Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr37/vndnfo1a.zip/VERIFY.DAT

Text File | 1995-03-12 | 42KB | 978 lines

90
;field above is NEXT number, not yet used
;maximum text width is 61 characters (cursor in col. 62)

;===== Multiple =====================================================

*o 0
No problems detected at or above requested error level.

;===== Author =======================================================

*e 1
You have listed no Company Name.  This field is required.  If
you use no separate company name, enter your personal name
here.  This field is the basis for product identification (it
will, for example, appear in any VENDINFO records you append
to executables), and for the VENDINFO security features, as
well.

*w 2
You have not (yet) entered the registered-user security keys
necessary to create a VENDINFO.DIZ file containing an "author
authentication" stamp.  (This *may* be because the company
name you've entered under Edit Author doesn't match your
registered company name.)
.
Without those keys, you can certainly continue to prepare
your VENDINFO information, and you can create VENDINFO files
and test them fully.  You may not distribute the VENDINFO.DIZ
files, however, for two reasons.  First, the trial-use
license does not allow such release.  Perhaps more important,
the processing tools used by the distributor will identify
the VENDINFO record as unauthenticated, and possibly hacked.
Without the security keys, there is nothing to prevent
someone else from inserting an illegitimate VENDINFO file
into your distribution package.  Registration can be
accomplished quickly, if necessary.  See the accompanying
documentation or the help text for details.
.
If you happen to be using a "single-use" registration key
provided to you by, for example, a CD-ROM publisher, be sure
to place your company name, if any, in the "Author Name"
field.  Then place the single-use name in your "Company Name"
field.  The easiest way to do this is to edit the Author
section, place the cursor on the Company Name field, press
F3, and select the single-use name from the resulting
display.

*w 30
You have produced a VENDINFO record that is outside the set
of distribution types allowed by your VendEdit registration.
Certain VendEdit registration numbers are intended for use
with only a restricted set of product types.  If you use
VendEdit to produce a VENDINFO.DIZ file that is outside the
set of allowable product types, VendEdit will produce only
"unauthenticated" VENDINFO.DIZ files, and your distribution
license will not allow distribution of those files with your
product.  The special distribution numbers are:
10000000-19999999 freeware only;
20000000-29999999 commercial only
90000000-99999999 single or special use only.

*w 3
You have listed no mailing Address.  Have you made it
possible for folks to contact you?

*e 4
You have listed no Queries phone number.  This field is for
distributors who may wish to contact you, and is required.
If you absolutely wish to list no number, enter 'NONE' there.

*c 5
You haven't indicated membership in any trade associations.
That's fine if you aren't a member of any, but if you are,
you should make it a point to indicate them.

*c 6
You haven't listed any electronic addresses.  This may make
it difficult for distributors to communicate with you.  If
you actually have e-mail connections, you should seriously
consider listing them.  If not, you might think about
investigating such communication methods in the future.

;===== Product ======================================================

*e 29
You haven't provided a product name.  This field is
required.

*e 31
You haven't provided a product version number.  This field is
required.

*e 32
You haven't provided a product version date.  This field is
required.

;This one should be automatic
;You haven't provided a filename prefix for the current
;package.  This field is required.

*e 33
The number of packages you've indicated for this product does
not correspond to the number of packages listed in the lists
of parts.  Unless this situation is corrected, it will not be
possible to correctly produce VENDINFO.DIZ files for the
various parts.

*w 34
The "required package" names do not match the filename prefix
you've listed for use with this product.  This may be
deliberate, if you've decided not to use the standard package
naming convention.  Use of that convention is strongly
recommended for future products, however.

*w 35
The "required package" names do not follow the recommended
naming convention, with the same 7-character produce/version
portion followed by the letters "A", "B", etc.  This may be
deliberate, but use of this convention helps distributors
and users keep track of multi-package products.

