CDS/ISIS for DOS

CDS/ISIS was developed for DOS in 1985 by UNESCO. It is an information retrieval program, non-relational but specialising in features required for bibliographic information, namely repeatable fields and variable length fields. From the start the software has been free, but it is not shareware, it remains under the control of UNESCO. There are six subprograms, Information retrieval, Data entry, Sorting and printing, Inverted file, Database definition (creating a new database or modifying an existing one), Master file services, System utility services and Advanced programming services which contains a Pascal compiler so that the user may adapt the program menus. The program has a sophisticated print formatting language and output can be tailored to user requirements. Many manuals have been produced by experienced users[1].

 CDS/ISIS for Windows

CDS/ISIS for Windows, or WINISIS for short, was formally released in December 1998. The package, version 1.31 now firmly follows the standards expected from Windows programs. It will eventually be available from UNESCO's webserver, but at present UNESCO staff are investigating the legal safeguards required to distribute in this way. It has been sent to official distributors on two floppy disks and most distributors have already made arrangements to release the software to their clients. The functions of the DOS version are present. In addition, there is a wizard for developing the parameter files that are required to set up a database (in the DOS version they had to be created by a user with specialist knowledge). The databases developed under CDS/ISIS for DOS can be read by the Windows version. Windows has more sophisticated print formatting possibilities. It also contains a global edit function. As in the DOS version, the wording on the menus may be changed thus making it easy to provide foreign langauge versions. A manual is available with the program which relates to version 1.3, and an update to this is provided as well as the usual Windows style of help facility in the program itself.

Users of databases have been eager to place their databases on the WWW, and UNESCO has cooperated with BIREME, an institute in Brazil, to develop a version for WWW. This is available freely from the BIREME website at www.bireme.br. A standard CDS/ISIS database can be used; the print format must be adapted for HTML. Documentation is provided with the program but it is not easy to read. BIREME have also developed a command line version of CDS/ISIS which is written in C (UNESCO programs were written in Pascal).

 Reference

 1. Бакстон, Эндрю; Хопкинсон, Алан. Руководство по CDS/ISIS. Москва: ГПНТБ, 1997