PAD files (Portable Application Description) are the most popular, effective and convenient method of distributing information about your applications to websites that list or sell software. They are basically XML files of a widely-accepted standard and format. PADGen is a small, lightweight and free application that lets you easily create PAD files for all your programs.
The first thing that recommended PADGen to me as a completely trustworthy tool is the fact that it is developed and maintained by a member of the Association of Software Professionals (ASP), which is the de facto creator of the PAD format. The next thing that I liked about this tool is its very neat and simple interface. It makes filling in the data about your applications and then saving it and distributing it a really easy and fast job. Additional features such as the spell checker or the support for signing the PAD files have also contributed to making me get a positive opinion about this tool.
In conclusion, PADGen is a little free program that comes with no drawbacks or flaws and left me no other choice but recommending it. It actually made me think that it should be used by any software developer interested in distributing its work and making it more visible in the online environment.
v3.0.1.38 [Feb 14, 2008]
Support for current PAD 3.01 spec and PAD Signing
