PAD Editors

•  PADGen: this is the program I use myself. For details, see the separate entry.
• PadCreator: Simple fill in the blanks. Lets you maintain many different companies. Has ability to submit your PADs with a click of a button to the commercial affiliate sites of your choice and also the shareware sites. There were minor problems with layout on my machine. Some windows were too big and partially obscured the row of tabs that control which section. It has extra fields for MS, Regnow, Trialware etc. And it is FREE!, however it is also adware with a top banner. It stores all the data that you key in proprietary format files. It generates XML and a summary HTML file on demand. The program drove me nuts for weeks because every time I generated an XML file it was empty, without any error message. I eventually figured out why. It quietly refuses to generate the XML until you have filled in all the fields. In other words you must pass verification before it will generate any XML for you to look at. It also freezes the ability to select a different program to edit. You must to a save-program to unfreeze it. To discard changes, you must exit the program. You must do all your edits with the program. Don’t edit the generated xml or htm files. When you create the pad files, check the directory they are being created in. It forgets each time where you keep them.

  Every time you make a change, e.g. a new version, you must do five things to make the change take:

  1. Click Save Program.
  2. Click Create PAD.
  3. Copy the generated *.xml file to where it will be uploaded to your website.
  4. Upload the PAD xml to your website.
  5. Submit the pad to various distribution websites. In theory, once you have submitted a PAD once to a website, it will poll your PAD from time to time to see if it has changed, so resubmitting is optional.
  There are no facilities to make bulk changes to many program descriptions at once. The closest I came to a clone ability was to create a pad, copy it, modify the program name in the XML and import it back. When you edit a program name, it looks as if it did not take, but if you exit and restart, you will see that it did. PAD Creator stores its company master data in F:\Program Files\PAD Creator\data\company.dta using a fixed proprietary fixed length field format where fields are padded out with spaces to the maximum length. It stores its program information in F:\Program Files\PAD Creator\data\* and F:\Program Files\PAD Creator\pad\*. The program has not been updated since  Last revised: 2004-07-19 Verified: 2007-05-03 and it is showing its age with 8.3 filenames and no mention of Vista.
• PADKit: written in PHP. Comes as a zip without installer. You are supposed to customise the code and run it on a webserver with SQL.

PAD Creating Tips

About the only thing missing is a clear place to describe prices for multiple purchases, site licenses, source licences etc. or even to mention such things exist. I suppose you could tuck that away in the long description.

The original PADs were invented in the days of DOS, when they were called DIZ files. That is why they sometimes use 8.3 filenames.

When you change the version number there are seven places you must update it on both the Program Info and Web Info sections: Filename_Versioned, Filename_Previous, Filename_Long, Primary_Download_URL, Secondary_Download_URL, Additional_Download_URL_1 and Additional_Download_URL_2,

PAD file Format

// convert newlines to blanks and trim lead/trail blanks
desc450 = desc450.replace('\n',' ').trim();

Manual PAD Submission

Important Submission Sites

• ASP: The inventors of PAD files. You must take a vision and typing test for each item you add. The security code, their term for a validation code. You must copy and key is case-sensitive. It is not obvious that your submission took. The only thing changed on the screen on success is a new security code. On failure, you will see a big red error message. Unfortunately, it looks like they no longer take submissions from non members. Membership is $100.00 USD per year for a standard membership.
• HotLib: optionally rekey several pad fields. Associated with PadCreator. Must login.
• SimTel: major site. Needs account id.

Hassle Free Submission Sites

	1.	AmazingDownloads
	2.	BestFreewareDownload	freeware only
	3.	DownBroad
	4.	Download-o-maniac!
	5.	Download3K
	6.	DownloadReady	You may be surprised to find your PAD already listed. They go out hunting for them.
	7.	Downloads2K	You may be surprised to find your PAD already listed. They go out hunting for them. They ask for a backlink.
	8.	FileCluster
	9.	Filevolution	must scroll to bottom of a long page to enter the URL.
	10.	IFreewareDownload
	11.	PadRing
	12.	ShareSoftware24
	13.	Software-Dungeon	want a reciprocal link.
	14.	SoftwareArea51
	15.	Techpedia
	16.	Trial-Files
	17.	TwoBrothers	they bar you if you sudmit a PAD more than once, even if it has changed.
	18.	WillingSoftware	their list of categories is out of date.

