CD Shareware Magazine 1997 January/CD_shareware_1-97.iso/DOS/COMUNICA/ADDS521.ZIP/VENDINFO.TIP

Text File | 1996-10-21 | 5.8 KB | 92 lines

This is a list of (hopefully) helpful tips and suggestions, based on the more
common errors, mistakes, and ommissions that I've found in author's VENDINFO
files. Please don't make these same mistakes -- they simply make your VENDINFO
file less valuable to those trying to use them, and could actually cause your
file to be rejected by a distributor that is set up for automated processing
using the VENDINFO file...

 1 - When populating the various product filename fields, please be sure that
     the filenames entered are consistent with the filenames you actually
     intend to use! Surprisingly, we get a lot of submissions that have one
     filename listed in the VENDINFO file, yet the filename submitted (and/or
     listed on our submission form) is different. This has become such a major
     problem that we've actually stopped using the filename data from the
     VENDINFO files in our own processing routines -- who knows what might
     be happening with other distributors trying to use the VENDINFO file.

 2 - When asked for the filename for the 'CompuServe' parts, *DON'T* simply
     enter your BBS filename (i.e. the one containing the version number).
     While this field specifically identifies CompuServe, be advised that
     CompuServe is not the *only* place that a generic filename is valuable.
     We not only use this filename for CompuServe uploads, but we also use
     it on our own Internet/FTP sites, for ZDNet uploads, and we also use it
     as the 'Label' tag for America Online uploads. And, the 'generic' file-
     name is a *very* important part of Bud Jay's JCSM/BestZips Internet
     service. As such, this field is much more important than originally
     intended. The 'generic' (CompuServe) filename must not contain any
     version number referrence, and it must be only 6-characters in length
     (for a variety of reasons).

 3 - In regard to populating the various filename fields, do *NOT* include
     the filename extension (i.e. the '.ZIP' portion. Despite this being
     stated in the VendEdit instructions and online help, we still have a lot
     of authors who enter filenames that include a .ZIP extension. However,
     when our processing routines get done with them, they end up as
     MYPRG123.ZIP.ZIP (which obviously causes things to fail) because our
     routines append the proper extension to the filename extracted from
     those fields.

 4 - When populating the 'Minimum Operating System' fields, don't be tempted
     to make an entry in more than one OS category. For example, if your
     product is a Windows or an OS/2-based product, don't make any entries
     in the DOS sections. When this information is extracted via the VendPrcs
     utility, it will only extract the first entry that it finds (with the DOS
     catetory being 1st in the sequence). If your product is a Windows or OS/2
     product, and you also make an entry in the DOS section, then your product
     will end up being labeled as an MS-DOS product because the VendPrcs util
     will extract the data only from the 1st (the DOS) field. You should
     populate only the single OS category that is most approparite for your
     product.

 5 - Don't be tempted to ignore the various 'description' fields in the
     VENDINFO record!! Even tho your distribution ZIP file may contain a
     FILE_ID.DIZ file, there are still a number of places where alternate
     product descriptions are needed. For example, my own BBS software can
     only accommodate the 2-line (120 char) description, and our Internet/
     WWW site can only accommodate the 250-character description. Wildcat
     BBS systems can only accomodate the 1-line desc as their 'primary'
     online description. America Online uploads can accommodate the full
     1500-char description. If you don't bother to populate these various-
     length description fields, your product may end up being displayed with
     no description at all, or with the description from your FILE_ID.DIZ
     being truncated, or the description may end up being nothing more than
     your program name (which will not do much in regard to generating
     downloads of your product).

 6 - When asked for an Internet address, please don't list a WWW home page
     address. In most cases, requested Internet addresses are for the purpose
     of email communications, not for web surfing.

 7 - When populating the KEYWORDS field, don't try to separate your various
     keywords with commas or quotation mark characters, and don't try to
     create keyword 'groups' using those characters as separators. Simply
     enter the list of keywords as single words, separated by spaces.

 8 - When setting up for your VENDINFO file creation, please be sure that
     the subdirectory defined in the 'Setup for all VENDEDIT Exports' section
     points to a subdirectory that contains *ONLY* your unZIPd distribution
     fileset. That subdirectory should contain only your distribution fileset,
     should not contain any other files, should not contain any of the files
     from the VENDINFO fileset (i.e  VI_TEMP.ZIP), and should not contain the
     ZIPd version of your distribution file.

 9 - Similar to #8 above, said subdirectory should also *NOT* include a copy
     of your VENDINFO.DOZ file. Since the DOZ file is not to be a part of your
     distribution ZIP file, it should not be included in said subdirectory
     when the VENDINFO.DIZ file is generated. If it is, then it will also be
     included (incorrectly) in the Packing List of the VENDINFO.DIZ file. My
     rule of thumb has alway been to create the VENDINFO.DIZ file first, and
     *then* generate the VENDINFO.DOZ file afterwards (and have the DOZ file
     placed in a different subdirectory, just as a safeguard).