;hrr: build listOfParts in New
;hrr: build ThisPart in export

;test for software product type here:
*c 36
You've listed no available screenshot types.  This is up to
you, of course, and it may even be inappropriate for some
products.  However, by preparing a package of electronically
available screenshots (and providing them, with your VENDINFO
file, to the Product Registry), you increase the chance that
a distributor will notice your product, and advertise it in
a way that will help the users notice it, as well.  If you
have ordinary hardcopy photos, use the code "FLM" in this
field.

*e 37
One or more of the product descriptions has been left empty.
The VENDINFO record provides for six author descriptions of
varying length, so that distributors can select the
description whose length satisfies their needs.  All six
descriptions must be provided, even if the same text is
used for multiple descriptions.

*w 38
You haven't specified a primary product category.  You
should do so, since many distributors will use this
information to decide whether or not to even consider your
product.  Since this testing may be done automatically, your
product might be rejected and deleted because of this
omission.

*w 39
You've provided no product keywords.  This information is
used in automated searches for products, especially by BBS
users.  You're in the best position to think carefully about
the selection of these keywords.

*w 40
It appears possible that the version number of your product
is present not only in the version number field, but also in
the product name or name extension fields.  This should not
be done, as it can result in product listings like:
"InContext Work Environment Manager v1.10 v1.10".

*w 41
Your product name appears to be repeated in the product name
extension field.  This should not be done, as it can produce
listings like "WordStar WordStar Document Processor v2.10".

*w 42
The version number of this product is not 1.00, but you have
listed no previous versions that are now obsolete.  If you
provide this information, it will help distributors
(especially sysops) to detect and remove these older
versions.

*w 89
The "Old packages replaced" field is intended to allow the
distributor to use automated tools to detect and remove
older versions of your product.  It is important, therefore,
that it consist of a blank-separated list of filename
prefixes of your older product packages.  No ".ZIP" or other
filename extensions should be present, there should be no
commas, and there should be no "*" or "?" wildcards.  Your
"Old packages replaced" field contains one or more of these.

*w 43
There is a "v" or "V" in your version number.  This should
not be done, as it will produce produce listing containing
something like "vv1.00".

*e 44
The list of packages making up your product is empty.  This
list should have one filename prefix corresponding to each
package associated with the product, and the "main" package
should be listed first.  Since this list is used to control
the production of VENDINFO.DIZ files, it cannot be empty.

; TypeComm thru TypeShare/Test
*w 45
In the "Distribution Type" field, you have indicated that
this product cannot be distributed via shareware channels.
If this was not your intention, it is VERY important that you
correct this.

; TypeShareUnlim thru Public
*w 46
In the "Distribution Type" field, you have indicated that
this product can be distributed without limitation.  If this
was not your intention, it is VERY important that you correct
this.

; ShareRegDist
*w 47
In the "Distribution Type" field, you have indicated that
this product is a registered version or a commercial product,
but is intended for distribution with other products (e.g.,
an installation program), and can therefore be distributed
without any limitation that the VENDINFO system is capable of
enforcing.  If this was not your intention, it is VERY
important that you correct this.

; TypeRetired
*w 48
In the "Distribution Type" field, you have indicated that
this VENDINFO file will have the purpose of requesting
removal of a retired product from distribution.  If this was
not your intention, it is VERY important that you correct
this.

*w 84
You have indicated that this product has an RSAC rating, but
have not provided an RSAC registry number.  If not fixed,
this may invalidate the rating, and may even violate RSAC
trademark requirements.

*w 85
You have indicated that this product has an RSAC rating, but
one or more of the three rating categories is marked
"unrated".  Thus, the rating is not valid, and may even
violate RSAC trademark limitations.

*w 86
One or more of the three RSAC rating categories has a rating
higher than "ALL", but without any descriptive text.  Thus,
the rating is not valid, and may even violate RSAC trademark
limitations.

;===== Platform =====================================================

*w 17
You have not indicated any required CPU type.  This may be
deliberate, if your product is not software.

*w 18
You have indicated that a specific CPU is required, but have
not indicated any required operating system.

*w 19
You have indicated that a specific CPU is required, but have
not indicated any required amount of standard random-access
memory.

