RISC DISC 2/RISC_DISC_2.iso/pd_share/mags/spectrum/spectrum2/!Spectrum2/Articles/Features/PDCats

Text File | 1994-09-17 | 3.5 KB | 71 lines

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PD Catalogues
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  Why write an article on PD catalogues? These most be one of the
most used PD (Freeware) programs about as you must have read one to
have got hold of this issue of Spectrum and all your other PD and
Shareware programs. These come in a wide range of formats, here are
just a few:

Text files: These are just your plain run of the mill Text file,
these are easy to update, don't take up much room and everybody has
access to a Text editor be it !Edit, !Zap or even a DTP program which
can import Text files such as Impression Style or Publisher. The
disadvantages that it doesn't look very professional, therefore can
create some wrong opinions about the library.

Custom display program: These are just text display programs which
have been created or adapt for use by the Library, these normally
contain Search options and most of the modern custom programs provide
an ordering system, these print out your order (or save it as a file
to disc). Some are produced using multimedia authoring packages such
as Magpie. While others are only single tasking.

Printed catalogues: PD Catalogues don't have to be a computer based
program they can be printed like your standard Littlewoods catalogue
(except not as big). These are normally quite expensive to produce as
every time you have to print the same data over and over, but they
have the advantage of allowing the PD buyer to make his/her choice
away from the computer.

Now I have established the ways which a PD Library can display its
catalogue lets have a look at some Disc Catalogues:

The Datafile: over the last year this has slowly become the standard
Disc Catalogue, a title which it has taken from Arch Angel (see later
on). The program is multi-tasking allowing you to do other work
within the desktop while selecting your PD, the most recent version
(which finally established it as the new standard) contains two
applications. Datafile+, the main part of the two contains the
catalogue which is displayed in a single window using outline fonts
(which you can change) is basically the same as the last version, that
is until you load the next program Ordering, when you click on a
catalogue entry now (disc number or program name) the information is
passed on to the order program which calculates the amount of discs
and the price. Once you have entered the details all that is left is
to enter your details then the order is ready to wing its way to Dave
and Sue at the Datafile.

Arch Angel: this catalogue program held the status of standard
display program for a long time, it is single tasking, but still
remains user friendly, once it has loaded, which takes some time, it
contains probably the most detailed descriptions out of all the PD
Catalogues I have seen. Apart from the simple description which comes
next to the program name, you can also access a more detailed
description of the program by clicking adjust. The catalogue also has
powerful searching and printing options.

APDL: this is a very well laid out Text file. The catalogue is split
into different sections eg Games, Demos, Trackers etc. Each section
has its own text file. The descriptions are detailed enough to get a
fair representation of what each program's function is.

I will continue this topic more over the next couple of issues,
hopefully with input from the people who run the libraries and the
people who use the catalogues (ie you). If you have any comments then
send them in to the normal (abnormal, I reckon!-Kirky) address.

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