ISO/ IEC JTC1/SC22 N4024 

From:ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22
Programming languages, their environments and system software interfaces
Secretariat:  U.S.A.  (ANSI)
 
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22 N4024
 
TITLE:
ISO/IEC 9945 Project Editor Status Report  
          
DATE ASSIGNED:
2006-03-27
 
SOURCE:
Project Editor (A. Josey)

BACKWARD POINTER:
N/A
 
DOCUMENT TYPE:
Other (open)

PROJECT NUMBER:

 
STATUS:
This document is circulated to Sc 22 members for information.  
 
ACTION IDENTIFIER:
FYI
 
DUE DATE:
 
DISTRIBUTION:
TEXT

CROSS REFERENCE:
 
DISTRIBUTION FORM:
open

Address reply to:
Sally Seitz
ANSI
25 West 43rd Street
New York, NY  10036
Telephone:  (212) 642-4918
Fax:             (212) 840-2298
Email:  sseitz@ansi.org



_________________________End of cover page, beginning of document__________

ISO/IEC 9945 Project Editor Status Report            Austin-286 Page 1 of 1
Submitted by Andrew Josey, The Open Group.              March 1, 2006
 

This report is from the ISO/IEC 9945 Project Editor and documents the
outputs of the most recent meeting of the Austin Group.

The Austin Common Standards Revision Group (CSRG) is a joint technical
working group that manages the joint specification that is  ISO/IEC 9945
(POSIX), IEEE Std 1003.1 and The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 6.

The working group met at the Standards Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON,
co-joint with the ISO POSIX Advisory Group, on February 21-24 2006 to
consider the goals and plan the precise milestones for the next revision of
the standard.

Deliverables from the plenary meeting include a project plan detailing the
timeline and draft contents, together with the proposed ballot cycle.  This
is available as http://www.opengroup.org/austin/docs/austin_284.html

At the time of writing the Base documents input to the revision activity are
expected to be as follows:


	ISO/IEC 9945:2003 Parts 1 to 4
	(Part 1: Base Definitions, Part 2: System Interfaces,
	Part 3: Shell and Utilities, Part 4: Rationale)
	including the technical corrigenda:
	ISO/IEC 9945-1:2003/Cor.1:2004(E)
	ISO/IEC 9945-2:2003/Cor.1:2004(E)
	ISO/IEC 9945-3:2003/Cor.1:2004(E)
	ISO/IEC 9945-4:2003/Cor.1:2004(E)

	(technically identical to IEEE Std 1003.1, 2004 Edition
        and The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 6, 2004 edition)

	ISO/IEC 9899:1999 Programming Languages -- C.                  
	(latest technical corrigenda and defect reports)

	The Open Group Extended API Sets Parts 1 through 4
	
	Plus any additional submissions that meet the criteria and deadlines

The initial scope document drafted at the meeting will be used to create the
Project Authorization Request (PAR). It is planned to submit the PAR to IEEE
PASC in June 2006. We are currently investigating the paperwork required for
a revision at the ISO level.  It is not clear from the JTC 1 directives
whether or not a NWI or division of work is needed to conduct a revision (,
and historically SC 22 has not required such an action).
The 9945 Project Editor has sent in a request to the ISO SC22 Secretariat to
form an editing group for the revision.

The draft scope is available as:
http://www.opengroup.org/austin/docs/austin_285.txt

It is anticipated that the scope of the revision will include the following:

-The addition of new functionality from The Open Group Extended API Sets
Parts 1 through 4

-Issues raised by ISO TR 24715:200x, "Conflicts between POSIX and the LSB".

-Additions to the specification raised as new work items, to reflect current
practice and knowledge, as proposed by ISO SC22, the IEEE, or The Open Group
by July 31st 2006

-A review of the use of fixed path filenames within the standard, for
example the at, batch and crontab utilities that presently have a
requirement for use of the directory /usr/lib/cron

-A review of features marked as Legacy or obsolescent in the Base documents
and consider the status of such items.

