The DynamicPAD technology extends the Portable Application Description (PAD) standard by allowing shareware vendors to provide customized PAD XML files to each download site or any other PAD-enabled resource.

Why do you need this?

There are a lot of reasons to customize your PAD files. Here are the most important benefits:

• Download sites may have different requirements for text formatting. Some allow HTML tags in descriptions, others don't. Some sites prohibit carriage returns, others allow them. Some sites limit screenshot size, some don't. By using DynamicPAD, you can utilize the best formatting possible on each site.
• While you can put multilingual product descriptions into the same PAD file, you may also want to alter other PAD fields according to the site's language. For example, you may want to provide different download links for different language groups, alter the price and more. DynamicPAD allows you to alter any of the PAD fields.
• DynamicPAD is the most effective way of gathering statistical info about downloads. Since each site receives a set of unique links, you always know how many times your downloadables and your PAD file were requested from a certain site.
• Some sites may have a specific audience. DynamicPAD allows you to customize your product descriptions to the site's target audience.
• Google and other search engines regularly index product listings on download sites. By using the same set of descriptiosn for all download sites, you will get most of your product listings filtered from the search results pages. Moreover, your own site may get penalized by Google. Using DynamicPAD, you can create as many alternative descriptions as you like and have them chosen randomly.
• DynamicPAD simplifies PAD file management. For example, from now on, you don't have to use an FTP utility to upload your PAD files.

How does it work?

The idea is as simple as a PAD itself. Instead of publishing a static PAD XML file on your web server, you use a PHP script that generates a PAD file on-the-fly. When submitting your product to download sites, you generate custom URLs that contain a unique download site ID and other marks that reflect the site's language, etc. The URLs look as if they were pointing to static XML files on your server. Yet, on receipt of such a URL, your server starts the DynamicPAD script that generates a PAD file customized according to the conditions contained in the URL.

Is it compatible with the classic ASP PAD specification?

Yes, it is fully compatible. It works transparently for download sites. Each download site receives a normal link and a valid PAD XML file. There is absolutely no difference from the download site's point of view.

What about the sites that do not accept PAD files?

There is a software submission utility (RoboSoft) that allows you to use your DynamicPAD data when submitting your product (either automatically or manually) to both PAD-enabled and non-PAD-enabled sites. On the sites that do not support PAD, RoboSoft fills out online forms with your DynamicPAD data.

How much does it cost?

Nothing. The DynamicPAD is a free, open-source project. The code is distributed under the GPL license. There is also a freeware DynamicPAD editor for Windows. Why is it free? The project is supported by Submit-Everywhere.com, a software submission service for shareware developers.

Copyright © Rudenko Software'2006