Subject: SC22 N2747 - WG20 Business Plan and Convener's Report

From: "william c. rinehuls" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 19:15:13 -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
N2747

TITLE:
WG20 Business Plan and WG20 Convener's Report for the August 1998 JTC
1/SC22 Plenary

DATE ASSIGNED:
1998-06-30

SOURCE:
Secretariat, ISO/iEC JTC 1/SC22

BACKWARD POINTER:
N/A

DOCUMENT TYPE:
WG Convener's Report

PROJECT NUMBER:
N/A

STATUS:
This document will be on the agenda 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
Telphone:  +1 (703) 912-9680
Fax:  +1 (703) 912-2973
email:  [email-masked]

_______________ end of title page; beginning of report ________________

                 Business plan and convenor's report:
             ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22/WG20 - INTERNATIONALIZATION

PERIOD COVERED:
June 1997 - June 1998

SUBMITTED BY:
Convenor WG20
Arnold F. Winkler
Unisys B203-14
2476 Swedesford Road
Malvern, PA  19355
Tel: 610-648-2055
Fax: 610-695-5473
E-mail: [email-masked]

1. MANAGEMENT SUMMARY

1.1 SCOPE
Identification of elements relevant to the work of SC22 that may be
affected by differences in language, culture, customs and habits; and
for these elements, develop standards that enable applications to be
portable across differing cultural practices; and develop a Technical
Report that describes a framework for nations to provide those elements

1.2 PROJECTS UNDERWAY

Project number
Description
Editors

22.13 (completed)
Second edition of TR 10176: "Guidelines for the preparation of
programming language standards"
Akio Kido and Makoto Noda

22.30.01 (completed)
TR 11017: "Framework for internationalization"
T.K. Sato

22.30.02.01 (umbrella project - no standard associated)
Functionality of the internationalization of applications
Keld Simonsen

22.30.02.02
ISO/IEC 14651: International string ordering
Alain LaBonté

22.30.02.03
ISO/IEC 14652: Specification of Cultural Conventions
Keld Simonsen

22.15435
ISO/IEC 15435: Internationalization API
Keld Simonsen
1.3 For details see later discussion of projects.

2. PERIOD REVIEW

2.1 MARKET REQUIREMENTS

WG20 believes that through the proliferation of PCs and the world wide
web, internationalization has become a very important factor in the
creation of programs and thus all programming languages.  
3. Membership of SC22/WG20

3.1 Liaisons and representatives to and from SC22/WG20

3.1.1 Liaisons from WG20

Liaison from WG20	Organization	Subject
Arnold Winkler	SC2/WG2	Character Sets
Keld Simonsen	SC22/WG15	POSIX
Miles Ellis	SC22/WG5	Fortran
Keld Simonsen	SC22/WG14	C
Keld Simonsen	SC22/WG21	C++
Alain LaBonté	GUIDE/SHARE-Europe	I18n
Keld Simonsen	CEN TC 304	I18n, character set technology
Alain LaBonté	SC35	User System Interface
Keld Simonsen	TC37/SC2/WG3	Alphabetic ordering

3.1.2 Liaisons to WG20

Liaison to WG20	Organization	        Subject
Arnold Winkler	SC2/WG2	                Character Sets
Keld Simonsen	SC22/WG15	        POSIX
Ann Wallace	SC22/WG4	        COBOL
Miles Ellis	SC22/WG5	        Fortran
Jim Melton	SC32/WG3 	        SQL  (see requests to SC22)
Keld Simonsen	SC22/WG14	        C
Keld Simonsen	SC22/WG21	        C++
Alain LaBonté	GUIDE/SHARE-Europe	I18n
Þorvarður Ólafsson	CEN TC 304	I18n, character set technology
Keld Simonsen	CEN TC 304	        I18n, character set technology
Keld Simonsen	SC22/WG22	        PCTE
note:  CEN TC 304 is now called European Localization Requirements

3.1.3 Liaison requests

SC22/WG20 wants to establish liaisons with the Unicode consortium and
the newly formed SC35 on user interfaces.  See request section at the
end of the report.

3.1.4 Representatives

None at this moment.
Note: Co-operation with CEN may require official representatives for
both directions.

3.2 Meetings of SC22/WG20

1	November 1991	Sunnyvale	USA
2	April 1992	Paris	        France
3	October 1992	Québec	        Canada
4	April 1993	Copenhagen	Denmark
5	October 1993	Tokyo	        Japan
6	April 1994	Oxford	        United Kingdom
7	October 1994	Cupertino	USA
8	May 1995	Paris	        France
9	September 1995	Copenhagen	Denmark
10	April 1996	Kyoto	        Japan
11	September 1996	Vienna	        Austria
12	Spring 1997	Québec	        Canada
13	November 1997	Cairo	        Egypt
14	June 1998	Dublin	        Ireland
planned meetings:
15	October 1998	Tel Aviv	Israel
16	Spring 1999	Malvern	        USA
17	Fall 1999	Copenhagen	Denmark
18	Spring 2000	Québec	        Canada

4. Projects of SC22/WG20

4.1 Status of active projects

4.1.1 TR 11017: Framework for internationalization

a	Framework for internationalization
b	JTC1 22.30.01
c	A type 3 Technical Report
d	T. K. Sato
e	The TR 11017 is being published in English and French.  The
        project is completed.

