This snapshot taken on 16/07/2006, shows web content selected for preservation by The National Archives. External links, forms and search boxes may not work in archived websites.
 
The National Archives - links to home page    

 

Main website navigation:

Home About us Visit us Research, education & online exhibitions Search the archives Services for professionals News Shop online
   
 
Image of a software box and compact disk PRONOM
Welcome (PRONOM home page) About PRONOM Add an entry
Search Help - opens in a new window Information resources - opens in a new window
 
 
 

*DROID

  
 

Introduction

DROID (Digital Record Object Identification) is a software tool developed by The National Archives to perform automated batch identification of file formats. Developed by its Digital Preservation Department as part of its broader digital preservation activities, DROID uses internal and external signatures to identify and report the specific file format versions of digital files. These signatures are stored in an XML signature file, generated from information recorded in the PRONOM technical registry. New and updated signatures are regularly added to PRONOM, and DROID can be configured to automatically download updated signature files from the PRONOM website via web services. Follow the link for further information about the signature syntax and identification algorithm - PDFPDF document, opens in a new window (557 Kb) | RTFRTF document, opens in a new window (6 Mb).

DROID allows files and folders to be selected from a file system for identification. This file list can be saved at any point. After the identification process had been run, the results can be output in XML, CSV or printer-friendly formats. Follow the link for full documentation of the XML schemas - PDFPDF document, opens in a new window (557 Kb) | RTFRTF document, opens in a new window (6 Mb).

DROID includes a documented, public API, for ease of integration with other systems, and can be invoked from two interfaces:

  • A Java GUI
  • A command line interface

Installation requirements

DROID has the following installation requirements:

  • Java Runtime Environment, version 1.4.2 or later
  • Minimum 512 MB RAM recommended
  • Internet connection (for web update of signature files)

DROID is fully platform-independent, and should run on any platform supporting the Java Runtime Environment (version 1.4.2 or later). Use of the Sun JRE is recommended, which is freely available to download here. DROID has been fully tested on the following platforms: Windows 2000 SP 3, Windows XP Professional SP 2, Macintosh OS X. It has also been informally tested on the following Linux distributions:

  • Red Hat (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3)
  • Debian (Debian Sarge)
  • SUSE (SUSE 9.3)

Download

DROID is available to download as either a Windows installer (Windows 2000 or XP) or as a GZIP TAR file.

By downloading the software, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of use.

Installation

Windows installer

  • Save the downloaded "droid_windows_installer.exe" file to a temporary folder.
  • Run the installer by double-clicking the file "DROID_windows_installer.exe".
  • At the first prompt click "Setup" to commence installation.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.

TAR file

  • Save the downloaded "droid.tar.gz" file to a temporary location.
  • Create a folder to install DROID and extract the contents of the file to that location.
  • To run DROID in GUI mode, double-click the file "DROID.jar".
  • To run DROID from the command line, navigate to the folder containing the DROID installation and use the command "java –jar DROID.jar" followed by the required arguments described in the online help system.

Documentation

Instructions for use are provided in the on-line help system, included in the installation. The following documentation is also available for download:

  • DROID API documentation - PDFPDF document, opens in a new window (289 Kb) | RTFRTF document, opens in a new window (239 Kb)
  • DROID automatic format identification documentation (including XML schemas) - PDFPDF document, opens in a new window (557 Kb) | RTFRTF document, opens in a new window (6 Mb)

Terms and conditions of use

This software is Crown Copyright. This software may be freely downloaded, installed, copied and redistributed without modification. The source of the software must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged, including where used in any third-party product.

This software is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The National Archives is not liable for damages, including any general, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use of or inability to use the software, including but not limited to loss of data or data being rendered inaccurate or losses sustained or a failure of the software to operate with any other software.

The National Archives is unable to provide technical support for this software. However, all comments and feedback are welcomed and should be sent to pronom@nationalarchives.gov.uk .