Bz2 Dart Reference Documentation

CkBz2

Current Version: 11.6.1

Chilkat.Bz2 provides BZip2 compression and decompression for files, memory buffers, and BinData. It can create standard .bz2 file images, decompress .bz2 content back to its original bytes, and support abortable long-running operations.

For an extended overview, see Bz2 Class Overview

Object Creation

// pubspec.yaml:
//     dependencies:
//       chilkat: ^11.6.1

import 'package:chilkat/chilkat.dart';

// Once per process, before any other Chilkat call:
Chilkat.unlockBundle('Anything for 30-day trial');   // shorthand for CkGlobal().unlockBundle(..)

final bz2 = CkBz2();
// ... the native object is released when `bz2` is garbage collected, or now with bz2.dispose().
CkBz2 CkBz2()

Creates the underlying native Chilkat object. Use a CkBz2 only from the isolate that created it: Chilkat objects cannot be sent between isolates. Every call is synchronous; in a Flutter app, run long operations (network, large files) inside Isolate.run, creating the Chilkat objects inside the isolate.

void dispose()

Releases the native object immediately instead of waiting for garbage collection (useful for a large CkBinData or an open socket). Calling it more than once is harmless; any other use of the object afterwards throws a StateError. isDisposed tells whether it has been called.

Errors

A method that can fail throws a ChilkatException: a method whose only outcome is success or failure returns void and throws on failure; a method producing a String or an object returns it and throws where Chilkat would have returned null. The exception carries the object's LastErrorText at the time of the failure (lastErrorText), the class and method names (className, methodName) and a one-line message. Properties never throw, and methods that answer a question (has..., is..., ...) return a plain bool.

try {
  bz2.someMethod(...);
} on ChilkatException catch (e) {
  print(e);                // CkBz2.someMethod failed: <reason>
  print(e.lastErrorText);  // the full Chilkat log of the failed call
}

Properties

AbortCurrent
// read/write
bool get abortCurrent
set abortCurrent(bool value)
Introduced in version 9.5.0.58

Set this property to true to request cancellation of the compression or decompression operation currently executing on this object. Long-running operations check the request periodically; an operation that finishes quickly may complete before the request is observed.

A synchronous call can be cancelled by setting this property from another thread. After cancellation is processed, Chilkat resets the property to false. If no operation is running, a previously set value is cleared when the next method begins.

Cancellation is cooperative: Setting this property requests an abort; it does not guarantee immediate termination. Check the method's return value and LastErrorText to determine the final outcome.

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DebugLogFilePath
// read/write
String get debugLogFilePath
set debugLogFilePath(String value)

If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.

Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.

Possible causes of hangs include:

  • A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
  • A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
  • An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.

More Information and Examples
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HeartbeatMs
// read/write
int get heartbeatMs
set heartbeatMs(int value)

Specifies the interval, in milliseconds, between AbortCheck event callbacks during supported long-running compression and decompression operations. The default is 0, which disables AbortCheck callbacks.

Set a positive value, such as 200, when the application needs periodic opportunities to request cancellation. The interval is approximate; callbacks occur only while an operation is at a point where progress events can be delivered.

Cancellation workflow: In an AbortCheck handler, set the callback's abort value to request termination. A synchronous method may also be cancelled from another thread by setting AbortCurrent to true.

More Information and Examples
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LastErrorHtml
// read-only
String get lastErrorHtml

Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorText
// read-only
String get lastErrorText

Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastErrorXml
// read-only
String get lastErrorXml

Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.

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LastMethodSuccess
// read/write
bool get lastMethodSuccess
set lastMethodSuccess(bool value)

Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: true means success, false means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.

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VerboseLogging
// read/write
bool get verboseLogging
set verboseLogging(bool value)

If set to true, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is false. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
// read-only
String get version

Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0"

More Information and Examples
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Methods

CompressBd
void compressBd(CkBinData bd)
Introduced in version 11.0.0

Compresses the current contents of bd in place. On success, the BinData no longer contains the original bytes; it contains the complete standard BZip2 stream that may be saved with a .bz2 extension.

In-place transformation: Preserve a copy of the original data if it is still needed after this call. A BZip2 stream contains a stream header, one or more compressed blocks with integrity checks, and an end-of-stream marker. It does not contain archive filenames or directory entries.

Returns normally on success; throws a ChilkatException on failure.

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CompressFile
void compressFile(String inFilename, String toPath)

Reads the file at inFilename and writes its compressed bytes as a standard BZip2 stream to the file at toPath. The output is conventionally given a .bz2 extension.

Both arguments must identify files, not directories. They may be absolute or relative paths, for example data/report.txt and data/report.txt.bz2.

