TChilkatCompression Delphi ActiveX Reference Documentation

TChilkatCompression

Current Version: 10.0.0

Data compression component implementing the PPMD, Bzip2, Deflate, and LZW compression algorithms. .NET, ActiveX, and C++ implementations provide progress monitoring and abort capabilities. Provides a unified API for all supported compression algorithms.

Importing the Chilkat ActiveX into Delphi

Important: When upgrading to a new version of Chilkat, make sure to re-imported ActiveX DLL into Delphi to regenerate the files described below.


Chilkat v9.5.*: If using Chilkat v9.5.*, then use "Chilkat_v9_5_0_TLB" instead of "Chilkat_TLB", and the DLLs are named ChilkatAx-9.5.0-win32.dll (or ChilkatAx-9.5.0-x64.dll).


Two things are required to use an ActiveX in Delphi:

  1. The ActiveX DLL needs to be registered via regsvr32 on the system where the Delphi application runs. See How To Register ActiveX DLLs for detailed information.
  2. See also: ActiveX Registration Tutorial
  3. The ActiveX component needs to be "imported". Use the Delphi Import Component Wizard to import the Chilkat type library. This creates the following files: Chilkat_TLB.pas and Chilkat_TLB.dcr. The Chilkat_TLB.pas should be added to your project.

To import the Chilkat type library, do the following:

  1. In the Delphi RAD Studio, select the menu item "Component" --> "Import a Type Library".
  2. Find "Chilkat ActiveX" in the list and select it. This will only appear in the list if the ChilkatAx-win32.dll (or ChilkatAx-x64.dll) has been registered w/ regsvr32.
  3. Check the "Generate Component Wrappers" checkbox.
  4. Select a directory where the unit files (.pas and .dcr) should be generated.
  5. Select "Create Unit" and then "Finish".
  6. Add the .pas to your Delphi project.

To use a Chilkat ActiveX object in your Delphi code, add "Chilkat_TLB" to the "uses" statement. For example:

uses
  Winapi.Windows, Winapi.Messages, System.SysUtils, System.Variants, System.Classes, Vcl.Graphics,
  Vcl.Controls, Vcl.Forms, Vcl.Dialogs, Vcl.StdCtrls, Chilkat_TLB;

Object Creation

var
obj: TChilkatCompression;
...
begin
obj := TChilkatCompression.Create(Self);
...
// When finished, free the object instance.
obj.Free();

Properties

Algorithm
property Algorithm: WideString

The compression algorithm to be used. Should be set to either "ppmd", "deflate", "zlib", "bzip2", or "lzw".

Note: The PPMD compression algorithm is only available for 32-bit builds. It is not available for 64-bit implementations. Also, this PPMD implementation is the "J" variant.

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Charset
property Charset: WideString

Only applies to methods that compress or decompress strings. This specifies the character encoding that the string should be converted to before compression. Many programming languages use Unicode (2 bytes per char) for representing characters. This property allows for the string to be converted to a 1-byte per char encoding prior to compression.

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DebugLogFilePath
property DebugLogFilePath: WideString

If set to a file path, causes each Chilkat method or property call to automatically append it's LastErrorText to the specified log file. The information is appended such that if a hang or crash occurs, it is possible to see the context in which the problem occurred, as well as a history of all Chilkat calls up to the point of the problem. The VerboseLogging property can be set to provide more detailed information.

This property is typically used for debugging the rare cases where a Chilkat method call hangs or generates an exception that halts program execution (i.e. crashes). A hang or crash should generally never happen. The typical causes of a hang are:

  1. a timeout related property was set to 0 to explicitly indicate that an infinite timeout is desired,
  2. the hang is actually a hang within an event callback (i.e. it is a hang within the application code), or
  3. there is an internal problem (bug) in the Chilkat code that causes the hang.

More Information and Examples
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DeflateLevel
property DeflateLevel: Integer
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

This property allows for customization of the compression level for the "deflate" and "zlib" compression algoirthms. ("zlib" is just the deflate algorithm with a zlib header.) A value of 0 = no compression, while 9 = maximum compression. The default is 6.

