Naming Conventions for Software Exchanges
Anyone submitting software to user group software exchanges should follow a few
standard conventions. Some of these conventions involve user documentation,
program documentation, file names, and keyboard usage.  The following
paragraphs describe these conventions:

1. User Documentation:  Every program should have built-in documentation
that tells the user the purpose of the program and the procedures to follow to
use  the program. This documentation could be in the form of Help screens or
detailed comments imbedded into the display formats. Help screens should
be optional so the experienced user is not  hindered by the documentation
display.  If user documentation cannot be imbedded into the program, then a
documentation file should be included with the program.  This file should be a
standard DOS file, which can  be viewed with the DOS TYPE command,  and  have
the  same filename as the program and a filename extension of DOC.

2. Program Documentation: One of the purposes of the software library is
to provide programs that the novice programmer can use as an educational tool.
This use of the library  can be enhanced if source code for those
programs submitted is well documented.   A remarks section should be included
at the begining of the program,  which contains the name of the program,  the
author's name,  and a general description  of the program.   Documentation
should also be included throughout the program so that the logic of the program
may be more  easily followed.  Source code for BASIC programs should not be
protected and  source code for compiled programs should be included with
a filename extension indicating the language used.

3. File Names: The use of file naming conventions can make manipulation
of files on disks much simpler and  can  help inform the  user of the purpose
or content of  the  file. The filename should reflect the purpose of the file
and  be easily identified with related files.   For example, let's  assume
that we have developed a database  system containing a BASIC  program for
updating,  a  BASIC  program  for printing, a data file, a documentation file,
and a batch file for invoking BASIC with the proper parameters.   These files
could be named  DBASUPDT.BAS, DBASPRNT.BAS, DBASE.DAT, DBASE.DOC  and
DBASE.BAT.   Using these names, we can easily identify all of  the files used
by the database system, and the purpose of the  file.   Since the first
4 characters of each of these  file names are the same, they can all be copied
to another disk  by using  filename wildcard characters  (DBAS*.*)  in the copy
statement.

The recommended file name extensions are as follows:
        - .DOC = Documentation or Instructions
        - .TXT = General ASCII text file
        - .BIN = Binary memory image such as created by BSAVE
        - .DAT = Data file
        - .ASM = Assembly language source
        - .BAS = BASIC program
        - .PAS = PASCAL source
        - .FOR = FORTRAN source
        - .COB = COBOL source
        - .BAT = Batch file
        - .HEX = Files in Hexadecimal
        - .COM = Command files executable in DOS
        - .EXE = Compiled programs executable in DOS
     Some of the above filename extensions such as .BAT  are forced upon  us
and are included here for informational purposes.  I am sure some extensions
have been left out,  but this is at least a common starting point.

4. Keyboard Usage: The user friendliness of all programs can be improved
by using certain keys on the  keyboard consistently.  For example, the Escape
key (Esc) should always be  used  to back out of or escape from  the function
currently being  performed.  Since  there  are  far too many  keys  on  the
keyboard  to discuss here,  I will refer you to section 3 of  the IBM
Personal Computer Guide to Operations and Appendix C in  the Technical
Reference manual.  These manuals provide keyboard usage conventions generally
used by commercial software developers as  well.

Following these 4 sets of conventions  whenever possible keeps practices
uniform from one software developer to another and improves the quality and
legibility of the software library.   Following conventions like these may take
a little  extra time, but the long range benefits to the user and programmer
are worth it.
     In addition, you should avoid using  KILL or SAVE statements in your file
unless they are required for execution of the programs. Many people get quite
nervous with KILL statements in a file.