*w 20
You have indicated that a specific CPU is required, but have
not indicated any required amount of disk storage for
installation.

*w 21
One or more minimum platform requirement specifications are
more stringent that the corresponding recommended platform.

*w 22
You have selected an 'Unallocated' CPU type number as your
CPU requirement.  These numbers are assigned to specific CPU
types by Rams' Island Software.  You should make sure that
you are using the correct number for the basic CPU type
required by your product.

;===== Order ========================================================

*w 7
You have listed no mailing Address.  It is important
that users be able to send you the money. :-)

*w 8
The first line of the order Address you've listed is
different from both the Author Name and Company Name.  This
may be OK, but you should make sure that the Address
contains all the information needed for a mailing label,
including name and country.

*w 9
You have listed no order phone number.  Some authors prefer
not to provide a voice phone number, and it's clearly up to,
you.  However, many authors feel that users won't send fees
to authors who aren't serious enough to provide phone
contact.

*w 10
You have listed a toll-free phone number, but no regular
phone number.  International callers will be unable to reach
you.

*c 11
You haven't listed any electronic addresses.  This may make
it difficult for some users (especially those in other
countries) to contact you.  If you actually have e-mail
addresses, particularly if they're secure enough for sending
credit card numbers, you should consider listing them.

*c 12
You've indicated that you accept no credit-card payments.  If
you would like to obtain a credit card merchant account, the
help text offers a few suggestions.

*c 13
You've omitted one or more of the payment methods that are
generally regarded as normal and 'safe'.  Here's a list, just
in case it was an oversight: same-country postal money order,
same-country bank check, same-country cash, same-country
traveller's check, American Express money order, direct
payment to your bank account.

*c 14
You've indicated that you'll accept payment in a 'soft'
currency, either by personal check, bank check, or cash.
That's fine if it's deliberate, but we wanted you to know.

*c 15
You've indicated that you will not accept a purchase order,
even in hardcopy form.  You may lose business sales as a
result.

*c 16
You've indicated that you accept no credit-card payments and
you also have not shown any Distributors from whom users
might purchase registered versions by credit card.  You might
want to make arrangements for such a service.  See help text.

;===== Support ======================================================

*w 23
You have listed no mailing Address.  It is important that
users be able to contact you for support.

*w 24
The first line of the support Address you've listed is
different from both the Author Name and Company Name.  This
may be OK, but you should make sure that the Address
contains all the information needed for a mailing label,
including name and country.

*w 25
You have listed no support phone number.  Some authors prefer
not to provide a voice phone number for technical support,
and it's clearly up to you.  However, many authors feel that
users won't send registration fees to authors who aren't
serious enough to provide voice phone support.

*c 26
You have listed no support BBS phone number.  Whether to
provide BBS support is, of course, your decision.  If you're
not providing it just because you don't have your own BBS,
though, you might consider looking around for a local BBS
that will give you space for such support.  See help text.

*c 27
You haven't listed any electronic addresses.  This may make
it difficult for some users (especially those in other
countries) to contact you.  If you actually have e-mail
addresses, you should seriously consider listing them.  If
not, you might want to investigate them in the future.

*c 28
You haven't listed any electronic forums in which you provide
technical support.  That's fine, but many authors find it
worthwhile to provide support in relevant CompuServe forums
and in BBS network conferences.  If you frequent those places
anyway, this can be done with very little additional effort.

;===== General (channel-independent distribution info) ==============

; no mods allowed
*c 49
You have indicated that the distributor can make no changes
whatsoever to this product or its packaging.  This has both
advantages and disadvantages.  Clearly, this results in the
best security for your package, including retention of any
security mechanisms that may be built in by the compression
program you're using (e.g., the -AV testing provided by
PKZIP), and it gives the user a reasonble assurance that the
package has been received in the exact form you intended.
Be aware, however, that you are not allowing BBSes or disk
vendors to: (1) recompress using a different, preferred, or
more up-to-date compression program; (2) add advertisements,
help files, GO.BAT files, etc.; (3) change or add an install
procedure.  It is even possible that some BBSes or disk
vendors will not distribute the package because of these
requirements.  You'll have to choose.

