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| Introduction and Guide to the |
| |
| VENDINFO(TM) |
| Software Distribution Information |
| System |
| Beta-Test Version 0.93 |
| |
| |
| Last updated: October 1993 |
| |
| |
| Copyright 1993 Rams' Island Software |
| All rights reserved |
| |
+----------------------------------------+
ABSTRACT
This document provides an overview of the VENDINFO Product
Information System, with several concrete examples of its
capability, and will soon contain a brief guide to the as-
sociated file-format standard. The full standard is contained
in a separate document.
Rams' Island Software
7644 E. Lakecliff Way _______
Parker, CO 80134-5904 (USA) ____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
Voice: (303) 841-2848 | ____|__ | Association of
BBS: (303) 841-6269 | | |_| Shareware
CompuServe: 76244,324 |__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
FidoNet: 1:104/333 |___|___| MEMBER
RIME: RAMSISLE
Internet: 76244.324@CompuServe.Com
Guide to VENDINFO Table of Contents
+-------------------+
| Table of Contents |
+-------------------+
The VENDINFO System ................................................ 1
Components of the System ........................................ 1
Structure of a VENDINFO File .................................... 2
A Little Background ............................................. 3
Industry Support and Endorsements ............................... 4
Other VENDINFO Documents and Packages ........................... 5
A Few Concrete Examples ............................................ 6
Content of a VENDINFO File ...................................... 6
Extraction of FILES.BBS Information ............................. 8
A Distribution Permission Decision .............................. 8
Automatic Routing of Packages ................................... 10
Automatic Permission Requests ................................... 10
Guide to the Standard .............................................. 12
VENDINFO System v0.93 -ii- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Introduction to VENDINFO
+---------------------+
| The VENDINFO System |
+---------------------+
VENDINFO is a system for conveying software product information and
distribution permissions from the author to distributors. A standard
(public) file format allows a VENDINFO.DIZ file to carry extensive
information in a compressed, efficient form. The associated toolset
aids the author in constructing the record, and allows the dis-
tributor to extract portions of the record, or to make distribution
decisions based on its content, in a highly automated way.
VENDINFO provides unprecedented capabilities for
o Communication of product information and distribution
policies from author to distributor.
o Automation of many aspects of package handling by shareware
distributors of all types.
Components of the System
------------------------
The VENDINFO "record" is the key. This is an efficiently compressed
file (VENDINFO.DIZ) containing a great deal of information about the
product, the author, and the product's distribution policies.
The VendEdit editor allows the author to construct a complete
VENDINFO record in just a few minutes, assuming that the necessary
descriptive texts have already been prepared.
The VendPrcs processor is a batch program allowing automated deci-
sions based on VENDINFO content, and automated extraction of VENDINFO
information.
VendView is a simple viewer allowing the end-user to see relevant
portions of the VENDINFO data. This program should be available by
January 1994. Even without VendView, an ordinary text viewer will
display a good deal of useful information.
The Product Registry is a collection of VENDINFO records available
for searches and queries by subscription, BBS login, or mail-order
query. This service will begin in November or December 1993.
The VendLib Library allows software developers to build VENDINFO
access directly into such products as BBS programs and upload proces-
VENDINFO System v0.93 -1- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Introduction to VENDINFO
sors. This library is already in the hands of 27 vendors of BBSes,
BBS utility software, and other relevant software.
The file-format standard describing the VENDINFO file is public, and
draft versions have been published since July 1993. The final version
1.00 will be issued with the release of the basic toolset in November
1993. VendEdit is almost ready for beta test, and is scheduled for
release in November 1993, along with VendPrcs, which is already in
beta test.
VendPrcs Plus, a non-shareware version of VendPrcs, is planned for
release by March 1994. It will have a full-screen interface, using
scripts for easier, more efficient information extraction, and
templates for easier description of decision situations. It will also
allow management of a library of VENDINFO files, and will provide
automated access to the Product Registry BBS.
