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From: law-lib@ucdavis.edu@INTERNET at SMTPCC
Date: 11/07/94 00:55PM
To: cynthia burke at OCCSPOST
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*To: law-lib@ucdavis.edu@INTERNET at SMTPCC
Subject: Regarding Shepard's on CD-ROM
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In response to specific issues voiced in the past couple of days,
Shepard's will release version 2.5 of its software in November.
That software specifically addresses the column layout issues
which arose in our products because to the ability of our
software to display information in variable fonts under the
Windows interface. This release will also include insertions of circuit
and state designators into citations lists in order that researchers will
be able to locate the most relevant issues most quickly. Other elements of
the release include a new installation program which will make entry of
passwords much easier, display of both initial page and pinpoint page for
citing references, and access to citations information by case name.
Regarding Shepard's menus, Shepard's has chosen to follow the industry
standard adopted by the Apple MacIntosh, Microsoft Windows, and current
DOS program developers. Where only one database is available on a computer
system, that database is opened automatically, avoiding the need for a menu
altogether. Where multiple databases are available, Shepard's offers the
ability to open a single database of preference. We have received a specific
suggestion from another customer and are looking into ways of offering a front
end menu as an option to those uses who are uncomfortable with the industry
standard.
The length of citing reference lists for U.S. and Federal citations
presents interesting challenges for librarians and software developers alike.
There are some citations which have over 50,000 citing references. The example
of a citation which consumed 65 pages is primarily an example of the volume of
data which Shepard's provides. The Windows version of the product provides
font
controls which allow a person to increase the number of citations per page,
but no product is going to be able to print thousands of citations very easily,
and there is some question in my mind of the utility to such a printout.
Shepard's offers alternatives, such as the Export feature that sends the
information to disk and the copy feature which allows editing of data and
transfer to Windows-based word processors.
More to the point is the ability of the Shepard's product to offer
improved navigation and subsetting features for these long citations lists.
Shepard's takes this need very seriously and is developing ways to use
hypertexting and subsetting technology to help researchers create meaningful
data lists before printing.
In regard to implementation issues, it is the unfortunate fact that the legal
industry uses a wide variety of PC configurations, networks, and software.
Shepard's software is running successfully on the vast majority of them.
It runs on Novelle, Banyan, Lantastic, and other networks. In operates under
most known network CD software. There are Macintosh and Unix users
successfully
using the program. While it is Shepard's objective to be compatible with as
many as possible, it is impossible to anticipate and test for every
configuration. Shepard's works with individual clients, network
vendors, hardware vendors, and software vendors to solve site-specific
problems.
If you are having problems reaching technical support, I encourage you to
e-mail directly or to call me at 719-481-7437. I do ask, however, that your
organization provide specific descriptions of your configuration and the
problems you are having so that Shepard's has a target to hit with a solution.
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