[DFDL-WG] Latest draft of DFDL 1.0 specification

[Steve Hanson]

Alan

Since the DFDL 1.0 specification was published in Feb 2011, the two 
implementation teams (IBM and the Daffodil project) have identified a 
number of errata in the specification. These have been recorded in an 
errata document held on Redmine. The number of errata is currently at 
around 190, and include both clarifications to the specification and 
changes that affect an implementation, both major and minor. Typically as 
errata have been raised, the implementation teams include any implied 
changes in the next release of their implementation. 

Both implementation teams, and users of the two implementations, have 
requested that the DFDL 1.0 specification is revised to include all errata 
to date, so that the specification more closely reflects the 
implementations. Accordingly all errata to date have been incorporated 
into a new revision of the specification, which as a result has grown from 
168 pages to 234 pages. 

This new revision of the specification supersedes the original. There is 
no implementation that exactly reflects the original as published on the 
OGF web site, they both adhere more closely to the new revision. The DFDL 
WG would therefore like to publish the new revision. The DFDL WG also 
recognises that there may be comments against the new revision, and that 
there may still be some errata undetected by the implementation teams, so 
that a further revision may be necessary in the future. Nonetheless it is 
important that the new revision in its current form is externally visible, 
and not just kept as an internal working document, as there are now many 
dozens of DFDL users, and they need an up-to-date specification. In 
particular, IBM DFDL wants to ship the HTML version of the new revision to 
IBM customers in its next release.

We are looking to the OGF for guidance on how next to proceed. 

Would it be possible for the OGF to join our next DFDL WG call to discuss 
further? The call is at 16:00 UK (11:00 Eastern).

Regards

Steve Hanson
Architect, IBM Data Format Description Language (DFDL)
Co-Chair, OGF DFDL Working Group
IBM SWG, Hursley, UK
smh at uk.ibm.com
tel:+44-1962-815848
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Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU
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