Additional services for authors, users, and distributors are under
consideration.
Structure of a VENDINFO File
----------------------------
The VENDINFO.DIZ file contains two sections. A human-readable front
section contains information about how to use the VENDINFO file, and
presents most of the basic information about the product in readable
form.
The second section is a binary data record, compressed with a PKZIP
1.10 algorithm, and appended to the file after the first section.
This record has some 750 fields of information about such things as
o Product name, date, and version
o Preferred package filename, other parts of product, replaced
versions
o Product descriptions of varying length, categories, keywords
o Required platform (CPU, operating system, memory, disk,
features)
o Contact information for author, for registering, for tech
support
o Registration prices and benefits, acceptable forms of payment
o Warranty and trial-use license
VENDINFO System v0.93 -2- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Introduction to VENDINFO
o Detailed distribution policy, in general and by distribution
channel
o Information about regional distributors and registration
services.
A Little Background
-------------------
The author of the VENDINFO standard and tools, Rudy Ramsey, has been
agitating since early 1992 for the development of an improved
mechanism for conveying product information and permissions from
authors to distributors. Initially, the intent was to make this a
purely volunteer-based effort, probably conducted within the auspices
of the Association of Shareware Professionals. However, others were
slow to respond to the idea (with the exception of Richard Holler and
Fred Hill), and it gradually became clear that it would have to be
done as an "extracurricular" effort, if at all.
In the Spring of 1993, Rudy began the VENDINFO effort in earnest, by
preparing the CONCEPT.DOC concept paper and distributing it to a few
key shareware industry figures for comment. (At this time, he still
imagined VENDINFO as an all-volunteer effort.) The reviewers were
uniformly excited about the idea, and greatly encouraging. Most felt
that it was an idea whose time had come, and that the technical
approach described in the concept paper was very appropriate.
Their second response, however, was that the effort contained the
seeds of its own failure. It might provide all the necessary incen-
tives for participation by authors, distributors, and users. But if
it didn't also provide an incentive for continued development and
support by its own development team, it would fail. It was simply too
big an activity for successful execution by volunteers.
As a result of that input, a decision was made to regard VENDINFO as
partly a business opportunity. Although this makes a few people
suspicious, most agree it's in the best interest of the VENDINFO
effort itself, and of the industry. In fact, VENDINFO has developed
rapidly, partly because it has been a full-time focus of its author
for many months. That wouldn't have been possible in an all-volunteer
effort.
The VENDINFO file-format standard is public. A substantial period was
provided for public comment on the concept paper, and then on the
standard, and public input is always welcome. Some of the tools that
make use of the standard are free (a viewer for end users, and the
processor when used by single-line, noncommercial BBSes). Most are
VENDINFO System v0.93 -3- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Introduction to VENDINFO
low-cost shareware. There will also be much-enhanced, non-shareware
programs later, for special purposes, but none of them are necessary
to achieve the benefits of the VENDINFO system.
Industry Support and Endorsements
---------------------------------
Support for the VENDINFO concept has been extraordinarily high
throughout the industry. Authors, disk vendors, CD-ROM publishers,
Sysops, and BBS software manufacturers have all expressed their
support, and many have pledged to build VENDINFO capability into
their own software products.
The following shareware trade groups have formally endorsed the
VENDINFO file-format standard as a means of conveying product and
product-distribution information from authors to users and dis-
tributors.
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)
Shareware Trade Association and Resources (STAR)
Association of Shareware Authors and Developers (ASAD)
Educational Software CoOperative (ESC)
The following software manufacturers have "committed in principle" to
support VENDINFO in their own software offerrings by mid-1994. In the
context of these products, "support" for VENDINFO means extracting
relevant descriptive information automatically from VENDINFO files.
It does not necessarily mean making decisions based on the product's
distribution policy. VendPrcs will provide that capability.
BBSes
PCBoard, Clark Development Co.