; filesNoMods NOT selected
*w 50
You have indicated that distributors may modify the files
you distribute (at least the documentation).  We allow you
to make this choice, if you wish, because there are some
authors who deliberately choose to allow distributors to
add advertisements to their documentation.  Allowing this
may open a door to abuse, however, and it prevents any
possible automated checking for integrity of the files you
distribute.  The choice is clearly yours; we just want to
be sure you've considered the implications.

; mods allowed, but ! help/go separate
*c 51
You have not allowed distributors to add help or GO.BAT
files to your package.  This may be entirely appropriate,
but if you do this, you need to be sure that your product
is totally self-contained, with at good installation
procedure, clear, easily accessible instructions for the
first-time user, etc.  Some distributors really prefer to
add a GO.BAT, as it allows them to provide some added value
for their customers, and to do a little advertising.  It's
your choice, of course.

; Ads appendable
*w 52
You have indicated that distributors may append
advertisements to the files you distribute (at least the
documentation).  We allow you to make this choice, if you
wish, but we don't recommend it.  Allowing this may open a
door to abuse, and it prevents any possible automated
checking for integrity of the files you distribute.  The
choice is clearly yours; we just want to be sure you've
considered the implications.

; install allowed
*c 53
You have indicated that distributors may replace your
installation procedure (including any INSTALL.EXE or
INSTALL.BAT or similar file that may be included).  This may
be appropriate if the installation of your product is
relatively simple, and you don't have an INSTALL.EXE or
similar capability built into your product.  If you do,
allowing such a change may do more damage than good.

; ! install allowed
*c 54
You have indicated that distributors may not replace or add
an installation procedure to your package.  This is probably
appropriate if you have your own, adequate installation
procedure (which you should have, anyway).  If, however, your
installation procedure is skimpy, you may find the some
vendors will only distribute your product if they're allowed
to correct this deficiency.

; recompression allowed
*c 55
You have indicated that distributors may recompress your
distribution package using a different, or more up-to-date,
compression program.  This allows the distributor to
substitute a preferred compressor; many BBSes have a single
compression program used on all their files, and we're
beginning to see similar practices on some CD-ROMs.  A
disadvantage of this selection is that it prevents retention
of the original "seal", if any, on the compressed package
(e.g., PKZIP's -AV feature).  Most authors don't feel that
this is a serious loss, but this is an issue you should
consider.

; recompression not allowed
*c 56
You have indicated that distributors may not recompress your
package with other, or later, compression programs.  This is
clearly the best choice from the point of view of security.
However, many BBSes have a single compression program used on
all their files, and we're beginning to see similar practices
on some CD-ROMs.  You should consider this carefully.

; recompression, and compress internal
*c 57
You have indicated that distributors may recompress any
compressed files that are INSIDE your distribution package.
If you have no such files, this doesn't matter.  Otherwise,
you should select this option if and only if such
recompression will not interfere with the installation or
behavior of your product.

;===== Distribution =================================================

;channels prohibited
*c 63
You have indicated that distribution via the following
channels is prohibited altogether.  If you are absolutely
certain that you want no distribution by a channel, that's
clearly the right thing to do.  It will notify distributors
that they can't distribute it, AND that you're not receptive
to requests for special permission.  On the other hand, if
you ARE receptive to such requests, you should change the
policy to "All distributors qualify" and "Qualifiers still
need written permission".

;BBS not unlimited
*c 64
You have defined a policy for BBS distribution which imposes
some limitation.  This may be either an outright prohibition,
not defining all BBSes as "qualified", or defining some
disqualifying conditions or additional requirements.  You are
ABSOLUTELY within your rights to impose limitations, but most
authors feel that unlimited BBS distribution is right for
most products.  Sysops generally use automated procedures
for file handling wherever possible, and even imposing
special requirements on this channel that require manual
handling may reduce the distribution you achieve via BBSes.
If this isn't really your intention, you should consider
redefining your BBS policy.

