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Archive-name: wais-faq/getting-started
Last-modified: 13 May 93 00:00:01 EST

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?
	-7-  Where can I pick up the list of sources (e.g. databases) for WAIS?

Please send suggested corrections and additions to: edguer@ces.cwru.edu
The latest version of this FAQ is available from:
 <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/news.answers/wais-faq/getting-started>

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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: 9 Apr 93 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 400 databases].
Topics range from recipes and movies to bibliographies, technical documents,
and newsgroup archives.

WAIS was developed as 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.

Thinking Machines has announced that they will stop support for the
publicly distributed WAIS as of WAIS-8-b5.1.  Future support and development
of WAIS has been taken over by CNIDR (Clearinghouse for Networked Information
Discovery and Retrieval).  Future CNIDR releases will be called FreeWAIS, to 
help reduce confusion.

------------------------------

Subject: -4-  Where can I find more information on WAIS?
Date: 9 Apr 93 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-b5.1.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.

ZIP				Contact: zip-request@kudzu.concert.net
	The Z39.50-92 Information Project (ZIP) is a mailing list for
	those interested in the development of the FreeWAIS distribution
	from CNIDR.

SIG-WAIS			Contact: sig-wais-info@cnidr.org
	This is a list for announcements of meetings and presentations
	of the WAIS Special Interest Group.  These face-to-face conferences
	provide useful demonstrations and talks on WAIS and Z39.50.

------------------------------

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.

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Subject: -6-  Where can I find WAIS software for the XYZ OS?
Date: 13 May 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/services/wais first, if in Europe]

ftp.cnidr.org:/pub/NIDR.tools/freeWAIS-0.1.tar
	This is the new beta distribution of WAIS, with many bug fixes
	and the addition of Boolean searches, stemming, etc.  Please note
	freeWAIS 0.1 is a beta release for testing purposes only.  Bug fixes
	will be incorporated on a weekly basis until the version stabilizes.
	For more information read the release notes, available via anonymous
	FTP from ftp.cnidr.org:/pub/NIDR.tools/freeWAIS-0.1/RELEASE-NOTES

think.com:/wais/wais-8-b5.1.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/olwais-0.1a.tar.Z
	olwais - an OpenWindows (NeWS) client interface
	SPARC binary only.  Future releases will contain the C++ 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?)
	Requires TGV/Multinet (must be obtained separately).

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:/pub/fs/HyperWais.sea.hqx
	HyperWais - A Macintosh Hypercard client interface.
	currently at version 1.7
	Based on MacTCP and Hypercard (which must be obtained separately).
	Source is also available from
	mendel.welch.jhu.edu:/pub/fs/HyperWais.src.sea.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.

------------------------------

Subject: -7-  Where can I pick up the list of sources (e.g. databases) for WAIS?
Date: 7 Dec 92 00:00:01 EST

The current listing of publicly advertised sources is always available
via anonymous FTP from think.com in the /wais directory in the file
wais-sources.tar.Z (a compressed UNIX tar file).

Also available is a WAIS source description document. The document is
in 2 parts, one a list of WAIS sources and their descriptions grouped
into categories (the src-list) and the other the sources and descriptions
listed in alphabetical order (the annex).  These documents are maintained
by Chris Christoff <chrisc@bu.oz.au> and are available via anonymous FTP
from kirk.bu.oz.au:/pub/Bond_Uni/doc/wais in the files src-list.* and
annex.*.  The documents are mirrored on archive.orst.edu:/pub/doc/wais.

[please try nic.funet.fi:/pub/networking/services/wais first, if in Europe]

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