This compendium and the accompanying floppy diskettes are the result of an effort to compile and rapidly publish all relevant molecular data concerning the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and related retroviruses. The scope of the compendium and database is best summarized by the five parts that it comprises: (1) HIV and SIV Nucleotide Sequences; (H) Amino Acid Sequences; (III) Analyses; (IV) Related Sequences; and (V) Database Communications. information within all the parts is updated at least twice in each year, which accounts for the modes of binding and pagination in the compendium. While this publication could take the form of a review or sequence monograph, it is not so conceived. Instead, the literature from which the database is derived has simply been summarized and some elementary computational analyses have been performed upon the data. Interpretation and commentary have been avoided insofar as possible so that the reader can form his or her own judgments concerning the complex information. In addition to the general descriptions below of the parts of the compendium, the user should read the individual introductions for each part.