;FDN not mostly unlimited
*c 65
You have restricted distribution by BBS file-distribution
network (FDN).  The various FDN's can, at little or no cost,
put your product on thousands of BBSes worldwide.  Unless
this is somehow the wrong idea for your product or situation,
you might want to reconsider this.  It is quite reasonable to
restrict such distribution to "packages received from the
author".  That SHOULD prevent such distributions except at
your own initiative anyway.

;FDN no CD-ROM
*c 66
Although you have allowed distribution by BBS
file-distribution network, you have forbidden such networks
from distributing your product by CD-ROM, "other mass media",
or both.  That's your right, but don't confuse this for of
distribution with CD-ROMs that are marketed to end-users.
FDN CD-ROMs are (by definition) intended only for
distribution to BBSes in the originator's file-distribution
network.  If such a CD-ROM is also targeted at end-users,
it falls under the CD-ROM distribution channel, rather than
the FDN channel.  Most authors don't want to discourage FDN
distributions, regardless of media.

;unlimited for disk channel and above
*c 67
For the following channels (not including BBS and FDN, which
are a different matter), you have imposed no distributor
quality test.  That is, you have allowed any distributor to
distribute your product without permission (possibly subject
to some disqualifications, such as charging more than a
specified amount).  That's appropriate if your philosophy is
to seek the widest possible distribution.  Many authors
prefer to allow distribution without permission only for a
more select group of distributors, such as ASP members or
those promising full disclosure.  Only you can decide which
approach is correct for you, of course.

;disk vendors prohibited
*c 68
You have prohibited distribution by mail-order disk vendor.
Such vendors, along with BBSes, are the main distribution
channel for shareware, public-domain software, etc.  It's
your decision, of course, but make sure you consider it
carefully.

;Disk/One/Rack/Tv/Phone price < $10 per prog or 360K
*c 69
For the channels listed below, you have limited the
distributor to a charge less than US$ 10 per product, or per
360K unit.  To U.S. authors, in particular, such limitations
may seem quite reasonable.  As you select your limit, though,
keep in mind that prices in many parts of the world range up
to double those in the U.S.  We're not advocating any
particular price -- just making sure you've considered the
issue.

;limited price per prog or per 360K, but not both
*c 70
For the channels listed below, you have limited the amount
a distributor may charge per product, or the amount he may
charge per 360K unit, but you have not limited both.  These
are really alternative pricing mechanisms for the
distributor; some charge by the product, others by diskette
or by download time.  In general, if you limit one of these,
you should set a corresponding limit on the other.  That way,
the distributor will be subject to your price limitations no
matter which way he happens to charge his customer.

;contact date < 6 months or > 2 years
*c 71
For the following channels, you've specified a contact date
outside the normal range.  The contact date is the date after
which a distributor must contact you for the latest version.
Your contact date, which is less than six months in the
future or more than two years in the future, seems like a
possible error.

;prohibit date < 1 year or > 5 years
*c 72
For the following channels, you've specified a prohibit date
outside the normal range.  The prohibit date is the date
after which distribution via this channel is prohibited
altogether.  Your prohibit date, which is less than one year
in the future or more than five years in the future, seems
like a possible error.

;Disk and later: royalty required
*c 73
For the following channels, you have specified that a royalty
is required for distribution of your shareware (evaluation)
version.  Royalty requirements may seriously discourage
distribution in some cases, so this opportunity is being
provided for you to verify your intentions.

;BBS: manual handling
*c 74
For distribution by BBS, you have specified one or more
conditions that will necessitate manual handling by each of
the 100,000-or-so sysops who might consider posting your
product.  You might want to reconsider the requirement in
question.  It is one of these:
   Written permission required for distribution
   Notification of distribution and version required
   Additional requirements text present in data record
   Distributor must see front text for additional information

;CDROM: no to all three targets
*c 75
For the CD-ROM channel, you have prohibited distribution to
all three likely markets: end users, sysops, and
distributors.  This is roughly equivalent to prohibiting all
CD-ROM distribution.  If that is, in fact, your intention,
it is suggested that you just mark the channel as prohibited.
If not, you should perhaps reconsider the "disqualifications
by target market".

