[sc34wg3] Comments on the "particular editorial solution" ;-)

[Martin Bryan]

Re Patricks comments on Introduction:

> Working from ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, 2001 (local copy, using a 28.8
modem so did not look for a later one), I would note:

>6.1.4 Introduction says:

> The introduction is an optional preliminary element used, if required, to
give specific
> information or commentary about the technical content of the document, and
about the
> reasons prompting its preparation. It shall not contain requirements.
 >
>
> The introduction shall not be numbered unless there is a need to create
numbered
> subdivisions. In this case, it shall be numbered 0, with subclauses being
numbered 0.1, 0.2,
> etc. Any numbered figure, table, displayed formula or footnote shall be
numbered normally
> beginning with 1.

> From what I remember of Jim Mason's comments in Montreal, this is
generally read as being a very short introduction, more of an overview
of what is to be found within and the reasons why it was prepared. Don't
think we should read "reasons prompting its preparation" too broadly.

There are three types of ISO introductory material:

1) For multipart standards the overall structure of the standard should be
described as part of the Foreword to the standard that is repeated for all
parts without change
2) Section 0 Introduction provides a brief overview of a part of a standard
(this is what is described in 6.1.4)
3) Part 1 Overview, is an optional first part of a multipart standard which
should provide the justification/use cases for a set of standards.

DSDL will be an example of a standard with a Part 1Overview.

Particularly in light of:

>Note I am NOT saying that a topic maps tutorial is out of place in the
overall scheme of 13250, but I don't think that the suggested editorial
solution will pass muster with ISO. I don't have the regulation of this
particular issue handy but it seems to me that at some point the ISO
staff have to approve of the organization of the content and I would
hate for us to get tripped up at that late stage on a procedural issue.

Any tutorial must be in an annex as it is informative, and informative
material must be in an annnex. Any text in Part 1 Overview that is not
placed in an informative annex is considered mandatory for the
implementation of the standard.

>Perhaps we could solicit an informal opinion from some of the ISO staff?
Don't know the proper procedure for that but it might give us all more
guidance than our personal readings of the regulations are likely
produce. It is like reading a statute, lawyers read it and come to
personal conclusions, a judge reads it and says what it means. ;-)

The DSDL team asked for ISO Central Secretatiat's advice on this, and had to
abandon our original idea of describing the overall framework of the
standard as part of the Overview. We came to the conclusion that we had to
split the information about the role and structure of the standard from the
technical data that we originally planned to put in this section.

Martin Bryan