BZip2 is a compressor, not an archive format: A .bz2 file represents one compressed byte stream. It does not store the original filename, directory path, timestamps, permissions, or multiple archive entries. Formats such as .tar.bz2 first combine files in a TAR archive and then compress that TAR stream with BZip2.

Returns normally on success; throws a ChilkatException on failure.

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UncompressBd
void uncompressBd(CkBinData bd)
Introduced in version 11.0.0

Decompresses the BZip2 stream currently contained in bd in place. On success, the BinData is replaced with the original uncompressed bytes.

Input requirement: bd must contain a complete, valid BZip2 stream, such as the bytes of a .bz2 file or the output of CompressBd. This method operates on binary data and does not perform character-set conversion.

Returns normally on success; throws a ChilkatException on failure.

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UncompressFile
void uncompressFile(String inFilename, String toPath)

Reads the BZip2 stream from the file at inFilename, decompresses it, and writes the original uncompressed bytes to the file at toPath.

Both arguments must identify files, not directories. Chilkat does not derive the destination name from the .bz2 filename because the BZip2 stream does not contain the original filename.

Terminology: This method decompresses BZip2 data; it does not “unzip” a ZIP archive. A .bz2 file normally contains a single compressed byte stream rather than a collection of named files.

Returns normally on success; throws a ChilkatException on failure.

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Events

All Chilkat methods are synchronous: the call returns when the work is done. During a call, CkBz2 raises three events so your application can show progress and offer a way out. Each event is a nullable callback property on the object; assign a function to receive it, or null to stop receiving it:

final bz2 = CkBz2();
bz2.onPercentDone = (pct) {
  print('$pct%');
  return false;   // return true to abort the method in progress
};
bz2.onProgressInfo = (name, value) => print('$name: $value');
bz2.heartbeatMs = 250;   // raise onAbortCheck 4 times per second during Chilkat calls
bz2.onAbortCheck = () => _userPressedCancel;

AbortCheck fires at regular intervals controlled by the HeartbeatMs property (0, the default, disables it); PercentDone fires when an operation's completion percentage is known; ProgressInfo delivers named progress values. Returning true from onAbortCheck or onPercentDone aborts the running method, which then throws a ChilkatException.

Events fire on the thread that called the method, before that method returns. An exception thrown inside a callback aborts the running method and is rethrown from it once the native library has returned. In a Flutter app the callbacks run inside the worker isolate that owns the object; forward progress to the UI through a SendPort, and let onAbortCheck read a flag the UI sets the same way.

AbortCheck
// callback property; return true to abort the method in progress
bool Function()? onAbortCheck

Enables a method call to be aborted by triggering the AbortCheck event at intervals defined by the HeartbeatMs property. If HeartbeatMs is set to its default value of 0, no events will occur. For instance, set HeartbeatMs to 200 to trigger 5 AbortCheck events per second.

More Information and Examples

Example:

bz2.heartbeatMs = 250;   // call onAbortCheck 4 times per second

var cancelRequested = false;
bz2.onAbortCheck = () => cancelRequested;
// ... set cancelRequested = true (e.g. from a message received on a ReceivePort) to abort the method in progress
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PercentDone
// callback property; return true to abort the method in progress
bool Function(int pctDone)? onPercentDone

This provides the percentage completion for any method involving network communications or time-consuming processing, assuming the progress can be measured as a percentage. This event is triggered only when it's possible and logical to express the operation's progress as a percentage. The pctDone argument will range from 1 to 100. For methods that finish quickly, the number of PercentDone callbacks may vary, but the final callback will have pctDone equal to 100. For longer operations, callbacks will not exceed one per percentage point (e.g., 1, 2, 3, ..., 98, 99, 100).

The PercentDone callback also acts as an AbortCheck event. For fast methods where PercentDone fires, an AbortCheck event may not trigger since the PercentDone callback already provides an opportunity to abort. For longer operations, where time between PercentDone callbacks is extended, AbortCheck callbacks enable more responsive operation termination.

To abort the operation, set the abort output argument to true. This will cause the method to terminate and return a failure status or corresponding failure value.

More Information and Examples

Example:

bz2.onPercentDone = (pct) {
  // pct ranges from 1 to 100.
  print('Percent done: $pct');
  return false;   // return true to abort the method in progress
};
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ProgressInfo
// callback property
void Function(String name, String value)? onProgressInfo

This event callback provides tag name/value pairs that detail what occurs during a method call. To discover existing tag names, create code to handle the event, emit the pairs, and review them. Most tag names are self-explanatory.

Note: Some Chilkat methods don't fire any ProgressInfo events.

More Information and Examples

Example:

bz2.onProgressInfo = (name, value) => print('$name: $value');
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