Wildcat!, Mustang Software, Inc.
Major BBS, Galacticomm
RBBS, RBBS Development Team
Searchlight BBS, Searchlight Software
TBBS, eSoft
Auntie BBS, Wes Meier
Executive Host BBS, Steve Wood
MainLine BBS, Scott Green, City Limits Software
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
VENDINFO System v0.93 -4- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Introduction to VENDINFO
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
SmartCat Disk Cataloger, Oakley Data Services
Other VENDINFO Documents and Packages
-------------------------------------
The VENDINFO idea is documented in a concept paper and in the VEN-
DINFO file-format standard. These two documents are available in the
VENDINFO package, usually named VNDINFxx.ZIP. It can be obtained from
the Rams' Island BBS on first login or by FidoNet or RIME file re-
quest. It is also available in the CompuServe SHAREWARE and UKSHARE
forums; the ASP Hub Network BBSes, many local BBSes, and some disk
vendors.
If necessary, the concept paper and evaluation versions of the basic
toolset can be obtained on diskette from Rams' Island Software for
US$ 8.00 plus $2.00 shipping and handling in North America, $4.00
elsewhere (starting December 1993). Payment is accepted by
Visa/MasterCard, check in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank, cash in
any hard currency, and various other forms.
An article about the VENDINFO system will appear in the
November/December 1993 issue of Shareware Magazine.
VENDINFO System v0.93 -5- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Examples
+-------------------------+
| A Few Concrete Examples |
+-------------------------+
Concrete examples are often easier to assimilate than abstract ideas,
and can convey lots of detailed understanding in a small package.
This section will therefore present a few such examples. Keep in
mind, though, that these examples are being presented without com-
plete explanation, to help you understand the overall idea. You
should not expect to understand every detail.
The examples presented below are representative, but don't begin to
exhaust the capabilities of the VENDINFO system.
Content of a VENDINFO File
--------------------------
To give an idea of some of the information in a VENDINFO.DIZ file, a
sample is shown below. This sample was produced by a simple batch
file that uses the VendPrcs processor to extract individual informa-
tion fields from the VENDINFO.DIZ file. Here's one line of the batch
file, which extracts the product version:
vendprcs VENDINFO.DIZ -xpv -y " Version: @"
Here's a VERY SMALL FRACTION of the output of the batch file, and
therefore of the content of the VENDINFO.DIZ file:
Product Information
Product Type: Software
Product Name: InContext
Name Extension: Work Environment Manager
Version: 1.10
Date: 1/31/93
Version Reason: Major new release, with many feature enhancements
Filename Prefix: INCXT11
Number of Parts: 2
This Part: INCXT11A
List of Parts: INCXT11A INCXT11B
CompuServe Parts: INCXTA INCXTB
Screenshot Types: PCX CGM FLM
Replaced: INCX102A INCX102B
Description 1:
InContext Work Environment Manager V1.10 <ASP>
...
Description 4: InContext(TM) Work Environment Manager V1.10
Part 1 of 2 <ASP>. Complete Work Environment
VENDINFO System v0.93 -6- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Examples
Manager for expert PC users. Automates more
aspects of the PC user's work than any other
product. Designed by a PhD ergonomist, it is
based on fundamental principles of how people
actually work. Much more than a DOS shell.
NEW VERSION 1.10 has Gantt charts, multi-file
tagging, 4DOS long descriptions, PKZIP 2.04
support, *many* new features.
...
Description 6:
...
