Hello!

For shrink-wrapped software for non-profit organizations, we would
like to take user input and save it in text format. We have to assume
that the user does not run IIS or the like and has a simple standalone
desktop and may not be computer savvy to set-up databases such as
MS-Access, SQL Server, Oracle etc. for storing user data. For
instance, the popular Quicken software saves data entered by user in
'quicken interchange format' or qif, which identifies and delimits
each field.

The software would work on windows OS and we are looking for guidance
on commonly used formats that can be used in this scenario. Do
remember that updates to specific fields (data) once entered by a user
must be facilitated.

Thanks.

Hi, tvr-ga:

The first suggestion that occurs to me is XML.  This is a text format
that is very flexible.  However without knowing what the data content
and processing requirements are, any suggestion would necessarily be
either quite general (as mine is) or a shot in the dark (e.g. use
Quicken's QIF (?)).

Depending on how much data needs to be maintained on the users'
machines (rather than in a centralized "database" of some kind), you
might look at an older format used by many 16-bit Windows applications
that is referred to as "INI files".  However if you work up an XML
format, you will have the advantage of many current software design
tools that "speak your language".

The format of the text file is probably not where to start in
designing this "shrink-wrapped" application.  A high-level
architecture/requirements document would simply picture the local
store of (persistent) data as a "file" on the user's computer.  You'll
need at least two perspectives on the design, a "data flow" diagram
that shows how information passes through the system, and a functional
diagram (perhaps hierarchical) that shows all the procedural
components (tasks the system is designed to accomplish).  If your
analysis has tremendous trouble filling in the blanks for these
diagrams, it may be a sign that the purpose of the software
application is not yet clearly envisioned.

regards, mathtalk-ga