Submission Sites with Minor Extra Submission Hassle

• Brothersoft.com: must create an account.
• Crystal Product: you must create an account.
• DDIPR: want you to put an text ad for an unrelated products on your site. You can also create a PAD online with a form.
• Download3000: must login.
• downloadpipe: must type a nonsense string backwards, (they are Australian) then install a link back to their site. The site has a glossy look and makes it easy to find programs by various categories. They somehow acquired all my pads even though I did not submit to them.
• DownloadPlex: must set up an account.
• downloadmost: you don’t submit an URL, you upload the XML file off your local hard disk.
• downloadplex: for manual use has no hassle, but they put up barriers to automation by having JavaScript scramble the messages to the server.
• downloadrage: Must select a category manually. Does not require a security code.
• downloadRoute.com: must key a validation code, and a select a proprietary category.
• downloadsbay: Designed to foil automation, though this is not apparent for manual submission.
• File-Cart: must key a validation code.
• FileBoost: must rekey the category.
• FileMapper: must key a validation code. You can submit multiple pads by arranging via email.
• FilePlaza: can submit from local hard disk or website. Must manually choose a category.
• FiveSign: want you to rekey the category and vendor id fields.
• Forte Downloads: want you to rekey the category, vendor id fields and a validation code.
• free-to-try.com: must supply validation code. Must supply back URL link to expedite processing. Quite strict validation of the PAD file.
• FreeSharewareDepot.com: must supply category, back URL link, REGNOW id.
• FreeVistaFiles.com: want you to rekey the category, vendor id fields and a validation code. They warm you of broken links to your downloads, screenshots etc.
•  Lemonfiles.com: want you to key a validation code, and request a back link.
•   Omitovo: must set up an account. They request a reverse link on prime real estate, i.e. your home page at the top visible without scrolling. After you set up your account, they send you a email containing both a generated password, and a confirmation URL. Make sure you record the password. Their mail-the-password feature is broken. You must manually select a proprietary category. You may optionally compose your pad with their HTML form. In theory, you can supply a 120x80 corporate logo, but I could not get it to work.
• PadTube.com: must set up an account.
• PCDistrict.com: make you manually select a proprietary category.
• PerfectDownloads: must rekey the category.
• PopularShareware: must rekey product category and then hit submit a second time after they show you to the xml contents.
• Qarchive.org: must set up an account with password.
• Rbytes.net: want you to key a captcha, their term for a validation code.
• SharewarePlaza: must set up an account. Must select one of their categories. They echo the PAD for you to verify before final submit. When they periodically probe your pad for changes, they use an HTTP HEAD rather than the usual GET. So if you website does not support HEAD, they fail to notice PAD updates. They then send you two emails about missing downloads (because they have not noticed version number has changed). You must login and do the probe manually to resubmit your pad for each submission.
• softd.com: Optionally they ask for a back link and affiliate program ids. The then pass the link on to other sites. They send you an email telling you which fields have recently changed in your pads. You have to key a security code, but at least the model is in clear text.
• soft32.com: Optionally they ask for a back link and affiliate program ids. The then pass the link on to other sites. They somehow acquired all my pads even though I did not submit to them. They send you an email telling you which fields have recently changed in your pads.
• SoftAndCo: must key a category which bears only a vague ressemblance to the official categories.
• SoftInSoft.com: must key a validation code. They kindly tell you what changed in your PADs, even when you don’t submit or resubmit.
• SoftPedia.com: must key a category which bears only a vague ressemblance to the official categories, your email and regnow, shareit and Plimus IDs.
• SoftPile: must key a category which bears only a vague ressemblance to the official categories.
• Softsia: must rekey the category.
• SoftSoft.ru: all in Russian. They translate your description into Russian.
• Soft-vn: must set up an account with userid and password. Once you have an account set up click add product.
• SuggestSoft: must signup with a password.
• SuperShareware.com: want you to rekey the category, vendor id fields and a validation code.
• TrybuySoftware: want you to rekey vendor id fields and a validation code.
• WorldSSP: must rekey product category and then hit submit a second time after they show you to the xml contents.
• Unisofts.com: want you to rekey vendor id fields and a validation code.
• Vistafiles.eu: want you to key a validation code, happily legible. They will warn you of broken links to your various image and download files. They will tell you if your icons are the correct size. This site is worth submitting to manually just for the extra verfication. They don’t reprobe your pad files periodically so you must manually update any time you change your pad. However, they send you emails complaining the links are obsolete.
• Vistafiles.org: You must create an account.
• comprehensive ASP submitters list: it is mostly dead wood.
• There is a list built into PadCreator: hidden in program under directories.

The submission sites often hassle you in a variety of ways. They want back links from your site to theirs. They want you to retype parts of the XML file. They want you to read weirdly twisted letters and prove you can type them accurately. They want you to set up accounts. They want you to give them your life history. Just pass them by. There are plenty of other sites who won’t hassle you that way.

Submission Sites for Selling Software

• BMTMicro.
• eSellerate
• Plimus
•  Regnow You can deal with RegNow three different ways:
  1. As a customer of software. You don’t have an account. You pay with a credit card each time you buy something from one of their affiliated vendors.
  2. As a vendor, when you want to sell your own products.
  3. As an affiliate. You advertise other people’s products on your website, and get a commission from sales.
  You need two totally different accounts, one to as a vendor to sell your own software, and one as an affiliate to sell other people’s. There are two completely different systems.
• SellShareware
• ShareIt
• TuCows: major site. Needs account id. You pay for clicks.
• YankeeDownload.com Product must be sold through at least one of RegNow, ShareIt, SellShareware, eSellerate, BMTMicro or Plimus. Must rekey ids in selling services.

