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From: ForthNet@willett.pgh.pa.us (ForthNet articles from GEnie)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: ANS FORTH TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
Message-ID: <1932.UUL1.3#5129@willett.pgh.pa.us>
Date: 28 Oct 90 01:24:35 GMT
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Category 10,  Topic 2
Message 243       Fri Oct 26, 1990
D.RUFFER [Dennis]            at 22:45 EDT
 
Memo to:  People interested in submitting proposals for ANS FORTH

From:  E. Rather, Chair, X3J14, TC for ANS FORTH

RE:  Proposal format and guidelines

The Technical Committee encourages proposals from anyone interested in ANS
FORTH.  Attached is a recommended format for a proposal. Following are some
guidelines to help you form your proposal for maximum effectiveness.

1.     Before submitting your proposal, discuss it with a current TC member if
possible.  Members are listed in the front of BASIS.  This can help you avoid
proposing something that has already
 been considered exhaustively, or to understand why certain actions have been
taken.  If you submit a proposal, having had this discussion will help you
focus it for maximum impact.

2.     Phrase your proposal as an actionable item, a specific change to BASIS.
For example, instead of observing that something is unclear, propose language
that you think would be clear.

3.     Include a rationale, which not only explains what problem this proposal
is trying to solve but also why this is the right
 solution.

4.     Confine your proposal to a single topic (e.g., division).  If
 you're concerned about several topics, write several proposals.

5.     Keep it short and simple.  Proposals longer than two pages are very
hard to deal with, and rarely pass.

Following these guidelines, I include a copy of the document describing our
"Scope of Work" to help you understand what types of proposals are likely to
receive favorable consideration.  For example, we have rejected a number of
proposals for "nifty" collections of words which have been valuable to the
author but are not in widespread use, supported by most vendors, or included
in a previous standard.

We have a few other internal guidelines:  we avoid changing the function of a
word from its FORTH83 meaning (e.g., NOT) or widespread practice (e.g., EVAL)
without also changing its name; we avoid imposing implementation restrictions
or assumptions about CPU or host OS; and we prefer both word names and
descriptions that emphasize what the word does rather than how it does it.

Our next meetinc vill begin November 6, in Detroit.  Anyone who is interested
in this process is welcome to attend.  Most of our work is done in an informal
"technical subcommittee" consisting of all TC members plus all visitors.  Only
when this body has reached consensus on an issue does it go to the TC for a
formal vote.  If you think you will be coming, please contact our host,
Leonard Zettel of Ford Motor Co., at (313) 592-2773, for specific directions.

Thank you very much for your interest and effort on behalf of the standard.
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