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1993-07-31
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STATUS REPORT ON THE VENDINFO PROJECT
(as of "alpha-test" release, 7/31/93)
Brief Project Description
VENDINFO is a system for conveying software product information
and distribution permissions from the author to distributors.
A standard (public) file format will carry extensive information
in a compressed, efficient form. The associated toolset will aid
the author in constructing the record, and will allow the
distributor to extract portions of the record, or make
distribution decisions based on its content, in a highly auto-
mated way. VENDINFO will allow automation of many operations now
performed manually by BBS Sysops, disk vendors, etc.
VENDINFO File-Format Standard ("Alpha-Test Version") Released
An "alpha-test" version of the VENDINFO file-format standard is
now available for study and comment. This is a lengthy (55 pages)
and detailed description of the proposed file format, and is
probably a good read only for those with a serious interest in
the internals of VENDINFO, or a serious interest in helping to
insure that VENDINFO handles the needs of the entire industry.
For those with such an interest, it is available now, and
comments are most welcome.
The standard can be obtained from the SHAREWARE forum on
CompuServe (lib 0, VNDINF.ZIP); by download or FidoNet/RIME file
request (as VENDINFO.ZIP) from the Rams' Island Software BBS
(see below); or from various other sources. If absolutely
necessary, hardcopies are available for mailing within the
United States upon receipt of $3.00 U.S. and a mailing label.
A complete set of VENDINFO information, including some material
not available electronically, can be obtained for $5.00 U.S.
and a mailing label.
We are working now to prepare the VendEdit editor, the VendPrcs
processor, and the software developer's library. When these are
ready for beta testing, that test period will also constitute a
beta test of the file format itself. Until then, the file format
is regarded as changeable. Beta testing of all these components
should begin by early September, and perhaps sooner.
Those who have seen the prototypes of these tools agree (see just
below) that they insulate the user from the complexity of the
VENDINFO file format very well, and make the system easy to use.
VENDINFO Prototype Tools Demonstrated at Summer Shareware Seminar
A prototype VENDINFO toolset was demonstrated for two days at the
Summer Shareware Seminar held in Indianapolis June 18-20. Nearly
200 attendees, representing authors, disk vendors, rack vendors,
CD-ROM publishers, and BBS sysops, saw demonstrations of these
tools. Virtually all were extremely positive.
In fact, we've now had somewhere around 250 responses, either to
the concept paper or to the demonstration. There have been literally
zero negative responses. Three people have been skeptical about
VENDINFO's acceptance by the industry, but all three were concerned
about the complexity of the file format, and none had seen the editor.
All those who saw the tools at SSS seemed to agree that it will be
extremely easy to produce and to use the VENDINFO record, regardless
of the (necessary) structural complexity of the record itself. Except
for these three, all reactions have been positive.
As you can see below, acceptance by the BBS software manufacturers
has also been extremely good.
Products Now "Committed in Principle" to Support VENDINFO
The following software manufacturers are "committed in principle"
to "support" the VENDINFO standard. That is, subject to our
development of a satisfactory standard and software developer's
library, these manufacturers agree to extract relevant product
description information directly from the VENDINFO record, much
like today's use of FILE_ID.DIZ. They have not been asked to
make any direct use of the distribution policy information in the
VENDINFO record. That is the function of a separate tool,
optionally available to the Sysop.
BBSes
PCBoard, Clark Development Co.
Wildcat!, Mustang Software, Inc.
Major BBS, Galacticomm
Searchlight BBS, Searchlight Software
TBBS, eSoft
Auntie BBS, Wes Meier
OmegaComm BBS, Larry Loiselle
PowerBBS for Windows, Russell Frey
ProBoard BBS, Philippe Leybaert
Sapphire BBS, Pinnacle Software
Tinyhost, Bruce Krobusek
UltraBBS, UltraBBS Software
Windowed Modem Environment, Jason Fesler
File Upload Processors
Catscan, Mike Ortiz
CheckZip, Bill Hull
DIZIT, Robert Neal/CorpSoft
HoboScan, Floyd Hobson
TransScan, Craig Dunstan
Other Products
Colorado Utilities Disk Manager, Micro Systems Solutions
================================================================
Rams' Island Software
7644 E. Lakecliff Way _______
Parker, CO 80134-5904 (USA) ____|__ | (R)
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Voice: (303) 841-2848 | ____|__ | Association of
BBS: (303) 841-6269 | | |_| Shareware
CompuServe: 76244,324 |__| o | Professionals
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RIME: RAMSISLE
Internet: 76244.324@CompuServe.Com