4.1.2 Second edition of TR 10176	

a	Guidelines for the preparation of programming languages 
        standards
b	JTC1 22.13
c	An amendment to a type 3 Technical Report
d	A. Kido and M. Noda
e	The TR is being published.  The project is completed.
        Maintenance is needed due to the rapid additions to the
        repertoire of ISO 10646.  

4.1.3 International string ordering  (future ISO/IEC 14651)

a	International string ordering (Method for Comparing Character
        Strings and Description of the Common Template Tailorable
        Ordering)
b	JTC1 22.30.02.02
c	International Standard ISO/IEC 14651
d	Alain LaBonté
e	SC22 Letter Ballot N2607 for FCD 14651 - ballot closed May 15,
        1998 after ballot period being extended due to Australian request.
        Summary of voting and comments is in document SC22 N2719.
        Disposition of comments is being developed by the editor, based on
        direction from the WG20 meeting in Dublin, June 15-19, 1998.  A
        BFN specification method is being introduced, replacing the POSIX
        format; all API related sections have been eliminated; a new draft
        is prepared and will be submitted in November 1998 for another FCD
        ballot.  

4.1.4 Cultural convention specification standard  (future ISO/IEC 14652)

a	Specification [method] for cultural conventions
b	JTC1.22.30.02.03
c	International Standard ISO/IEC 14652
d	Keld Simonsen
e	SC22 Letter Ballot N2638 - FCD Approval for FCD 14652 - closed
        on June 4, 1998.  Summary of voting and comments are in SC22
        N2732. Disposition of comments is being developed by the editor, a
        new document will be submitted for ballot to SC22 in by the end of
        1998. Change of title is requested to read:  "Specification method
        for cultural conventions".

4.1.5 Internationalization API standard  (future ISO/IEC 15435)

a	Internationalization API standard
b	JTC1 22.15435
c	International Standard ISO/IEC 15435
d	Keld Simonsen
e	A combined registration and CD ballot will be requested by the
        end of 1998.

4.2 	Candidate projects

4.2.1 Functionality of Internationalization

a	Functionality of the internationalization of applications
b	JTC1 22.30.02.01
c	A number of standards, see subproject descriptions below
d	Keld Simonsen
e	This is an umbrella project 

This project is the umbrella project for the development of specific
standards for functionality of the internationalization of applications,
such that users can specify their cultural requirements, and obtain
consistent behavior across system platforms and applications.  Work is
being done on the following projects:
- 	International string ordering (IS 14651)
- 	Specification method for cultural conventions (IS 14652)
- 	Internationalization APIs (IS 15435)

WG20 has presently no specific plans for additional projects, but is
considering work on character properties of ISO 10646.

5. Conclusions and requests

5.1 Issues

5.1.1 Cultural adaptability

The JTC1 plenary has decided that WG20 shall organizationally remain in
SC22, while being part of the new Technical Direction "Cultural and
Linguistic Adaptability".  WG20 has nominated 3 representatives to the
TD planning meeting in New York.

5.1.2 Resources for standards development

The biggest issue in SC22/WG20 - as in most other standards developing
organizations - is that many companies can not afford to make enough
resources available for speedy development of standards.  For many
participants in our meetings, the meeting time is the only time they can
spend on the projects. Additionally, travel budgets are tight, thus
restricting the participation even further.

5.1.3 WWW home page for SC22/WG20

SC22/WG20 maintains its WWW home page.
The home page address is   http://www.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC22/WG20/
The home page includes:
	Introduction and explanation of SC22/WG20 activities
	Important documents about it's activities
	Working drafts of standards from SC22/WG20
	Summary of the key SC22/WG20 documents and standards
Keld Simonsen (DKUUG)  is appointed as a maintainer of the home page.

5.2 Requests to the SC22 plenary

5.2.1 

Approve combined CD registration and CD consideration ballot for IS
15435 - Internationalization APIs.

5.2.2 Change of title to project 22.30.02.03:

Approve change of title from "Specification for cultural conventions" to
"Specification method for cultural conventions".

5.2.3 Liaison with SQL (SC32/WG3)

Approve liaison of SC22/WG20 with SC32/WG3 - SQL.  Jim Melton is the
liaison from SQL.
WG20 had a long liaison relationship with SC21/WG3 for SQL related
subjects.  With SC21 gone, the SQL related work has been assigned to
SC32/WG3 - SC32/WG3 and WG20 want to maintain the liaison relationship.

5.2.4 C-Liaison with the Unicode Consortium

Approve C-Liaison with the Unicode consortium.  This liaison will
support synchronisation of the ordering standards and implementation
related tables for Unicode / ISO 10646.  It will further enable and
enhance internationalization work on character properties.

5.2.5 Liaison with SC35

Approve liaison with SC35 - new subcommittee for user interfaces.  This
subcommittee is in the same Technical Direction for cultural and
linguistic adaptability.  Both committees will benefit from each others
experience and work. 

_________________ end of SC22 N2747 _________________________________