| TITLE: | Response to JTC1 N4631 (Re-engineering questionaire) |
| SOURCE: | Charles Goldfarb (with input from James Mason and others in e-mail discussion) |
| PROJECT: | All WG8 projects |
| PROJECT EDITOR: | |
| STATUS: | Contribution sent to SC18 Plenary |
| ACTION: | For information |
| DATE: | 28 April 1997 |
| DISTRIBUTION: | WG8 and Liaisons |
| REFER TO: | |
| REPLY TO: | Dr. James David Mason
(ISO/IEC JTC1/SC18/WG8 Convenor) Lockheed Martin Energy Systems Information Management Services 1060 Commerce Park, M.S. 6480 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6480 U.S.A. Telephone: +1 423 574-6973 Facsimile: +1 423 574-0004 Network: masonjd@ornl.gov http://www.ornl.gov/sgml/wg8/wg8home.htm ftp://ftp.ornl.gov/pub/sgml/wg8/ |
1a. Do you consider that your present projects* align with the proposed recommendation?
No. We believe that an additional TD should be established:
Document Description Languages
Document description languages for system-independent and application-independent modeling and accessing of abstract information, including:
Since the publication of ISO 8879, SGML, in 1986, Document Description Languages has become an established technology direction in the real world. Thousands of enterprises have adopted it, it is taught in universities, thousands of articles and scores of books have been published on it, and there are dozens of membership organizations and industry consortia devoted to it throughout the world. ISO itself, and several of its National Bodies, employ SGML in the operation of their business.
In fact, Document Description Languages is a Technical Direction in which the ISO leads industry in standardization.
We should exploit this overwhelming success in JTC1's campaign for standardization resources, not conceal it by failing to identify Document Description Languages as a distinct Technical Direction. Even the World Wide Web's HTML, the most widely-used document description language, is an application of ISO 8879. SC18/WG8 is now standardizing HTML.
1b. If not please provide rationale for a different alignment within the overall set of technical directions.
A new Technical Direction, for Document Description Languages, should be established for the reasons given above. Failing that, the best alignment is with Programming Languages and Software Interfaces.
Document Description Languages are the complement of Programming Languages. They are focused on the object of the programs, as opposed to the programs themselves, and therefore they involve different user requirements and vastly different semantics. Although these differences are sufficiently important to justify two separate TDs, Document Description Languages are designed like programming languages and so there is a shared discipline and expertise. Both kinds of languages are system-independent and application-independent. There is no such commonality with the other TDs.
2. Do you believe your current projects* within the proposed technical direction will benefit from a synergistic fit with other projects,* (if any) in your technical direction?
Not if our work is positioned as part of a Multimedia and Representation TD. That TD deals with coding and coded representations, which are concrete and low-level. Document Description Languages deal with abstract information, which is just the opposite. Our technology predates multimedia and is used for many other applications.
Instead, if our work is correctly identified as a complement to JTC1's other efforts to improve computer programming, ISO would ensure a greater acceptance for its role among software developers.
3a. Do you believe any of your current projects require significant interactions with projects* in other technical directions?
No. In the past 12 years we have had occasional needs for interaction, but these have been on specific issues for limited time periods and have been met successfully by establishing liaisons.
3b. If so which ones?
N/A
4a. Do you believe supplementary standardization activity should be undertaken to sufficiently address the technical direction and which adds value to the work of JTC 1? For example there appears to be added standardization needs in the technical direction "Security" beyond the present work program of SC27.
Yes, if we are positioned as a Document Description Languages TD. SC18/WG8 standards are widely used in the most secure environments, such as intelligence agencies and military systems (CALS). Our users consider the total security environment: not just communications, but aspects such as intellectual property rights, rights of access, and watermarking of renditions.
4b. Do you consider that the resources to address these areas will be available?
Yes, as long as our projects are correctly positioned, so that prospective participants can recognize them as standards for Document Description Languages.