Re: 8 bit characters, POSIX, IEEE and flames (Was Re: Two "Simple" I/O Questions)

[emery@mitre-bedford.arpa (David Emery)]

I can assure everyone that the current IEEE standard is *NOT* a Xerox
copy of the balloted draft with a couple of text edit changes.  In
fact, it was phototypeset at no little expense.  By IEEE rules, the
actual standard MUST BE the same as what was balloted; would you have
it any other way?  We are still working with the IEEE to get them to
release/relax the copyright on the package specs so they can be made
available via FTP or whatever.  Currently, they are considering
providing the package specs on a floppy disk with each copy of the
POSIX 1003.5 standard.    (Current holders of the standard would be
entitled to a copy of this disk presumably for free.)  

As I have pointed out before, the IEEE uses income from sales of
standards to support their work on standards.  Although I am not happy
with the prices they charge, I can assure you that the IEEE
professionals who work on standards (or at least the project edtior
who worked on the POSIX standards) earn every cent of their pay.  

IEEE policies on standards copyright are the topic of much debate
within the IEEE; contact your IEEE or IEEE Computer Society officer to
express an opinion.

Incidentally, as has been discussed here earlier, ISO WG9 voted last
June to change the definition of the Adas type CHARACTER to be an
8-bit character, with the high-order values those of Latin-1.  This is
not a mandatory change (i.e.  it's not a "binding interpretation" in
AI/ACVC terms), but people should stringly encourage their compiler
vendors to support this change.
				dave emery
				(P1003.5 Technical Editor)