;CDROM: royalty
*c 76
You have indicated that CD-ROM publisher must pay you a
royalty to distribute the shareware (evaluation) verion of
your product.  This is, of course, up to you.  Notice,
though, that if a CD-ROM contains 5000 programs, each
requiring evan a one-cent royalty, the price of the CD-ROM
is increased by $50, probably pricing it out of the market.

;Book/Subsc/Mag/TV/Phone/Undesc: should be any/perm
*c 77
There are several distribution channels about which it is
difficult to make permission decisions beforehand, because
the circumstances can vary so much from instance to instance.
For these channels, the most common (and perhaps safest)
policy is probably to allow all distributors to "qualify",
but to specify that written permission is required.  For the
channels listed below, you have indicated a different policy,
and this note is your opportunity to make sure they are as
you really want them.  Two other likely policies exist, of
course (outright prohibition, if for some reason you KNOW
you want no distribution; free distribution without
restriction, if that's the philosophy you've adopted for this
particular product).

;One: prohib or perm
*c 78
You have restricted the single-store rack vendor from
distributing your product, either by prohibiting it or by
requiring written permission.  This is your right, of course,
but you might want to consider the special nature of this
distribution channel.  Typically, these are individual
computer stores that develop their own racks, or even use
shoeboxes.  The volumes almost certainly aren't high enough
to make written permission a viable possibility.  There
clearly are lots of abuses among single-store rack vendors,
such as failing to identify the products as shareware.  You
should notice, though, that by prohibiting distribution via
this channel, you might be eliminating the good distributors
while having little effect on the bad ones.  You might do
better to allow distribution without permission for those who
agree to "full disclosure".

;===== Regional Distributor =========================================

;no regionals
*c 59
You have not indicated any regional distributors authorized
to handle registrations for you product in specific
geographical areas.  That's fine, if it's correct.  If not,
go to "Regional Distributors" at the bottom of the Orders
section, and provide this information.

;omitted area, address, or voice phone
*w 60
One or more of your Regional Distributor entries is missing
one of the following fields: (1) Geographical area;
(2) address; or (3) voice phone.

;===== Packing List =================================================

;non-ISO filenames
*w 61
One or more of the filenames in your distribution package(s)
contains characters that are not allowed under ISO standard
9600.  This standard governs filenames that are allowable on
CD-ROMs, and is intended to allow CD-ROMs to work on multiple
platforms that may differ in available character sets.  If
you violate this standard, some CD-ROM drivers may be unable
to access your files.  Allowable filename characters are
alphabetic (A-Z), numeric (0-9), and underbar(_).  No other
characters should appear in your filenames if you think you
might ever want this package to be CD-ROM-compatible.

;no package files or dir
*e 62
One or more of the package directories specified for this
product are non-existent or empty.  (If this is your initial
preparation for this particular package, you may not have
done the necessary setup yet.  See the eXport Setup menu.)
You should place the files associated with each package in
the directory that you've associated with that package, so
a proper VENDINFO file can be prepared.  Until that's done,
full verification and creation of a valid VENDINFO file will
be impossible.  VendEdit verifies filenames and creates a
Packing List section for the VENDINFO file, containing file
names, sizes, dates, and CRCs.  That section is used by
later tools to verify your package.

;===== Sample texts for human-readable front text sections ==========

;read-me
*f 79
This package contains the <product>(TM) <product name extension>
(Version <version>), by <company>.  This document contains
only a brief description of the package and its features, along
with instructions for its installation.  Quite detailed documentation
is included in the package, but it is in archived form, and is more
easily read after installation.

If you've ever wished you could..., then <product> is the program
for you...

<product> is a shareware program.  This evaluation version includes
all features of the program, and is not crippled in any way.  You may
use it for up to 30 days, without charge (see <product>.DOC for more
details).  If you like the program, and wish to continue its use after
this evaluation period, you are required to pay for the program (see
REGISTER.DOC for more details).  Any fee you may have paid to others
(disk vendors, dealers, etc.) to obtain this evaluation version was a
fee for their copying and distribution services, rather than a payment
for continued use of the program.

