In article ABupaSmSvP@qsar.chem.msu.su, "Eugene Radchenko" <eugene@qsar.chem.msu.su> writes:
>
>P.S. Oh why the standard process takes so long? I once hoped that the
>standard will be out by the end of the year. Now it seems it will be year
>1997 at least. Thus compiler vendors have an excuse to sell retarded
>compilers...
>On the other hand, commitee members have made references several times
>about this being 'only first round of the standardization process'. Maybe
>it would be better not to issue standard requiring updates immediately?..

The process takes so long because:
1. There was and is a lot of work to do.
2. The committee decided to add significant new features to the language,
   and most time-consuming, a large standard library.
3. The committee members are all volunteers, none of whom are able to
   work full-time on the project.
4. The standard represents a consensus of many intelligent and opinionated
   people who often have different ideas about how things should work.
   Reaching consensus takes time. There is little point in issuing a
   standard that does not represent a consensus, since it will be ignored.

It is not the case that a standard will be issued that requires immediate
updates -- at least not intentionally. The committee is required to follow
the procedures of ANSI and ISO in creating the standard. One step in the
ANSI process is to issue a draft for public comment, which was done last
April. The committee knew that much work remained to be done, but wanted
feedback from the public once all (or nearly all) language features
were in place.

ISO procedures require certification of a "Committee Draft" (CD), which was
also done. The CD is the same document sent for ANSI public comments. ISO
member nations comment on the CD, and vote on whether to certify the CD
as a "Draft International Standard" (DIS). This CD is known not to be
suitable for DIS certification, so no matter how that vote comes out,
a second CD is required. Because of the timing of the ANSI and ISO processes,
apart from the time the committee needs to work on the draft, the second CD
will not be ready for certification until April or May 1996. Assuming that
CD is really all OK and no further corrections are needed, the ANSI and ISO
process requirements (ANSI public comment period, ISO vote on DIS, then
ISO vote on final acceptance) would mean publication of that document as an
"International Standard" (IS) late in 1997. The final standard is not
expected to differ in any important way from the second CD of May 1996.
---
Steve Clamage, stephen.clamage@eng.sun.com



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