Use of the IDC System

The documentation system operated by the IDC Internationale Dokumentationsgesellschaft für Chemie mbH uses electronic data processing methods. It allows the storage and retrieval of structures, reactions, and nonstructural keyword information. Structures and reactions are coded as terms of a faceted classification, while keywords are stored in clear text. 900000 formulas from patent and journal publications, including many Markush formulas, have now been stored on magnetic tape. Searches in this store are carried out with IDC programs, which require an average computer time of less than 1 minute per inquiry (CPU time). The structure terms can be produced by computer from topological records. The field covered at present is low molecular weight organic chemistry, though extension to macromolecular chemistry is feasible, and is in fact planned.