;installation
*f 80
The installation procedure for <product> is quite simple.  The
package includes a program, "INSTALL.EXE", which automates the
entire process.  You will need about <how much> of available disk space
on the hard drive on which you plan to install <product>.

The exact steps you need to take will depend on how you received
<product>.


INSTALLING FROM DISKETTES

To install from diskette(s), you need to perform the following steps.

   o  Place <product> distribution diskette "Disk 1" in the
      appropriate diskette drive.

   o  Execute the "INSTALL.EXE" program on the distribution diskette.
      For example, if the distribution diskette is on drive A:, type
      the MS-DOS command, "a:install".

   o  Follow the instructions presented by the installation program.
      You will have a chance to approve installation before any changes
      are actually made to the contents of your hard drive.  The
      program will ask you for a destination directory, and will copy
      the <product> files to that directory.  If you received <product>
      on two diskettes, you will need to insert Disk 2 in the diskette
      drive when asked to do so.  If you so direct it, the installation
      program will install executable programs and documentation in
      other directories of your choice.  It will make no other changes;
      specifically, it will not modify your autoexec.bat or config.sys
      files.


INSTALLING FROM A HARD DRIVE

If you downloaded <product> from a BBS (or received it in the form of
archive files from some other source), you will need to perform the
following steps.

   o  Extract the contents of the archive file(s) in a temporary
      directory on your hard drive.  The procedure for doing this
      varies, depending on the form in which you received the package.
      In all likelihood, the fact that you are reading this text means
      that you already have the necessary tools and knowledge to
      perform this step.  If not, you should be able to obtain
      directions for this from the same source from which you received
      the package.

   o  Execute the "INSTALL.EXE" program which you have extracted.  For
      example, if the temporary directory into which you have extracted
      the <product> package is C:\TEMPDIR, you would execute the MS-DOS
      command, "c:\tempdir\install".

   o  Follow the instructions presented by the installation program.
      You will have a chance to approve installation before any changes
      are actually made to the contents of your hard drive.  The
      program will ask you for a destination directory, and will copy
      the <product> files to that directory.  If you so direct it, the
      installation program will install executable programs and
      documentation in other directories of your choice.  It will make
      no other changes; specifically, it will not modify your
      autoexec.bat or config.sys files.

When you're satisfied that the installation was successful, you should
delete the temporary directory FROM which you installed <product>
(C:\TEMPDIR, in the above discussion), including all its contents.


YOU'RE READY TO GO

Once you've complete the installation, you should consult the documents
(filename extension "doc") which have been installed.  In particular,
read at least the "Overview" and "Quick Start" sections of the file
"<product>.DOC".  That document will tell you how to invoke the program,
and will give you other information you need to properly evaluate
<product>.  We hope you enjoy the program.

;other
*f 81
----- Additional Sections -------------------------------------------

If you wish, you may add additional sections to the VENDINFO.DIZ
front text.  These sections will appear in the primary VENDINFO.DIZ
file only (that is, in the first package of your product).  This
certainly isn't necessary, but you may find it appropriate to your
situation.  Since users will soon have menu-driven viewers with
which to view the information in your VENDINFO file, this will
probably become your preferred way of conveying information to the
user or vendor who is just starting to look at your product.  By
allowing you these additional sections, we're hoping you'll be
comfortable with VENDINFO.DIZ as a total replacement for READ_ME.DOC
and VENDOR.DOC.


----- Section Headers -----------------------------------------------

It is important that you provide appropriate section headers for any
sections you add, since automated tools may extract these sections,
and the end-user viewer will provide menu-driven access to them.
In each case, the tool will search for the string "----- ", starting
in column 1, followed by the section title, followed by the string
" -----".  Extending the "-" characters all the way to column 70
or so would be visually helpful to the reader, but irrelevant to the
automated tools.  NOTHING other than a section header should start
with "-----" in column 1.

