and decompress archives in various file formats, it only allows previewing for other types of files, such as disk images. In other words, do not expect to mount an ISO file. Instead, you get a plain preview tool for over 300 file formats.

Working with this application to handle a few archives was fine, but I got the feeling that the application is more meant for previewing the content, rather than managing archives, given the plethora of compatible file formats it prides itself on. However, I appreciated that the application can also preview the content inside disk images and other types of containers.

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