archive intentionally split into multiple parts at creation so the parts can then be individually downloaded by slower connections like dial-up. Example: .rar, .r00, .r01, .r02, etc.) to contain this file. This probably contributed to its extended popularity after the decline of the bulletin board system in the late 1990s and early 2000s until now, since even casual consumers of unlicensed software would have stumbled upon it due to its abundance. Formal structure While real-world use among BBSs varied, with the NPD world and even different BBS brands coming up with expanded versions, the official format is: Plain, 7-bit ASCII text, each line no more than 45 characters wide. Program/file name: Ideally, all uppercase and followed by one space. Carriage returns are ignored in this file. Version number: In the format "v1.123", followed by a space. ASP number: Only if an actual ASP member, otherwise ignored. Description separator: A single short hyphen "-". Description: The description of the file. The first two lines should be the short summary, as older boards cut off the rest. Anything beyond that should be extended description, for up to eight lines, the official cut-off size. Additional text could be included beyond that but might not be included by the board. Many archives would stick strictly to the 45-character plain ASCII format for the first 8 lines, then contain an appended 80-character wide 8-bit ASCII or ANSI graphic page with better-formatted documentation after that. See also .nfo — another standard for description files README Portable Application Description — a newer and more verbose alternative Standard (warez) SAUCE — an architecture or protocol created in 1994 for attaching metadata or comments to files. In use today as the de facto standard within the ANSI art community. DESC.SDI — a similar filename that had fairly wide support, including PCBoard. It tended to be limited to a single line (smaller than a FILE_ID.DIZ file). DESCRIPT.ION — a text file containing line by line file (and directory) descriptions (and optional meta data), originally introduced by JP Software in 1989 References Further reading External links FILE_ID.DIZ Specification v1.9 by Richard Holler. Public Service Announcement: file_id.diz Bulletin board systems Filenames Third-party DOS files Warez Articles with underscores in the title