PAD Submission Services

• Avangate: submit to 500 sites for €320.00 EUR .
• Submit-Everywhere: submit to 800 sites for $70.00 USD
• Develab Promosoft: lifetime subscription to submit to 600 sites for $295.00 USD .
• Ivertech: to submit to 35 sites for $10.00 USD .
• SoftWebsNepal submit one pad to 2000 sites for $50.00 USD . I asked them how the defeated the CAPTCHA validation codes required by many sides for submission. They replied that the process of CAPTCHA, username and password, backlinks and category selection are all done manually. What a bargain! It would take days of labour. They are headquartered in Nepal where labour is cheap enough for this tedious task.

Automated PAD Submitters

Here are some programs I have found to submit for you:

• Mini Pad Submitter: I wrote this submitter out of frustration with the poor quality of the existing submitters. You can download and run it, or run it on my website as an Applet without installing anything. The Mini Pad Submitter submits your PAD to 18 web sites for the general public to learn about it. It comes with Java source so you can extended it to other web sites. The current list of sites it submits your pad to includes:

  	1.	AmazingDownloads
  	2.	BestFreewareDownload	freeware only
  	3.	DownBroad
  	4.	Download-o-maniac!
  	5.	Download3K
  	6.	DownloadReady	You may be surprised to find your PAD already listed. They go out hunting for them.
  	7.	Downloads2K	You may be surprised to find your PAD already listed. They go out hunting for them. They ask for a backlink.
  	8.	FileCluster
  	9.	Filevolution	must scroll to bottom of a long page to enter the URL.
  	10.	IFreewareDownload
  	11.	PadRing
  	12.	ShareSoftware24
  	13.	Software-Dungeon	want a reciprocal link.
  	14.	SoftwareArea51
  	15.	Techpedia
  	16.	Trial-Files
  	17.	TwoBrothers	they bar you if you sudmit a PAD more than once, even if it has changed.
  	18.	WillingSoftware	their list of categories is out of date.

  If you come across any other hassle-free submission sites that don’t require a security code or login, please pass along the URL to so I can add them to the list.
• Ground Zero Advanced PAD Submitter : $50.00 USD . Submits to 300 sites. Very simple. You type in the complete URL of your uploaded PAD on your website. You don’t select it from a list of local PADs as the other programs do. You manually select the category, even though it is embedded in the PAD, made even more difficult because they are idiotically displayed with URL encoding, sprinkled with %20s all through them instead of spaces. The demo version submitted to 14 sites. It does not appear to have ability to submit to sites that make you sign up with a free account. The program crashed on 5 of the 14 PADs I submitted. It does not keep track of what you have already submitted. It gives you no warning if you fail to fill in the email address or manual category. On non-crashing runs it managed to submit 10 to 13 of the possible 14 sites. The most common failure appears to be that the website can’t download the PAD before the timeout. That is not PAD submitter’s fault. I tested late at night when my website is quick. You have to enter your email and website URL afresh every time you use the program. There is no help or FAQ. This is a pretty awful program, but it was the only one of the bunch that let me actually get any serious submitting done.
• Aguta PAD submitter :$20.00 USD Submits to 500 catalogs. Very simple. Submits one pad at a time to multiple catalogs. Does not verify the XML. Makes you select the category, rather than taking it from the XML. No PAD editing. The trial versions submits to 60 catalogs. Does not have provision to submit to catalogs that need ids and passwords. You can watch the submit process. Popups, ads etc. interfered. It gets stuck totally on some sites, and you have to pause and restart it. Some sites only accept freeware. The program submits shareware to them anyway. The program managed to submit about 24 of the sites with 17 rejects before it crashed.
• Easy PAD Submitter.$0.00 USD Multithread. Submits to 48 catalogs. Adware. I could not get this program to work at all. It displayed in illegible pale yellow letters on a white background. The import wanted only *.dat files. There was no documentation to tell you what that meant. Adding an individual XML file with ADD just filled the screen with question marks.
• Shareware Tracker : $89.00 USD Submits to 340 sites. Uses an SQL database. The hard part is finding the way to import a PAD file. The trick is this: click Window ⇒ Project Manager ⇒ then click the red bullet plus ⇒ then select your pad file ⇒ then click the project name box. It will fill in the details from your pad file. A Project is the same thing as a PAD. You can only import them on at a time. When you hit submit it simply takes you to each site in turn and display helps to what you have to do. It does some filling in the blanks for you. It does not edit or verify PADs. This is not automation. You are supposed to manually decide whether each site fits its criteria. It does no filtering based on the contents of your PAD.
• SoftCab Submitter: “free” This program might be considered a virus. It is one of the most annoying programs I have ever encountered. It insists you put a link to their site on your home page. They are trying to artificially boost Google rankings. Its annoys you to death until you do, or uninstall it. The program is unusually opaque for such a simple task. It is idiosyncratic and difficult-to-use. One major stumbling blocks to getting started is having two links marked browse. They are associated with the padring.com people. It has 1100 sites in its database. It is free, other than the home page ad requirement. It is written in JavaScript. It leaves behind scores of files after an uninstall.
• gsa-online: program to submit to 8000 sites for $449.00 USD . I have not tried it.
• GSA Auto Softsubmit: submit to 3000 sites for $44.00 USD .

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