[VAX000]SUBMIT.TXT SUGGESTIONS REGARDING THE SUBMISSION OF SOFTWARE FOR THE VAX SYSTEMS SIG TAPE These suggestions are not to be considered as requirements for the acceptance of software for the tape. They are intended to help make the structure of the submissions somewhat more consitent. 1. If your submission is large or naturally fits into several directories submit it as a directory tree. 3. There should be one AAAREADME.TXT with each submission. The following information should be included for each program or group of programs: a. A brief description of the program or group of related programs. b. The names of previous submissions which this submission replaces. c. The name of the person primarily responsible for putting the submission together. If you use RUNOFF to generate this file don't hide the source under another name, use AAAREADME.RNO. TEMPLATE.RNO contains the primary runoff commands needed to generate this type of file. AAAREADME.* files on subdirectories should be named AAAREADME.1ST or something other than AAAREADME.TXT to keep the summary file size reasonable. 4. There should be sufficient documentation for each program or group of programs. The file containing or pointing to this documentation should have a .DOC extension. If your documentation is somewhere else, say, as comments in the program, a .DOC file is still useful to tell people where to find the it. This is good place to put the name of the author, whether or not he is interested in bug/improvement reports, and, if he is willing to take telephone inquiries, his phone number. 5. The intent of the above paragraphs is to provide two levels of documentation - one very brief which is available in each submission as AAAREADME.TXT or collectively in [VAX000]AAAREADME.yyy and another with more detail in files with a .DOC extension. The first idea is enforced on most of the recent tapes with AAAREADME.TXT's added by the librarian as necessary. The second part is more a request than a requirement but some file renaming has been done to fit into this pattern. 6. To make it possible to create tapes that can be read by all systems without error messages, please try to have your submissions' file names fit within the 9 character names / 3 character types which VMS V3 and earlier can understand. If necessary, include a command file to rename to the longer V4 filenames, or make a BACKUP saveset with a short file name if your program is only useful on V4 and later. We will try to rename long files for the present to make the tape readable by everyone but it's much easier if files come in OK in the first place. V3 sites will find it unnerving to have numerous RMS errors on reading a SIG tape. Making a backup file with the /SAVE_SET qualifier will allow you to easily containerize long filenames. Please be sure your directory names are also short enough in your submission. This is not a requirement, but helps. Long filenames are currently being renamed and an AAARENAME.COM file created to reset them to your originals, but it saves work by the librarian to do this yourself if possible. This request will expire after a few tapes (probably around Spring '87) as most sites upgrade to VMS V4. 7. Making and submitting the tape. a. If you are submitting a single directory use either COPY or BACKUP. BACKUP is preferred. For multiple directories use BACKUP. If you must use FLX or some other format, please CLEARLY indicate the format on the tape label and, if possible, the commands necessary to copy the tape on a VAX. b. Do not be too restrictive with file protection. BACKUP can make things difficult. c. Use a density of 1600 bpi and be aware that 1600 is not always the default in spite of what the DCL User's Guide says. d. Take or send the tape to the next symposia and submit it at the DECUS Library booth on Monday or Tuesday or send it, with a signed release form to: Joe Bingham ManTech International 2320 Mill Road Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 838-5600 (Tapes mailed can be accepted at 800, 1600, or 6250. RX01, RX02, RX50 or TK50 may be submitted also, but do not expect to get your media back right away. Please check with the Librarian before submitting unusual media or formats.) e. Pick up your tape at the Library booth later in the week. They are usually available on Wednesday.