what is pad submission?

I googled pad submission and saw a software but I still don't understand what it really means and how it relates to programming.

Thanks.

3 Answers

via asp-shareware.org

PAD is the Portable Application Description, and it helps authors provide product descriptions and specifications to online sources in a standard way, using a standard data format that will allow webmasters and program librarians to automate program listings. PAD saves time for both shareware authors and webmasters.

So PAD submission software would be software that submits your application to agencies that keep track of software using that standard. Along the same track as search engine submission software.

PAD is a standard released by asp-shareware.org and widely used by download websites to insert (and keep up to date with on demand or periodic polling) a software in a database of downloads.

Basically a PAD file is an xml file written following the PAD standard, containing relevant information (i.e. version number, release date, descriptions in multiple languages) about the software.

Being an .xml file, it can be created in any conceiveable way, but it is generally recommended to use a good tool (like the one provided by asp-shareware.org itself) that can validate the PAD file to check if it is coherent with the stanard - so in order to avoid it failing to correctly update software entries on download websites.

It's a way of describing your (usually shareware) application. To quote shareware promotions (which googled highly for "PAD file")

PAD stands for Portable Application Description, and a PAD file is a clear and easy way for software authors to provide online sources with information about their products. The advantage of using a PAD file is that it enables you to store all the descriptions and specifications in one single place - system requirements, price, contact info, file names, download URL's and more.