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EncodingMode
property EncodingMode: WideString

Controls the encoding expected by methods ending in "ENC", such as CompressBytesENC. Valid values are "base64", "hex", "url", and "quoted-printable". Compression methods ending in ENC return the binary compressed data as an encoded string using this encoding. Decompress methods expect the input string to be this encoding.

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HeartbeatMs
property HeartbeatMs: Integer

The number of milliseconds between each AbortCheck event callback. The AbortCheck callback allows an application to abort any method call prior to completion. If HeartbeatMs is 0 (the default), no AbortCheck event callbacks will fire.

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LastBinaryResult
property LastBinaryResult: OleVariant readonly

The binary data returned by the last (binary data returning) method called. Only available if Chilkat.Global.KeepBinaryResult is set to 1. This provides a means for obtaining large varbinary results in the SQL Server environment (where limitations exist in getting large amounts of data returned by method calls, but where temp tables can be used for binary properties).

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LastErrorHtml
property LastErrorHtml: WideString readonly

Provides information in HTML format about the last method/property called. If a method call returns a value indicating failure, or behaves unexpectedly, examine this property to get more information.

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LastErrorText
property LastErrorText: WideString readonly

Provides information in plain-text format about the last method/property called. If a method call returns a value indicating failure, or behaves unexpectedly, examine this property to get more information.

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LastErrorXml
property LastErrorXml: WideString readonly

Provides information in XML format about the last method/property called. If a method call returns a value indicating failure, or behaves unexpectedly, examine this property to get more information.

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LastMethodSuccess
property LastMethodSuccess: Integer

Indicate whether the last method call succeeded or failed. A value of 1 indicates success, a value of 0 indicates failure. This property is automatically set for method calls. It is not modified by property accesses. The property is automatically set to indicate success for the following types of method calls:

  • Any method that returns a string.
  • Any method returning a Chilkat object, binary bytes, or a date/time.
  • Any method returning a standard boolean status value where success = 1 and failure = 0.
  • Any method returning an integer where failure is defined by a return value less than zero.

Note: Methods that do not fit the above requirements will always set this property equal to 1. For example, a method that returns no value (such as a "void" in C++) will technically always succeed.

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LastStringResult
property LastStringResult: WideString readonly

The string return value of the last (string returning) method called. Only available if Chilkat.Global.KeepStringResult is set to 1. This provides a means for obtaining large string results in the SQL Server environment (where limitations exist in getting long strings returned by method calls, but where temp tables can be used for string properties).

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LastStringResultLen
property LastStringResultLen: Integer readonly

The length, in characters, of the string contained in the LastStringResult property.

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VerboseLogging
property VerboseLogging: Integer

If set to 1, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is 0. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.

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Version
property Version: WideString readonly

Version of the component/library, such as "9.5.0.94"

More Information and Examples
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Methods

BeginCompressBytes
function BeginCompressBytes(data: OleVariant): OleVariant;

Large amounts of binary byte data may be compressed in chunks by first calling BeginCompressBytes, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreCompressedBytes, and ending with a final call to EndCompressBytes. Each call returns 0 or more bytes of compressed data which may be output to a compressed data stream (such as a file, socket, etc.).

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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BeginCompressBytesAsync (1)
function BeginCompressBytesAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginCompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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BeginCompressBytesENC
function BeginCompressBytesENC(data: OleVariant): WideString;

Large amounts of binary byte data may be compressed in chunks by first calling BeginCompressBytesENC, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreCompressedBytesENC, and ending with a final call to EndCompressBytesENC. Each call returns 0 or more characters of compressed data (encoded as a string according to the EncodingMode property setting) which may be output to a compressed data stream (such as a file, socket, etc.).

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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BeginCompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function BeginCompressBytesENCAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginCompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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BeginCompressString
function BeginCompressString(str: WideString): OleVariant;

Large amounts of string data may be compressed in chunks by first calling BeginCompressString, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreCompressedString, and ending with a final call to EndCompressString. Each call returns 0 or more bytes of compressed data which may be output to a compressed data stream (such as a file, socket, etc.).

