Subject: SC22 N2529 - Revised WG16 Business Plan and Convener's Report

From: "william c. rinehuls" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 1997 17:26:40 -0400 (EDT)

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ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22
Programming languages, their environments and system software interfaces
Secretariat:  U.S.A.  (ANSI)

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22
N2529

July

TITLE:
Revised WG16 Business Plan and WG16 Convener's Report for the AUgust 1997
JTC 1/SC22 Plenary

SOURCE:
Secretariat, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22

WORK ITEM:
N/A

STATUS:
Please note that this Convener's Report and Business Plan replace the
Report and Plan contained in document SC22 N2502 and will be considered
under Agenda Item 8.9 at the August 1997 SC22 Plenary.

CROSS REFERENCE:
Replaces SC22 N2502

DOCUMENT TYPE:
Convener's Report

ACTION:
To SC22 Member Bodies for review.

Address reply to: 
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22 Secretariat
William C. Rinehuls
8457 Rushing Creek Court
Springfield, VA 22153 USA
Tel:  +1 (703) 912-9680
Fax:  +1 (703) 912-2973
email:  [email-masked]

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BUSINESS PLAN AND CONVENER'S REPORT: ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG16 (ISLISP)

PERIOD COVERED: 
August 1996 - July 1997

SUBMITTED BY: 
Pierre Parquier  (ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22 WG16 Convener)
9 rue de Verdun, 94253 Gentilly Cedex, France
+33 1 49 08 35 86
[email-masked]

1. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

1.1 JTC1/SC22/WG16 STATEMENT OF SCOPE 

  WG16 is responsible for the single project 22.23, producing an
  international standard for Lisp.

1.2 PROJECT REPORT 

1.2.1 COMPLETED PROJECTS 

JTC1.22.23 -- ISO/IEC 13816 "Programming Language ISLISP"

  ISO/IEC 13211 was published in May 1997.

1.2.2 PROJECTS UNDERWAY 

  No project underway.

1.2.3 COOPERATION AND COMPETITION 

  The WG16 activities of producing ISLISP were done by collaborative
  work of six regularly participating P-member nations; France
  (Convenor), United States (Project Editor), Canada, Germany, Japan,
  and United Kingdom. These nations had close collaboration with their
  local Lisp communities; for example, EuLisp community in European
  nations, X3J13 in United States, and IPSJ-SIGSYM community in Japan.

  ISLISP was designed on the bases of KL (proposed by Japan) and CLOS
  (proposed by US), reflecting experiences of COMMON LISP, EULISP, LE
  LISP, and SCHEME, and taking into account common practices in the
  Lisp community.  ISLISP is a small Lisp, but it is designed with
  extensibility in mind, trying to keep compatibility with existing
  Lisp dialects, too.
    
  ISLISP would be embeddable in COMMON LISP implementations without
  big efforts, but ISLISP will promote efficient implementations if it
  is implemented from scratch.  ISO ISLISP, ANSI COMMON LISP and IEEE
  SCHEME would be co-existing and complementary in the Lisp community,
  since they have their own distinctive features in languages,
  systems, and applications.

2.0 PERIOD REVIEW 

2.1 MARKET REQUIREMENTS 

  The WG16 investigated modules, i18n, graphics, binding facilities,
  taking into consideration several input documents from the member
  nations.  But none of them was identified as standardizable in the
  short term, because of lack of maturity of current technology.  At
  the 15th meeting in Bath WG16 identified some of them (in
  particular, C binding) should be included in a subsequent revision
  of the standard ISO/IEC 13816.

2.2 ACHIEVEMENTS 

  Move CD 13816 to DIS status: 
  - 1996-10-21: DIS passed unanimously
  - 1996-09-30: ITTF commented DIS proposal to gain time over the
                next step

  Move DIS 13816 to IS status: 
  - 1996-12-31: IS13816 sent to ITTF for publication
  - 1996-05-01: after new minute comments from ITTF are addressed,
                ISO/IEC 13816 is finally published

  According to our experience on ISLISP the final step (IS
  publication) has been way too slow (4 months).  I suggest SC22
  determines if this is a usual delay, and if so asks JTC1 to improve
  the publication process.

2.3 RESOURCES 

  The work for the period reviewed has mostly been IS editing; the
  Project Editor (Kent Pitman, USA) supplied the required effort.  In
  addition Canada, France, Japan, UK and the USA contributed to the
  disposition of comments.

  Resources to address defect reports are secured (FR and US, and GB
  and JP as backup).

3.0 FOCUS NEXT WORK PERIOD 

  For the upcoming work period, WG16 will be ready to recieve reports
  on ISO/IEC 13816.

  Work on the next revision of ISO/IEC 13816 (e.g. C binding) is not
  expected to begin during the next period.

3.1 DELIVERABLES 

  none over the next period.
  
3.2 STRATEGIES 

  Wait for defect reports and organize the work of WG16 depending on
  the content of these reports.

3.2.1 RISKS 

  None for the work planned over the next period.

3.2.2 OPPORTUNITIES 

  None for the work planned over the next period.

3.3 WORK PROGRAM PRIORITIES 

  None for the work planned over the next period.

4. OTHER ITEMS 

  This section lists other items that are not part of the "Business
  Plan" but are appropriate for Convener's Report.

4.1 POSSIBLE ACTION REQUEST AT FORTHCOMING PLENARY

  None.

4.2 PROJECT EDITOR

  JTC1.22.23 -- Programming Language ISLISP
    Kent Pitman (United States of America)

4.3 ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTION

  WG16 has been working over e-mail for over 8 years.  Since March
  1996 every WG16 formal document has been distributed electronically.

4.4 RECENT MEETING

  15th WG16 meeting:
  - in Bath (United Kingdom), November 8, 1996
  - main focus: disposition of comments on DIS ballot, plan for IS
                ballot, remaining issues like C binding, graphics,
                modules, etc.
  - 4 NBs attended
  - minutes and resolutions is SC22/N2339

4.5 FUTURE MEETINGS

  No meeting expected for the next period.

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