It is literally a zip file. If I remember correctly you have to write some xml which describes the layout of the skin and then include any images you need, you then zip it and change the file extension to wsz.
So really you could put anything in a skin.
There’s only so many ways to turn a bunch of files into one - mainly, you stick them back to back. Easy.
Then, there’s an infinite ways to compress that file… You could come up with you own method, but what good is that? It’s better and smarter to use a format already supported by your users
So of course most bundles are the same archive type under the hood. Everything from backups to installers - you shouldn’t be inventing new formats without a damn good reason
A surprising number of “file formats” these days are really just zip files with a standard for the filenames and folders contained within. There’s likely a ton of wonderful secrets like these to be found in the collective dataspace of humanity.
I take issue with “everything”, as most things are not. But it is a common trick when a developer wants to make a “new” file format that encapsulates a bunch of different files.
Seriously though, it’s been some time be afaik any microsoft product file that ends in x, .docx, .xlsx, .pbix are all just archives and you can totally interact with them programmatically if you want. Really easy to corrupt them but hey, found it interesting years ago.
How do these contain random files like this? Isn’t it just a file that applies some kind of visual effect to the media player?
They’re zip files, with the extension renamed. So you could probably have almost anything in one.
Oh so they’re actually created the same way as a zip file? That makes sense I guess. Thanks.
It is literally a zip file. If I remember correctly you have to write some xml which describes the layout of the skin and then include any images you need, you then zip it and change the file extension to wsz. So really you could put anything in a skin.
Removed by mod
Just to put this in context:
There’s only so many ways to turn a bunch of files into one - mainly, you stick them back to back. Easy.
Then, there’s an infinite ways to compress that file… You could come up with you own method, but what good is that? It’s better and smarter to use a format already supported by your users
So of course most bundles are the same archive type under the hood. Everything from backups to installers - you shouldn’t be inventing new formats without a damn good reason
A surprising number of “file formats” these days are really just zip files with a standard for the filenames and folders contained within. There’s likely a ton of wonderful secrets like these to be found in the collective dataspace of humanity.
Wonder how using a zip bomb works out…
I was thinking of moving my “system32” porn archive into a winamp skin. Teenage me would be very proud
The author touches on this near the beginning-
So they’re treating them like archives and extracting them
Everything is just a zip file with a different extension
I take issue with “everything”, as most things are not. But it is a common trick when a developer wants to make a “new” file format that encapsulates a bunch of different files.
Everything, including you, is a .zip file.
It’s just .zip files all the way down
I just came here to say stuffit.
😧🤐
Transcription is just unzipping your coding
Seriously though, it’s been some time be afaik any microsoft product file that ends in x, .docx, .xlsx, .pbix are all just archives and you can totally interact with them programmatically if you want. Really easy to corrupt them but hey, found it interesting years ago.