Keywords: Work Environment Manager Object Oriented DOS
Shell Calendar Project
Platform Information (highly abbreviated)
Minimal Platform
CPU: Intel 8086/8088
Op System: MS-DOS 3.0
Std Memory: 512K
Disk Min Instl: 1000K
Features
Config: Laptop: Supported
RAM: EMS: Supported
Disk: Hard Drive: Required
Disk: Flop Only: Won't Work
Disk: CD-ROM: Supported
Author Information
Author Name: H. Rudy Ramsey
Company Name: Rams' Island Software
Address: 7644 E. Lakecliff Way
Parker, CO 80134-5904
USA
Author Phone: 303-841-2848
Queries Phone: 303-841-2848
BBS Name: Rams' Island BBS
BBS Phone: 303-841-6269
BBS Username: Rudy Ramsey
CompuServe: 76244,324
FidoNet: 1:104/333
Internet: 76244.324@compuserve.com
RIME: RAMSISLE
Known Trade Assn: ASP STAR
VENDINFO System v0.93 -7- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Examples
Extraction of FILES.BBS Information
-----------------------------------
BBS Sysops often keep lists of their files in a particular descrip-
tive form known as FILES.BBS. Many BBS and BBS utility manufacturers
have committed to import VENDINFO information directly into their
files databases, but it will still be useful to show the construction
of a FILES.BBS description using a batch file.
Here's an example of a FILES.BBS description, truncated on the right
to fit here:
INCXT11D.ZIP 216251 1/31/93 InContext(TM) Work Environment Mana
Part 1 of 2 <ASP>. Complete Work En
Manager for expert PC users. Automa
aspects of the PC user's work than
product. Designed by a PhD ergonomi
based on fundamental principles of
actually work. Much more than a DOS
NEW VERSION 1.10 has Gantt charts,
tagging, 4DOS long descriptions, PK
support, *many* new features.
Here's the working part of a simple batch file, which constructed the
description above. This example uses the VendPrcs processor, with
various command-line flags, to extract each of the fields of informa-
tion that make up a FILES.BBS entry.
vendprcs -p .\INCXT11D.ZIP -xxpf -zw12 -zn
vendprcs -p .\INCXT11D.ZIP -xxps -zw8 -zn -zl
vendprcs -y " " -zn
vendprcs -p .\INCXT11D.ZIP -xxpd -zw9 -zn -zd "mm/dd/yy"
vendprcs VENDINFO.DIZ -xpd4 -zi31 -zc45 -y " @"
In plain English, the first command above says "write the package
filename of the compressed package .\INCXT11D.ZIP, padding to a width
of 12 characters, and not writing a newline."
A Distribution Permission Decision
----------------------------------
In this example, a CD-ROM publisher wishes to select, from a large
set of programs, all those that satisfy two criteria:
o Distribution by BBS is totally unlimited.
o Distribution on a $40 CD-ROM is allowed, possibly subject to
additional requirements.
VENDINFO System v0.93 -8- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Examples
The result will be a candidate set of programs for a CD-ROM that can
be sold strictly to BBS sysops, for on-line access via BBS.
Shown below is the working portion of a simple batch file that per-
forms this function. The batch file leaves a copy of the package in
one of several directories, as defined in the batch file itself and
in VPRESULT.CFG, along with a correspondingly named LOG file.
pkunzip %1 vendinfo.diz
if not exist vendinfo.diz goto manual
rem ----- reject BBS-limited products --------------------------
vendprcs vendinfo.diz -db
if errorlevel 40 goto bbsok
if errorlevel 20 goto reject
goto bad_vendinfo
:bbsok
rem ----- now test for CD-ROM distributability -----------------
vendprcs vendinfo.diz -dc -cc40 -mcb -rmnd -p .\%1
goto done
Here's a portion of a log file produced by a distribution test, to
give you an idea what information it might contain:
VendPrcs invoked on file INCXT11.DIZ (InContext Work
Environment Manager v1.10)
Testing for...
...Acceptability of Distribution to End User by BBS
...Authenticity/validity of VENDINFO record(s)
...Package contents checked for ALLOWED CHANGES
...Executable programs tested for VENDINFO records
Description of distributor and distribution...
...Distributor is ASP BBS Member
...Distributor makes no charges to users
Package will be unmodified and separate, except:
...Advertisements may be added as SEPARATE FILES.