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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BeginCompressStringAsync (1)
function BeginCompressStringAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginCompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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BeginCompressStringENC
function BeginCompressStringENC(str: WideString): WideString;

Large amounts of string data may be compressed in chunks by first calling BeginCompressStringENC, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreCompressedStringENC, and ending with a final call to EndCompressStringENC. Each call returns 0 or more characters of compressed data (encoded as a string according to the EncodingMode property setting) which may be output to a compressed data stream (such as a file, socket, etc.).

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

More Information and Examples
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BeginCompressStringENCAsync (1)
function BeginCompressStringENCAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginCompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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BeginDecompressBytes
function BeginDecompressBytes(data: OleVariant): OleVariant;

A compressed data stream may be decompressed in chunks by first calling BeginDecompressBytes, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreDecompressedBytes, and ending with a final call to EndDecompressBytes. Each call returns 0 or more bytes of decompressed data.

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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BeginDecompressBytesAsync (1)
function BeginDecompressBytesAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginDecompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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BeginDecompressBytesENC
function BeginDecompressBytesENC(str: WideString): OleVariant;

The input to this method is an encoded string containing compressed data. The EncodingMode property should be set prior to calling this method. The input string is decoded according to the EncodingMode (hex, base64, etc.) and then decompressed.

A compressed data stream may be decompressed in chunks by first calling BeginDecompressBytesENC, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreDecompressedBytesENC, and ending with a final call to EndDecompressBytesENC. Each call returns 0 or more bytes of decompressed data.

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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BeginDecompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function BeginDecompressBytesENCAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginDecompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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BeginDecompressString
function BeginDecompressString(data: OleVariant): WideString;

A compressed data stream may be decompressed in chunks by first calling BeginDecompressString, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreDecompressedString, and ending with a final call to EndDecompressString. Each call returns 0 or more characters of decompressed text.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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BeginDecompressStringAsync (1)
function BeginDecompressStringAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginDecompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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BeginDecompressStringENC
function BeginDecompressStringENC(str: WideString): WideString;

The input to this method is an encoded string containing compressed data. The EncodingMode property should be set prior to calling this method. The input string is decoded according to the EncodingMode (hex, base64, etc.) and then decompressed.

A compressed data stream may be decompressed in chunks by first calling BeginDecompressStringENC, followed by 0 or more calls to MoreDecompressedStringENC, and ending with a final call to EndDecompressStringENC. Each call returns 0 or more characters of decompressed text.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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BeginDecompressStringENCAsync (1)
function BeginDecompressStringENCAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the BeginDecompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressBd
function CompressBd(binData: TChilkatBinData): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.66

Compresses the data contained in a BinData object.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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CompressBdAsync (1)
function CompressBdAsync(binData: TChilkatBinData): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.66

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressBd method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressBytes
function CompressBytes(data: OleVariant): OleVariant;

Compresses byte data.

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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CompressBytesAsync (1)
function CompressBytesAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressBytesENC
function CompressBytesENC(data: OleVariant): WideString;

Compresses bytes and returns the compressed data encoded to a string. The encoding (hex, base64, etc.) is determined by the EncodingMode property setting.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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CompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function CompressBytesENCAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressEncryptFile
function CompressEncryptFile(cryptParams: TChilkatJsonObject; srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.99

Performs file-to-file compression and encryption. Files of any size may be compressed because the file is compressed and encrypted internally in streaming mode.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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CompressEncryptFileAsync (1)
function CompressEncryptFileAsync(cryptParams: TChilkatJsonObject; srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.99

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressEncryptFile method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressFile
function CompressFile(srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): Integer;

Performs file-to-file compression. Files of any size may be compressed because the file is compressed internally in streaming mode.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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CompressFileAsync (1)
function CompressFileAsync(srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressFile method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressSb
function CompressSb(sb: TChilkatStringBuilder; binData: TChilkatBinData): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Compresses the contents of sb and appends the compressed bytes to binData.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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CompressSbAsync (1)
function CompressSbAsync(sb: TChilkatStringBuilder; binData: TChilkatBinData): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressSb method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressStream
function CompressStream(strm: TChilkatStream): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Compresses a stream. Internally, the strm's source is read, compressed, and the compressed data written to the strm's sink. It does this in streaming fashion. Extremely large or even infinite streams can be compressed with stable ungrowing memory usage.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

More Information and Examples
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CompressStreamAsync (1)
function CompressStreamAsync(strm: TChilkatStream): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressStream method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressString
function CompressString(str: WideString): OleVariant;

Compresses a string.