For the sake of consistency, each section header other than the first
should be preceded by two blank lines.  Every section header should be
followed by a single blank line.

;warranty
*f 82
The following text is under development.  Even when completed, it will
be strictly intended as a starter text.  YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
CONTENT OF YOUR PRODUCT WARRANTY, and Rams' Island Software accepts
no liability for its content.

LIMITED WARRANTY

THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE PROVIDED FOR EVALUATION ONLY, ON AN "AS
IS" BASIS.  <company name> DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING
TO THIS SOFTWARE, WHETHER EXPRESSED  OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NEITHER <company name> NOR ANYONE ELSE
WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF
THIS SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH
SOFTWARE, EVEN IF <company name> HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIMS.  THE PERSON USING THE SOFTWARE
BEARS ALL RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE.

This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of <state>
and shall inure to the benefit of <company name> and any
successors, administrators, heirs and assigns. Any action or proceeding
brought by either party against the other arising out of or related to
this agreement shall be brought only in a STATE or FEDERAL COURT of
competent jurisdiction located in <county> County, <state>. The parties
hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of said courts.

;===== License ======================================================

;no distribution license
*w 87
You have not provided a distribution license within the front
text section of your VENDINFO file.  This is required,
because without it, your distributors do not have the legal
right to rely on the distribution policy you've provided
within the data portion of the VENDINFO file.  The text of
the distribution license must also specify that the attached
data record is "incorporated by reference" (for an example,
see the help text, or import the suggested starter text into
the license section using F4).

;no data record incorporated by reference
*w 88
The License section you've provided in the front text of your
VENDINFO file does not appear to contain the required
statement that the "The attached VENDINFO data record is
hereby incorporated by reference.  Any distribution
satisfying all the distribution requirements expressed in
that data record is hereby authorized."  It is not necessary
that you state it exactly this way, but a statement to this
effect is required. Without such a statement, your
distributors do not have the legal right to rely on the
distribution policy you've provided within the data portion
of the VENDINFO file.  Even if your product is public-domain
or freeware, you need a distribution license containing at
least this statement in order to use the VENDINFO system.
(This verification test looks for the words "data",
"incorporated", and "reference", so if you've worded it
differently, just ignore this message.)

;license
*f 83
The following text is strictly intended as a starter text.  YOU ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF YOUR DISTRIBUTION LICENSE, and Rams'
Island Software accepts no liability for its content.  There is a
good deal of important explanation in the VendEdit help text dealing
with license preparation.  To view it, press F1 while editing this
text.  (Remember to remove this paragraph from your license.)

TRIAL USE LICENSE

<product> is NOT a public domain program.  It is copyrighted by
<company>.  This software and accompanying documentation are
protected by United States copyright law and also by international
treaty provisions.

<company> grants you a limited license to use this software
for evaluation purposes for a period not to exceed thirty days.  If you
continue using this software after the thirty-day evaluation period,
you MUST make a registration payment to <company>.

You may not use, copy, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile,
disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed
program except as provided in this agreement.  Any such unauthorized
use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this license.
All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to <company>.


LIMITED DISTRIBUTION LICENSE

The following may distribute <product>, completely unaltered, without
further permission...; for other cases or to distribute in modified
form, you must consult the attached data record, which is hereby
incorporated by reference.  Any distribution satisfying all the
distribution requirements expressed in that data record is hereby
authorized.

Permission to distribute the <product> package is not transferable,
assignable, saleable, or franchisable.  Each vendor wishing to
distribute the package must independently satisfy the terms of this
limited distribution license.

U.S. Government Information:  Use, duplication, or disclosure by the
U.S. Government of the computer software and documentation in this
package shall be subject to the restricted rights applicable to
commercial computer software as set forth in subdivision (b)(3)(ii) of
the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at
252.227-7013 (DFARS 52.227-7013).  The Contractor/manufacturer is
<company name and address>.

<company> may revoke any permissions granted here, by
notifying you in writing.  All rights not expressly granted here are
reserved to <company>.