Last-modified: 19 Nov 92 00:00:01 EST Version: beta release 1 comp.infosystems.wais Frequently asked Questions [FAQ] (with answers) -1- What is the purpose of this newsgroup? -2- How can I search this FAQ to find the answers? -3- What is WAIS? -4- Where can I find more information on WAIS? -5- How can I get access to WAIS? -6- Where can I find WAIS software for the XYZ OS? Please send suggested corrections and additions to: edguer@ces.cwru.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: -1- What is the purpose of this newsgroup? Date: 28 Oct 92 00:00:01 EST From the Charter: comp.infosystems.wais is for discussion of WAIS, the Wide Area Information Servers, a networked full text retrieval system developed by Thinking Machines, Apple Computer, and Dow Jones. ------------------------------ Subject: -2- How can I search this FAQ to find the answers? Date: 19 Nov 92 00:00:01 EST This FAQ follows the RFC1153 recommendations for message digests and thus should easily be viewed by newsreaders that understand message digests. This FAQ also uses the Subject: lines with the answer to each question and thus it should be easy to step through the answers with the "^G" command of rn. This FAQ marks each question with a "dash number dash" so that using a regular expression search pattern you can easily get directly to any question on the document. ------------------------------ Subject: -3- What is WAIS? Date: 28 Oct 92 00:00:01 EST WAIS stands for Wide Area Information Servers. WAIS is a networked information retrieval system. WAIS currently uses TCP/IP to connect client applications to information servers. Client applications are able to retrieve text or multimedia documents stored on the servers. Client applications request documents using keywords. Servers search a full text index for the documents and return a list of documents containing the keyword. The client may then request the server to send a copy of any of the documents found. Although the name "Wide Area" implies the use of the large networks such as the Internet to connect clients to servers distributed around the network, WAIS can be used between a client and server on the same machine or a client and server on the same LAN. WAIS uses the Z39.50 query protocol to communicate between clients and servers. WAIS does not, at this time, implement the full Z39.50-1992 specification. In particular, WAIS does not permit boolean searches but instead is restricted to relevance feedback. There are a large number of servers running currently [over 300 databases]. Topics range from recipes and movies to bibliographies, technical documents, and newsgroup archives. WAIS is a project of Thinking Machines, Apple Computer and Dow Jones. WAIS is a free product available with full source to the server, indexing software, and many clients. ------------------------------ Subject: -4- Where can I find more information on WAIS? Date: 28 Oct 92 00:00:01 EST Depending upon the information you seek there are many options. Perhaps the best place to start is the WAIS white sheet available via anonymous FTP from think.com in the file wais-corporate-paper.text. This will give you a good idea of why people got interested in WAIS and a very simple overview of the WAIS architecture. If you want to learn more about how WAIS really works or answer other FAQ's the best place to start is the documentation that comes with WAIS. The WAIS distribution is available via anonymous FTP from think.com in the file /wais/wais-8-b5.tar.Z. After uncompressing and untarring the distribution, you will find a ./doc directory that includes a more complete FAQ, documents for programmers, users guides, protocol specifications, a paper on digital librarian ethics, and a bibliography of WAIS articles. If you wish to do further reading the bibliography of articles published on WAIS is also available separately from think.com in the file /wais/bibliography.txt. Next, of course, there is the newsgroup comp.infosystems.wais. The newsgroup is regularly visited by the authors of WAIS at think.com and other experts on using both WAIS and other resources on the Internet. After listening in on the group for a while, you are welcome to post your questions if you have been unable to find an answer yourself from the documentation. Finally, there are a number of mailing lists which you can join if you wish to follow WAIS. wais-interest Contact: wais-interest-request@think.com This is a moderated list used to announcement new releases for the Internet environment. wais-discussion Contact: wais-discussion-request@think.com The WAIS-discussion is a digested, moderated list on Electronic publishing issues in general and Wide Area Information Servers in particular. There are postings every week or two. wais-talk Contact: wais-talk-request@think.com The WAIS-talk is an open list (interactive, not moderated) for implementors and developers. This is a technical list that is not meant to be used as a support list. Z3950IW Contact: LISTSERV@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu Z39.50 Implementors list for low level discussions of protocol details. ------------------------------ Subject: -5- How can I get access to WAIS? Date: 19 Nov 92 00:00:01 EST Perhaps the easiest way to get started, if you do not want to get a copy of the full distribution and build your own clients is to try WAIS out using the client running at Thinking Machines. To do this you must use TELNET to connect to quake.think.com and enter the username "wais" [lowercase-no quotes] at the "login:" prompt. This will permit you to use swais (Screen WAIS). swais is a curses based interface, so if you have problems, it may be due to your terminal setup. If you are unsure of the commands, try using a question mark [?] at the prompt. ------------------------------ Subject: -6- Where can I find WAIS software for the XYZ OS? Date: 19 Nov 92 00:00:01 EST There are a number of sources for WAIS software available via anonymous FTP. [please try nic.funet.fi:/pub/networking/service/wais first, if in Europe] think.com:/wais/wais-8-b5.tar.Z This is the main UNIX distribution. It includes waisindex, the program that builds the indexes, and waisserver, the program that responds to client queries. The clients include: waissearch - a "dumb" tty client interface swais - a "simple" curses based client interface wais.el - A GNU Emacs client interface xwais - an X Window System client interface think.com:/wais/motif-a1.tar.Z mxwais - an OSF-Motif client interface that requires the xwais source. SunSITE.unc.edu:/pub/wais/openlook-wais.tar.Z xwais - an OpenLook (NeWS) client interface SunSITE.unc.edu:/pub/wais/sunview/sunsearch.src.003.tar.Z sunsearch - a SunView (SunTools) client interface SunSITE.unc.edu:/pub/wais/vms/vms-client/* client - a VAX VMS based client interface (based on the code from 8-b2?) SunSITE.unc.edu:/pub/wais/vms/vms-server/* waisserver - a VAX VMS based server waisindex - a VAX VMS based indexer think.com:/wais/WAIStation-NeXT-1.9.1.tar.Z WAIStation.app - a NeXTstep based client interface for NeXT workstations think.com:WAIStation-0-63.sit.hqx WAIStation - a Macintosh interface client based on MacTCP. MacTCP must be obtained separately. Source to the client in THINK C is available from quake.think.com:/wais/WAIStation-0-62-Sources.sit.hqx mendel.welch.jhu.edu:/incoming/HyperWais.sit.hqx HyperWais - A Macintosh Hypercard client interface. Based on MacTCP and Hypercard (which must be obtained separately). Source is also available from mendel.welch.jhu.edu:/incoming/HyperWais.src.sit.hqx SunSITE.unc.edu:/pub/wais/DOS/pcdist.zip pcwais - An MS-DOS client interface Based on Borland TurboVision and the Crynwr Packet Drivers. oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu:/public/dos/misc/oacwais.exe oacwais - An MS-DOS client interface Based on FTP Software's PC/TCP. FTP Software's PC/TCP must be obtained separately. SunSITE.unc.edu:/pub/wais/Windows/wwais103.zip wwais - a Microsoft Windows 3.0 client interface Based on Visual Basic and Novell's LAN Workplace for DOS. LAN Workplace for DOS must be obtained separately. You can also use Gopher to access WAIS. For the availability of Gopher clients, please visit the comp.infosystems.gopher newsgroup. ------------------------------ .