-A review of existing interfaces to decide whether any of them should be
marked obsolescent.  This is a way to transition features to allow a future
withdrawal.  Possible candidates include the Batch Environment Services and
Utilities option from XCU and the POSIX tracing option in XSH

-Issues raised by Austin Group Interpretations against ISO/IEC 9945 (IEEE
Std 1003.1)

-Issues raised by Defect Reports as recorded in the Aardvark reports and
SD/5

-A review of the options within the standard, and whether its possible to
reduce the number of them.  For example, it might be that the threads,
barriers and spinlocks options be migrated to the Base functionality.
Such a move of functionality from an option into the Base would need to
include an update to the subprofiling considerations appendix to record the
grouping by name and the list of associated functions.

Looking forward,  a plan has been prepared with a draft schedule (see
Austin/284).  This anticipates that there will be either five or six drafts.
The first and second drafts are anticipated to be produced during 2006.  The
first draft will fold in changes only to existing material, and no new
submissions. The second draft will include the new submissions and be the
first feature complete draft. Its anticipated that this will go for a three
month review, including IEEE and ISO ballots. At ISO we expect to do a
concurrent CD registration and CD ballot. A plenary meeting would be held to
resolve the bug reports in February 2007. Draft three would be the first
draft on which the narrowing down rules within IEEE and the Austin Group
will be applied and subsequent drafts will then aim to take the document
through to completion of the relevant approval ballots in the sponsoring
bodies.
It is anticipated that the next revision will complete by September 2008.

At the plenary the Austin Group took the decision to extend the first call
for proposed submissions of new material to March 31 2006 (see note ii).
The criteria for adoption remain unchanged as in Appendix A below.
For external documents that meet the criteria, a full proposal should be
submitted including detailed editing instructions by July 31 2006.


At the meeting it was also noted that the next SC22 Plenary meeting is to be
held in London, and that due to the proximity the 9945 Project Editor should
attend that meeting in person.

Further information on the Austin Group can be obtained at
http://www.opengroup.org/austin/faq.html

-----
Notes:
(i) Numbered documents and Standing Documents can be obtained from the
Austin Group Document register at
http://www.opengroup.org/austin/docreg.html

(ii) Submissions of new material should be submitted to the Austin Group
Chair. The initial submission should be less than 500 words and include a
list of proposed interfaces together with a description of purpose.
-----

Appendix A:

Criteria for Inclusion of new interfaces

The recommended criteria for development of new interfaces to enable them to
be considered for inclusion in a future revision are as follows:

1.There must be a written specification that has undergone a formal
consensus based approval process and is suitable for inclusion.

Parties interested in submitting new work items through one of the three
organizations within the Austin Group (The Open Group, IEEE, ISO/IEC) should
contact the appropriate Organizational Representative for further
information and advice on how each organization handles new work items.
Submissions from other organizations will also be considered.
Items 2 through 4 below apply to all submissions regardless of origin.

2.There must be an implementation, preferably a reference implementation.

3.The specification must be "sponsored" by one of three organizations (The
Open Group, IEEE, ISO/IEC) within the Austin Group, i.e. they would support
and champion its inclusion. 

4.Submitters must provide an outline plan of the editing instructions to
merge the document with the Austin Group specifications, and assistance to
the Austin Group editors as required to complete the merger.
For an example, see
http://www.opengroup.org/sophocles/show_mail.tpl?source=L&listname=austin-gr
oup-l&id=434

-----
Andrew Josey                                The Open Group  

ISO/IEC 9945 Project Editor
Austin Group Chair                          Thames Tower, 37-45 Station
Road,
Email: a.josey@opengroup.org                Reading,Berks.RG1 1LX,England
Tel:   +44 118 9508311 ext 2250             Fax: +44 118 9500110




Sally Seitz
Program Manager
ANSI
25 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 642-4918
Fax: (212) 840-2298
Email: sseitz@ansi.org