...Compression method may be changed.
Distributor...
...Is "qualified" because: All distributors are qualified
Additional requirements or prohibitions...
...Proposed change of compression must satisfy conditions:
Internal LZH archives must remain intact, or install
and execution fail
Test result...
...Distribution is allowed if additional requirements
are satisfied.
Actions taken by VendPrcs...
...Moved .\incxt11.zip
VENDINFO System v0.93 -9- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Examples
to c:\tohandle\NeedAddl\INCXT11.zip
...Saved copy of VENDINFO file as
c:\Library\INCXT11.DIZ
Automatic Routing of Packages
-----------------------------
In this example, a BBS sysop wants to automatically route packages
depending on their subject matter. To do this, he prepares a
VPCATGRY.CFG file based on the category scheme used by VENDINFO.
Here's a section of the CATEGORY.INF file that comes with VENDINFO:
14000000 Business
14010000 Business finances
14010100 Business accounting
14010200 Point-of-sale systems
14010300 Billing systems
14010400 Purchase order systems
14010500 Payroll systems
14020000 Inventory systems
14140000 Equipment use & maintenance
14040000 Project management
14040100 Project bidding & costing
14040101 Decision analysis tools
14040200 Project scheduling
Here's a segment of a VPCATGRY.CFG file used to do automated file
routing:
00000000 Reject
14000000 C:\BBSFILES\BUSINESS
14010000 C:\BBSFILES\FINANCE
14040000 C:\BBSFILES\PROJMAN
Given this file, the command
vendprcs vendinfo.diz -p <package_name> -rcn
will move the package to the correct directory. There's a little more
detail involved, but this conveys the basic idea.
Automatic Permission Requests
-----------------------------
This example shows automated production of a letter to an author from
a disk vendor, describing the vendor's company and requesting permis-
VENDINFO System v0.93 -10- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Examples
sion to distribute the author's product. It is also possible to
automatically construct electronic mail messages in this way. Here's
a segment of a batch file, to illustrate the idea. This batch file
produces a text file (LETTER.TXT) suitable for use with Ventura
Publisher to print the letter on existing company letterhead.
vendprcs %1 -xac -y "@@AUTHOR = @" > letter.txt
vendprcs -y " " >> letter.txt
vendprcs %1 -xaa -y "@@ADDRESS = @" -zv >> letter.txt
vendprcs -y " " >> letter.txt
echo Dear Author: >> letter.txt
vendprcs -y " " >> letter.txt
echo We have recently received a copy of your >> letter.txt
vendprcs %1 -xpp -y "<B>@" -zn >> letter.txt
vendprcs %1 -xpe -zn >> letter.txt
vendprcs %1 -xpv -y "v@<D>." >> letter.txt
vendprcs -y " " >> letter.txt
echo We are quite interested in adding this >> letter.txt
echo program to our inventory, but we observe >> letter.txt
echo that you require written permission... >> letter.txt
vendprcs -y " " >> letter.txt
echo This letter will serve to introduce you >> letter.txt
echo to our business, and... >> letter.txt
vendprcs -y " " >> letter.txt
echo @CLOSING = Yours truly, >> letter.txt
vendprcs -y " " >> letter.txt
vendprcs -y "@SIGNATURE = Ima D. Vendor" >> letter.txt
A similar application of these techniques could produce a catalog
entry for a disk vendor's mail-order catalog.
VENDINFO System v0.93 -11- Oct 1993
Guide to VENDINFO Guide to the Standard
+-----------------------+
| Guide to the Standard |
+-----------------------+
This section will be supplied for the November 1993 edition,
VNDINF07.ZIP. It will provide a guide to the File-Format Standard
contained in STANDARD.DOC. It should make STANDARD.DOC a bit easier
to understand, but STANDARD.DOC is useable without the guide.
VENDINFO System v0.93 -12- Oct 1993