PADmap : Java Glossary

Because of some stupid decisions at ASP (Association of Shareware Professionals), PADmaps are no longer supported in the latest version of the PAD (Portable Application Description) XML (extensible Markup Language) spec.

However, when I asked AppVisor to convert my PAD containing a PADMAP to 4.0, it left the PADMAP in. So I am confused.

Software creators such as myself love PADmaps. If you write software you must create PAD files to describe them. You then must individually submit them to hundreds of PAD submission sites, a tedious job, or you must use a PAD Submission program which usually costs money. The advantage of PADmaps, is when you embed the PADmap code in your PAD files, you only have to submit one of your creations and the PAD site automatically learns about all of them. Unfortunately, not all padsites support PADmaps, so for them, you must submit each creation individually.

Another advantage of PADmaps is there is no question of whether you must resubmit or whether you must not resubmit when you issue a new version of your program. Submission is a one time thing. The padsites have all they need to know to rapidly discover new PAD s, changed PADs (Portable Application Descriptions) and discontinued PAD s.

Note the spelling: PADmaps not PADMaps or PADMAPs.

PADmaps have replaced the older, more verbose, less-easy-to-update PADRING scheme.

Unfortunately, none of the PAD editors set up PADmaps for you. You must do it manually with a text or XML editor. It is probably easiest to understand by looking at one of my PAD files e.g. http://mindprod.com/pad/csv.xml and at my complete list of PAD-described creations at http://mindprod.com/pad/allpads.txt. You need to create an allpads.txt file like mine and link it in each of your PAD file with a section that looks something like this, customised for your website:

It is XML, so order of the sections does not matter, but it is probably best to put it at the end just before the </XML_DIZ_INFO>.

In the lists of padsites I have compiled, I mark sites with PADmaps if they support PADmaps. First submit to the hassle-free sites with the automated mini PAD submitter, then do ones that support PADmaps, then do the ones in the top 10.

If you use PADmaps, either as a padsite or a developer, put that green PADmaps logo on your site both let people know you are making PAD submission convenient for others and to help spread the word. Developers love PADmaps because they save so much work. They will encourage submissions, especially from developers with a large catalog.

PADSites are becoming increasingly reluctant to support PADmaps because it then becomes their job to wade through the entire catalog of offerings to decide which ones to promote. Without PADmaps the software creator will submit only those that fit best because it is so tedious to submit everything.

The ASP people want you you to submit your pads only to them and all PADSites would then pick and choose from that giant catalog, providing some of the benefits of PADmaps. I have so far refused to participate because they want you to also use their incredibly slow clumsy buggy online pad site editor. I do most of my edits programmatically in bulk. It would take thousands of times longer with the new ASP scheme.