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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CompressStringAsync (1)
function CompressStringAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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CompressStringENC
function CompressStringENC(str: WideString): WideString;

Compresses a string and returns the compressed data encoded to a string. The output encoding (hex, base64, etc.) is determined by the EncodingMode property setting.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

More Information and Examples
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CompressStringENCAsync (1)
function CompressStringENCAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the CompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressBd
function DecompressBd(binData: TChilkatBinData): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.66

Decompresses the data contained in a BinData object.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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DecompressBdAsync (1)
function DecompressBdAsync(binData: TChilkatBinData): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.66

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressBd method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressBytes
function DecompressBytes(data: OleVariant): OleVariant;

The opposite of CompressBytes.

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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DecompressBytesAsync (1)
function DecompressBytesAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressBytesENC
function DecompressBytesENC(encodedCompressedData: WideString): OleVariant;

The opposite of CompressBytesENC. encodedCompressedData contains the compressed data as an encoded string (hex, base64, etc) as specified by the EncodingMode property setting.

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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DecompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function DecompressBytesENCAsync(encodedCompressedData: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressFile
function DecompressFile(srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): Integer;

Performs file-to-file decompression (the opposite of CompressFile). Internally the file is decompressed in streaming mode which allows files of any size to be decompressed.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

More Information and Examples
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DecompressFileAsync (1)
function DecompressFileAsync(srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressFile method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressSb
function DecompressSb(binData: TChilkatBinData; sb: TChilkatStringBuilder): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Decompresses the contents of binData and appends the decompressed string to sb.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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DecompressSbAsync (1)
function DecompressSbAsync(binData: TChilkatBinData; sb: TChilkatStringBuilder): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.73

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressSb method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressStream
function DecompressStream(strm: TChilkatStream): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Decompresses a stream. Internally, the strm's source is read, decompressed, and the decompressed data written to the strm's sink. It does this in streaming fashion. Extremely large or even infinite streams can be decompressed with stable ungrowing memory usage.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

More Information and Examples
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DecompressStreamAsync (1)
function DecompressStreamAsync(strm: TChilkatStream): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.56

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressStream method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressString
function DecompressString(data: OleVariant): WideString;

Takes compressed bytes, decompresses, and returns the resulting string.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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DecompressStringAsync (1)
function DecompressStringAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecompressStringENC
function DecompressStringENC(encodedCompressedData: WideString): WideString;

The opposite of CompressStringENC. encodedCompressedData contains the compressed data as an encoded string (hex, base64, etc) as specified by the EncodingMode property setting.

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

More Information and Examples
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DecompressStringENCAsync (1)
function DecompressStringENCAsync(encodedCompressedData: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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DecryptDecompressFile
function DecryptDecompressFile(cryptParams: TChilkatJsonObject; srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.99

Performs file-to-file decryption and decompression.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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DecryptDecompressFileAsync (1)
function DecryptDecompressFileAsync(cryptParams: TChilkatJsonObject; srcPath: WideString; destPath: WideString): TChilkatTask;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.99

Creates an asynchronous task to call the DecryptDecompressFile method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndCompressBytes
function EndCompressBytes(): OleVariant;

Must be callled to finalize a compression stream. Returns any remaining (buffered) compressed data.

(See BeginCompressBytes)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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EndCompressBytesAsync (1)
function EndCompressBytesAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndCompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndCompressBytesENC
function EndCompressBytesENC(): WideString;

Must be callled to finalize a compression stream. Returns any remaining (buffered) compressed data.

