This document describes a text encoding of the source description structure. Example C code to read and write these structures is available free of charge from the authors. Note that WAIS end users should never see this structure, since a typical user will use the source structures retrieved from the directory of servers or those created by waisindex, and interact with them through a client user interface.
Sources form the conceptual link between an information user and a database vendor.
As such, they serve two functions. First, they provide a means for the database vendor to inform the user of database specific information, in particular, how to contact the database, and how much it costs to do so. Second, they serve as repositories for the user's customizations. The fields which describe how to contact a server, what database name to use, and how much the service costs are required. The other fields are strictly optional.