Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!longway!std-unix From: jsh@usenix.org (Jeffrey S. Haemer) Newsgroups: comp.std.unix Subject: Standards Update, IEEE 1003.0: POSIX Guide Message-ID: <408@longway.TIC.COM> Date: 20 Oct 89 21:49:37 GMT Sender: std-unix@longway.TIC.COM Reply-To: std-unix@uunet.uu.net Organization: USENIX Standards Watchdog Committee Lines: 57 Approved: jsq@longway.tic.com (Moderator, John S. Quarterman) From: Jeffrey S. Haemer An Update on UNIX* and C Standards Activities September 1989 USENIX Standards Watchdog Committee Jeffrey S. Haemer, Report Editor IEEE 1003.0: POSIX Guide Update Kevin Lewis reports on the July 10-14, 1989 meeting in San Jose, California: As 1003.0 passes the mid-point of calendar year 1989, progress can be earmarked by the arrival of line numbers to the guide document. I remember the first time I saw line numbers on a document within the IEEE 1003 arena. My first thought was "this committee is really doing precise, exacting work". Thus was my reaction again when I saw line numbers on our document. My balloon was burst, when one of our active members -- and by "active member" I mean someone who commits contributions in writing, not just someone who comes to voice an opinion in a talk-show-like atmosphere -- pointed to our ISSUE LOG, which states that the committee needs to do more work. (There's that word again.) Alas, I came back down to earth. I have "miles to go before I sleep." Dot Zero continues to converge. Our document is finally beginning to tie together the standards and elements that comprise a POSIX open system. Key events continue to be the definition of terms that will eventually make it to the IEEE Glossary and the identification of areas where terms still need definition. The group is still generating discussion/debate/argument/food-fights over behemoth macro-questions such as, "What is the role of the guide?" and, "What is the PROPER audience?" In addition, the group has made valiant attempts at addressing specific areas such as graphics and data interchange without the benefit of focused expertise. We now agree on our ignorance in these areas, and will seek help and/or to point to other committees that, we believe, can come up with the answers. Overall, we must meet our objective of going to ballot in October 1990, because that is what I told my wife, who is still trying to figure out what in the world a "dot zero" might be. __________ * UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T in the U.S. and other countries. September 1989 Standards Update IEEE 1003.0: POSIX Guide Volume-Number: Volume 17, Number 38