Frequently Asked Questions¶
How do I obtain technical support?
What third-party software/libraries/files will I need to use GIFT?
What process do I follow to submit software to the GIFT project?
Where do I find the Distribution Agreement?
Where can I find a list of definitions of GIFT terminology?
How is the GIFT software licensed?
What support is available for legacy versions of GIFT?
What is the MD5 column on the downloads tab?
How do I obtain technical support?¶
Start with a search/review of the issues database and the troubleshooting forum. If a satisfactory solution isn't found, then post a question in the troubleshooting forum. You will need to be a registered user.
What third-party software/libraries/files will I need to use GIFT?¶
Redistributable third-party libraries needed to build GIFT are included in the release packages. For additional details refer to the release notes document for the GIFT version you are using.
What process do I follow to submit software to the GIFT project?¶
We're still developing this process. For now, just be sure to follow the GIFT coding standards as you're developing your code. We'll provide more details as we have them.
As of GIFT 3.0 the coding standards can be found in the GIFT/docs folder.
Where do I find the Distribution Agreement?¶
As of version 2.0, the GIFT software is released under Distribution Statement A (Public Release). No distribution agreement is required.
Where can I find a list of definitions of GIFT terminology?¶
Visit the GIFT glossary
How is the GIFT software licensed?¶
Use of GIFT software is governed by the GIFT End User License Agreement
What support is available for legacy versions of GIFT?¶
When a new GIFT release is made, any prior release(s) on the GIFT Portal are removed. However, as of GIFT 3.0 we are endeavoring to provide migration tools to facilitate transition from prior version(s) to the latest version. For example, with GIFT 3.0 we are providing a beta version of a DKF and Course (XML file) Conversion wizard which can be downloaded from the Files Tab. This tool can be used to convert GIFT 2.0 Course.xml and DKF.xml files into GIFT 3.0 compatible files.
Generally speaking, technical support from the GIFT Team will be limited to current versions of GIFT; however, users are welcome to post support requests for legacy version to the troubleshooting forum on the GIFT portal. Members of the GIFT community are welcome to reply to such inquiries. The GIFT team will decide to respond to legacy version support requests on a case-by-case basis.
What is the MD5 column on the downloads tab?¶
From Wikipedia : The MD5 message-digest algorithm is a widely used cryptographic hash function producing a 128-bit (16-byte) hash value, typically expressed in text format as a 32 digit hexadecimal number. MD5 has been utilized in a wide variety of cryptographic applications, and is also commonly used to verify data integrity.
An MD5 sum is listed for each file on the Downloads tab so that GIFT users can verify the integrity of files downloaded from the GIFT portal. A short video explaining this process is available on YouTube