(See BeginCompressBytesENC)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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EndCompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function EndCompressBytesENCAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndCompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndCompressString
function EndCompressString(): OleVariant;

Must be callled to finalize a compression stream. Returns any remaining (buffered) compressed data.

(See BeginCompressString)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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EndCompressStringAsync (1)
function EndCompressStringAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndCompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndCompressStringENC
function EndCompressStringENC(): WideString;

Must be callled to finalize a compression stream. Returns any remaining (buffered) compressed data.

(See BeginCompressStringENC)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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EndCompressStringENCAsync (1)
function EndCompressStringENCAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndCompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndDecompressBytes
function EndDecompressBytes(): OleVariant;

Called to finalize the decompression stream and return any remaining (buffered) decompressed data.

(See BeginDecompressBytes)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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EndDecompressBytesAsync (1)
function EndDecompressBytesAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndDecompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndDecompressBytesENC
function EndDecompressBytesENC(): OleVariant;

Called to finalize the decompression stream and return any remaining (buffered) decompressed data.

The input to this method is an encoded string containing compressed data. The EncodingMode property should be set prior to calling this method. The input string is decoded according to the EncodingMode (hex, base64, etc.) and then decompressed.

(See BeginDecompressBytesENC)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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EndDecompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function EndDecompressBytesENCAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndDecompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndDecompressString
function EndDecompressString(): WideString;

Called to finalize the decompression stream and return any remaining (buffered) decompressed data.

(See BeginDecompressString)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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EndDecompressStringAsync (1)
function EndDecompressStringAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndDecompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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EndDecompressStringENC
function EndDecompressStringENC(): WideString;

Called to finalize the decompression stream and return any remaining (buffered) decompressed data.

The input to this method is an encoded string containing compressed data. The EncodingMode property should be set prior to calling this method. The input string is decoded according to the EncodingMode (hex, base64, etc.) and then decompressed.

(See BeginDecompressStringENC)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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EndDecompressStringENCAsync (1)
function EndDecompressStringENCAsync(): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the EndDecompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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LoadTaskCaller
function LoadTaskCaller(task: TChilkatTask): Integer;
Introduced in version 9.5.0.80

Loads the caller of the task's async method.

Returns 1 for success, 0 for failure.

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MoreCompressBytes
function MoreCompressBytes(data: OleVariant): OleVariant;

(See BeginCompressBytes)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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MoreCompressBytesAsync (1)
function MoreCompressBytesAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreCompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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MoreCompressBytesENC
function MoreCompressBytesENC(data: OleVariant): WideString;

(See BeginCompressBytesENC)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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MoreCompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function MoreCompressBytesENCAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreCompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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MoreCompressString
function MoreCompressString(str: WideString): OleVariant;

(See BeginCompressString)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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MoreCompressStringAsync (1)
function MoreCompressStringAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreCompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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MoreCompressStringENC
function MoreCompressStringENC(str: WideString): WideString;

(See BeginCompressStringENC)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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MoreCompressStringENCAsync (1)
function MoreCompressStringENCAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreCompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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MoreDecompressBytes
function MoreDecompressBytes(data: OleVariant): OleVariant;

(See BeginDecompressBytes)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

More Information and Examples
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MoreDecompressBytesAsync (1)
function MoreDecompressBytesAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreDecompressBytes method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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MoreDecompressBytesENC
function MoreDecompressBytesENC(str: WideString): OleVariant;

The input to this method is an encoded string containing compressed data. The EncodingMode property should be set prior to calling this method. The input string is decoded according to the EncodingMode (hex, base64, etc.) and then decompressed.

(See BeginDecompressBytesENC)

Returns a zero-length byte array (as an OleVariant) on failure.
An empty array will have a VarArrayHighBound of -1 meaning 0 elements.

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MoreDecompressBytesENCAsync (1)
function MoreDecompressBytesENCAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreDecompressBytesENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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MoreDecompressString
function MoreDecompressString(data: OleVariant): WideString;

(See BeginDecompressString)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

More Information and Examples
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MoreDecompressStringAsync (1)
function MoreDecompressStringAsync(data: OleVariant): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreDecompressString method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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MoreDecompressStringENC
function MoreDecompressStringENC(str: WideString): WideString;

The input to this method is an encoded string containing compressed data. The EncodingMode property should be set prior to calling this method. The input string is decoded according to the EncodingMode (hex, base64, etc.) and then decompressed.

