Result of Appending Zip to Exe

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I used the ZipFile object in python to append a zip file to one of my executables to be accessed by that program, but I don't know what that zip file gets named as it is added. How would I find this out?

Posted 15-Aug-13 9:51am

IfIAmSangan

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2 solutions

Solution 1

I'm sure this is a bad idea. Executable files are supposed to be never modified after they are built. Moreover, the technology of digital signature very effectively prevents such operations, as this is a very dangerous thing as such modifications are done by viruses and other malicious software. The legitimate way of including ZIP or any other resources in executable modules is including them in embedded resources.

—SA

Posted 15-Aug-13 11:11am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

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IfIAmSangan 15-Aug-13 22:48pm

How would I do that? The thing is, on this particular app, I want saves and resources native to the executable instead of the machine. Would embedded resources accomplish this?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-Aug-13 0:16am

Sorry, I failed to understand this question. Could you tell it more accurately or in more detail? Accomplish what?
—SA

IfIAmSangan 16-Aug-13 14:08pm

Would embedded resources allow me to have the resources somehow bound to the executable in a way that an absolute path is not required to access it? If so, how would I go about making the ZIP an embedded resource?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-Aug-13 14:35pm

Well, you would be able to open the file and save compressed files anywhere you want. I haven't done it with Python though, as I never tried any compiled Python, only interpretive. (Do you use Python compiler for Windows? what is that?)
—SA

IfIAmSangan 16-Aug-13 14:47pm

I looked into embedded resources for python and I don't think there is a good way to do that. However, I did come up with a way that I could do something similar. Thanks for your help.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-Aug-13 15:53pm

What's the platform? (native Windows, .NET?) and what's the Python compiler?
For example, if this is .NET, you can use, say C# for some assemblies and use them in Python. With native Windows, you can still do it in a separate DLL (C++, whatever) and use in Python. It it's a Windows compiler, it should have the interop with external DLLs... What do you have?
—SA

pasztorpisti 17-Aug-13 8:53am

Its valid to append data after an executable. It doesn't screw up the image loading of windows as the OS gets the info about loadable areas from the PE header that doesn't refer to areas occupied by the appended zip. The digital signature is also something that is contained by the exe and refers only the to the specified parts of the executable. SFX creators also work by using an exe and appending the zip after them, the installer of many games sold on CDS were single-file (6-700MB!!!) executables that were created by compiling a small exe and then appending an archive file. I myself used this technique, the start offset of the data can be found out easily by parsing a few things from the header of the executable.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Aug-13 11:38am

Of course it won't screw up image. There is nothing to prevent such executable to work correctly (unless it is signed, or some other technique of modification prevention was applied). However, I still doubt that this is a legitimate way of using executable modules; the appended part of out of control of the executable header; but of course, this is a very relative category. I must admit that I did not know that SFX uses simple appending. And I understand that this is something working.

Anyway, thank you for your note.

—SA

pasztorpisti 17-Aug-13 11:42am

BTW, I forgot your 5 while writing my previous comment. Of course the resource solution is the way to go in most cases.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Aug-13 12:04pm

Oh, thank you very much.
—SA

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IfIAmSangan · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-16T08:50:00

Solution 2

Thanks to the input from Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov, I found a way to do something similar to embedded resources that makes my goal possible.

Posted 16-Aug-13 8:50am

IfIAmSangan

Comments

Manfred Rudolf Bihy 16-Aug-13 15:09pm

It would have been extremely considerate of you if you posted your findings and how you went about solving your problem. As it currently stands what you posted here is not a solution, but should have been a comment only. Please, for the benefit of all, post or at least summarize how you solved your problem.
If it would be to much information for a solution please do consider writing an article or at least a tip/trick so we can all learn something from your findings.

Regards,
Manfred