Don.Gilbert@IUBio.Bio.Indiana.Edu (Don Gilbert) (08/31/90)
Organization: Biology Dept., Indiana University I am interested in obtaining releases of GenBank via compact disk, if the price is reasonable and the CD releases are relatively timely. David Benton, in a previous posting, mentioned the imminent release of a CD pressing of GenBank, so maybe this would be a good time to let us netreaders know more about it? I, and I think other also, would prefer not to pump the 50+ MB of compressed GenBank over the Internet every few months. Q1. I asked this question via paper mail to GenBank a while back but did not get the answer that I needed. I have a Macintosh CD ROM drive that understands ISO 9660 and High Sierra file formats, as well as Macintosh file format. I am contemplating purchase of a Sun CD ROM that also understands ISO 9660 and High Sierra. Will the GenBank CD be in one or more of these low-level disk formats? Q2. The answer I did receive from GenBank was on the high-level formats to be included on the CD, the "GenBank/ EMBL/ PIR CD ROM file structure proposal". I think it is great that you are getting together on this format, and eventually someone will write software that will allow use of the special indexing described for this high level format. But what I need now is a CD that contains the same files that you make available via ftp. This may be answered somewhere in the lengthy CD document, but can you tell me now: Does this GenBank CD contain the same files as you make available via ftp? Q3. How do I order the CD and how much does it cost for a yearly subscription? Thanks, Don Don.Gilbert@iubio.bio.indiana.edu biology dept., indiana univ., bloomington, in 47405, usa
benton@genbank.BIO.NET (David Benton) (09/03/90)
Don Gilbert asked the following questions about the release of GenBank data on CD ROM: > I have a Macintosh CD ROM drive that > understands ISO 9660 and High Sierra file formats, as well as Macintosh > file format. I am contemplating purchase of a Sun CD ROM that also > understands ISO 9660 and High Sierra. Will the GenBank CD be in one or > more of these low-level disk formats? The GenBank CD ROM will be ISO 9660. > Q2. The answer I did receive from GenBank was on the high-level formats > to be included on the CD, the "GenBank/ EMBL/ PIR CD ROM file structure > proposal". But what I > need now is a CD that contains the same files that you make available via > ftp. This may be answered somewhere in the lengthy CD document, but can > you tell me now: Does this GenBank CD contain the same files as you make > available via ftp? The answer is in the third paragraph of that lengthy document. The GenBank flat-file (magnetic tape distribution) format files and the GenBank floppy disk distribution format files will be included on the GenBank CD ROM as long as there is room. The ASCII text files on the CD ROM will be formatted as MS-DOS files with CR/LF record delimiters. The first GenBank CD ROM, which should be shipping within two weeks, will include the following databases: GenBank Rel 63.0, floppy disk format GenBank Rel 64.1, floppy disk format GenBank Rel 64.1, mag-tape format GenPept Rel 64.2, mag-tape format The next release, due to ship in late October, will include GenBank Rel. 65 in mag-tape, floppy disk, and the new common CD ROM formats and GenPept Rel. 65. Rel 64.1 contains the same entries as Rel 64.0, but with some corrections to feature locations. GenPept is a protein sequence database created by automatic translation (using the justly famed programs of Jim Fickett) of all annotated protein coding regions in GenBank. Rel 64.2 includes translations of all the entries in GenBank Rel 63.0 plus all new GenBank entries prepared for release up to August 17. > Q3. How do I order the CD and how much does it cost for a yearly > subscription? Send e-mail to genbank@genbank.bio.net requesting an order form (please include your postal address). The CD ROM releases are currently priced at $100 per release ($25 discount for pre-paid or MC/Visa orders) or $300 for a four-release annual subscription. Sincerely, David Benton GenBank benton@karyon.bio.net