Real world: the basics

Understanding the a Command

Let's delve into the fundamentals of the a (add) command.

1) Adding Multiple Folders or Files

All folders or individual files specified after the archive name, separated by spaces, will be added to the .zpaq archive. You can also use wildcard characters like * and ? (typically on Windows) to match multiple files.

Because the list of files or folders is space-separated, you’ll need to use quotation marks (") to enclose paths that contain spaces.

Examples:

• To archive multiple folders like this:

zpaqfranz a d:\thebackup.zpaq c:\dati c:\user z:\mysql

This command will archive three different folders (c:\dati, c:\user, and z:\mysql).

In this case, there are no spaces in the folder names, so using quotation marks is not necessary.

However, if you want to include a folder with spaces in its path, like "C:\Documents and Settings", you must use quotation marks:

zpaqfranz a d:\thebackup.zpaq "C:\Documents and Settings"

Key Takeaway:

• No spaces in path: No need for quotes.
• Spaces in path: Always enclose the path in quotes.

BONUS: On *nix USE THE DOUBLE QUOTE!