(See BeginDecompressStringENC)

Returns a zero-length WideString on failure

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MoreDecompressStringENCAsync (1)
function MoreDecompressStringENCAsync(str: WideString): TChilkatTask;

Creates an asynchronous task to call the MoreDecompressStringENC method with the arguments provided. (Async methods are available starting in Chilkat v9.5.0.52.)

Note: Async method event callbacks happen in the background thread. Accessing and updating UI elements existing in the main thread may require special considerations.

Returns nil on failure

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Events

AbortCheck
procedure AbortCheck(ASender: TObject; out abort: Integer);

Provides the opportunity for a method call to be aborted. The AbortCheck event is fired periodically based on the value of the HeartbeatMs property. If HeartbeatMs is 0, then no AbortCheck events will fire. As an example, to fire 5 AbortCheck events per second, set the HeartbeatMs property equal to 200.

Delphi ActiveX Event callback implementation:

procedure TForm1.compressionAbortCheck(ASender: TObject;  out abort: Integer);
begin
    // Application code goes here...
end;


procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  compression: TChilkatCompression;

begin
  compression := TChilkatCompression.Create(Self);
  compression.OnAbortCheck := compressionAbortCheck;
  // ...
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PercentDone
procedure PercentDone(ASender: TObject; pctDone: Integer; out abort: Integer);

Provides the percentage completed for any method that involves network communications or time-consuming processing (assuming it is a method where a percentage completion can be measured). This event is only fired when it is possible to know a percentage completion, and when it makes sense to express the operation as a percentage completed. The pctDone argument will have a value from 1 to 100. For operations (Chilkat method calls) that complete very quickly, the number of PercentDone callbacks will vary, but the final callback should have a value of 100. For long running operations, no more than one callback per percentage point will occur (for example: 1, 2, 3, ... 98, 99, 100).

The PercentDone callback counts as an AbortCheck event. For method calls that complete quickly such that PercentDone events fire, it may be that AbortCheck events don't fire because the opportunity to abort is already provided in the PercentDone callback. For time consuming operations, where the amount of time between PercentDone callbacks are long, AbortCheck callbacks may be used to allow for the operation to be aborted in a more responsive manner.

The abort output argument provides a means for aborting the operation. Setting it to 1 will cause the method to abort and return a failed status (or whatever return value indicates failure).

Delphi ActiveX Event callback implementation:

procedure TForm1.compressionPercentDone(ASender: TObject;  pctDone: Integer; out abort: Integer);
begin
    // Application code goes here...
end;


procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  compression: TChilkatCompression;

begin
  compression := TChilkatCompression.Create(Self);
  compression.OnPercentDone := compressionPercentDone;
  // ...
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ProgressInfo
procedure ProgressInfo(ASender: TObject; const name: WideString; const value: WideString);

A general name/value event that provides information about what is happening during a method call. To find out what information is available, write code to handle this event and log the name/value pairs. Most are self-explanatory.

Delphi ActiveX Event callback implementation:

procedure TForm1.compressionProgressInfo(ASender: TObject;  const name: WideString; const value: WideString);
begin
    // Application code goes here...
end;


procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  compression: TChilkatCompression;

begin
  compression := TChilkatCompression.Create(Self);
  compression.OnProgressInfo := compressionProgressInfo;
  // ...
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TaskCompleted
procedure TaskCompleted(ASender: TObject; const task: IChilkatTask);

Called in the background thread when an asynchronous task completes.

More Information and Examples

Delphi ActiveX Event callback implementation:

procedure TForm1.compressionTaskCompleted(ASender: TObject;  const task: IChilkatTask);
begin
    // Application code goes here...
end;


procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  compression: TChilkatCompression;

begin
  compression := TChilkatCompression.Create(Self);
  compression.OnTaskCompleted := compressionTaskCompleted;
  // ...
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