From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.5-pre1 (2020-06-20) on ip-172-31-74-118.ec2.internal X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.5 required=3.0 tests=BAYES_05 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.5-pre1 Date: 7 Feb 93 03:20:19 GMT From: emery@mitre-bedford.arpa (David Emery) Subject: Re: 8 bit characters, POSIX, IEEE and flames (Was Re: Two "Simple" I/O Questions) Message-ID: List-Id: 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)