Subject: SC22 N2714 - WG21 Convener Report PLENARY AGENDA ITEM

From: "william c. rinehuls" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 11:14:12 -0400 (EDT)

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

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22
N2714

TITLE:
WG21 Convener Report and Business Plan for the August 1998 JTC 1/SC22
Plenary

DATE ASSIGNED:
1998-05-13

SOURCE:
Secretariat, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22

BACKWARD POINTER:
N/A

DOCUMENT TYPE:
Conveners Report

PROJECT NUMBER:
N/A

STATUS:
Discussion of this document will be an agenda item for the August 1998
JTC 1/SC22 Plenary

ACTION IDENTIFIER:
FYI

DUE DATE:
N/A

DISTRIBUTION:
Text

CROSS REFERENCE:
N/A

DISTRIBUTION FORM:
Def

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

__________________ end of title page; beginning of report ____

                 Business Plan and Convener's Report
                     ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG21 (C++)

PERIOD COVERED: 
June 1997 - May 1998

SUBMITTED BY: 
Convener, SC22/WG21
Thomas Plum
Plum Hall Inc
3 Waihona Box 44610
Kamuela HI 96743
email: [email-masked]
tel: +1-808-882-1255
fax: +1-808-882-1556

1. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

1.1 JTC1/SC22/WG21 STATEMENT OF SCOPE 

Development of ISO/IEC Standards related to the programming language
C++.

1.2 PROJECTS UNDERWAY 

JTC1.22.32 - Programming Language C++

  The final text of FDIS 14882 was prepared by Project Editor Andrew Koenig
  in December 1997.  Ballotting of the FDIS began on 1998-04-23 and terminates
  on 1998-06-23.

2.0 PERIOD REVIEW 

2.1 MARKET REQUIREMENTS 

WG21 believes that well in excess of one million people are programming
in C++, and that this marketplace is very eager for the ISO C++
Standard to be completed.

2.2 ACHIEVEMENTS 

The C++ CD was ballotted  between May 28 and September 28, 1995 (CD
14882, SC22/N1824).  Ballot responses included a large number of
substantive comments. WG21 spent three meetings (November 1995, March
1996, and July 1996) resolving the comments, and prepared a new 
working draft for a second CD ballot shortly afer the November meeting.

The second C++ CD was ballotted between Jan 24 and Jun 9 1997 (CD
14882, SC11/N2356).  Ballot responses were successfully addressed at
the July 13-18 1997 London meeting and the November 9-14 meeting in Morristown,
New Jersey.  Written communications were received by the Convener
indicating that the delegations from the national bodies which had previously 
voted No were now satisfied with the eventual decisions from those meetings.

2.3 RESOURCES 

The Working Group had its first meeting 18-19 June 1991, and has now met
18 times -- three times per year -- in co-located technical sessions with
US committee J16. Twelve countries have been represented at the meetings:
Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Sweden, UK, and the USA. 

The Working Group has been monitoring cross-language standards activities.
We are using the WG20 guidelines on extended characters. We have also
tried to remain as close to the requirements of the LIA-1 standard as
possible, but have not produced an explicit binding document. 

WG21 has several liaison appointments:

Group     Subject                                  Liaison
--------  ---------------------------------------  -----------------
WG11      Language Independent Datatypes           Keld Simonsen
WG14      C                                        Tom Plum
WG15      POSIX                                    Nobuo Saito
WG20      Internationalization                     Keld Simonsen
SC24/WG6  Multimedia presentation and interchange  Karl Soop

3.0 FOCUS NEXT WORK PERIOD 

The complete list of former and current target dates is shown below.  (Some
target dates have been revised to agree with the SC22 Secretariat's records,
to create a more consistent historical record.)

Original  New       Event
date      date
------ ------------ ---------------------------------------------------
9/90  (completed)  USA requested to submit C++ New Work Item Proposal
4/91  (completed)  Approved C++ NP
6/91  (completed)  First meeting of WG21
12/93  (completed)  Circulate informal draft within SC22
7/94  (completed)  Vote to register WD as CD; Mtg #10.
9/94  (completed)  Complete editorial corrections; provide WD to SC22.
10/94  (completed)  Begin CD registration ballot. 
3/95  (completed)  Complete CD registration ballot resolutions; Mtg #12. 

5/95  (completed)  Begin CD ballot.
3/96  (completed)  Complete CD ballot resolution; Mtgs #14-17
5/96  (completed)  Begin second CD ballot
12/96   11/97       Complete second CD ballot resolution; Mtg #19, 20
       (completed)
5/97   12/97       Begin FDIS ballot 
       (ballot began 4/98)
1/98   3/98       FDIS ballot results. Send IS to ITTF (with final report).
       (ballot closes 6/98)

3.1 DELIVERABLES 

As detailed in the schedule, we anticipate FDIS 14882 to be approved
during third quarter 1998.

3.2 STRATEGIES 

The schedule required that WG21 complete the editing and review of
DIS 14882 during the 5-day November 1997 meeting in Morristown, New
Jersey.  This was accomplished, and WG21 had previously accomplished
the same process at the 5-day November 1996 meeting in Kona Hawaii.

3.2.1 RISKS 

None foreseen at this point.

3.2.2 OPPORTUNITIES 

The electronic distribution processes (email, ftp, and WWW) may
allow more efficient post-approval activities (Defect Reports,
etc).

3.3 WORK PROGRAM PRIORITIES 

Successful balloting of FDIS 14882 is our priority during 1998.  Also,
at its March 1998 meeting in Sophia Antipolis, France, WG21 initiated 
discussion of its Defect Report procedures.

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 REQUESTS AT FORTHCOMING PLENARY 

[none as of now]

4.2 APPOINTMENT OF NEW CONVENER 

At the  SC22 Plenary in London, September 1996, Thomas Plum
(USA) was appointed as convener of WG21.  He follows Sam Harbison
(USA) who had served as convener since the 1994 SC22 Plenary.

4.3 PROJECT EDITOR

The following individuals have been appointed project editors and
backup project editors, respectively:

JTC1.22.32 - Programming Language C++
    Andrew Koenig (Project Editor), Thomas Plum (backup)

4.4 ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTION

WG21 has conducted much of its detailed technical discussion
using email reflectors provided by courtesy of AT&T and
Andrew Koenig (Project Editor of WG21).

In addition to the e-mail reflectors, WG21 has had its own ftp and Web
sites provided by courtesy of Warwick University and Steve Rumsby.
These sites are in the process of being transferred to Keld Simonsen's
facilities in Denmark, with further support from facilities provided
by Brendan Kehoe (Cygnus Support) in the USA.

4.5 RECENT MEETINGS

No. Date             Location              Standards Body & Corporate Sponsor
--- ---------------  ------------------    --------------------------------
16  Jul  7-12, 1996  Stockholm, Sweden     ITS   Ellemtel

17  Nov 10-15, 1996  Hawaii, USA           ANSI  Plum Hall, Inc.
18  Mar  9-14, 1997  Nashua, NH, USA       ANSI  Digital Equip. Corp.
19  Jul 13-18, 1997  London, UK            BSI   Programming Research
20  Nov  9-14, 1997  New Jersey, USA       ANSI  AT&T
21  Mar  8-13, 1998  Sophia Antipolis, FR  AFNOR Ilog

4.6 FUTURE MEETINGS

No. Date             Location              Standards Body & Corporate Sponsor
--- ---------------  ------------------    --------------------------------

22  Oct  7-9,  1998  San Jose, CA, USA     ANSI, Silicon Graphics
23  Apr 11-16, 1999  Dublin Ireland        Irish standards, Iona

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