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@uk.ibm.com
tel:+44-1962-815848
Unless stated otherwise above:
IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 741598.
Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU