[Cobolforgcc-devel] CD 1.10 Available

[William M. K. <wm...@ix...>]

CD (Committee Draft) 1.10 of the COBOL revision is available for "down-load"
(in PDF format) from:

 http://www.ncits.org/tc_home/j4htm/cd110all.pdf

(If you use a "SAVE TARGET" option, then you can get a reference to it at:

 http://www.ncits.org/tc_home/j4.htm

    ***

Assuming that all goes "as planned" - this is the last draft before the
version that will be sent to ISO (and ANSI) public review.  In other words,
proposals that are approved at the December J4 meeting WILL be applied to
this document - and the "result" will be sent for an FCD (Final Committee
Draft) ballot (which is done by "country vote").  (This timing is always
subject to "change" - but I think that the DESIRE to do this is so strong,
that no matter what problems are found but not fixed by the end of the
December meeting - the document will still be sent for "public" review.)

FURTHERMORE, it is my impression that J4 and WG4 (not me) have consensus
that this "thing" will be judged to "pass" FCD - again, no matter what
problems are found.  Some changes ARE allowed to occur between FCD and FDIS
(Final Draft International Standard) - but they are not supposed to be
"substantive technical changes".  What is and is not a "substantive
technical change" is left up to agreement between the ISO (I think)
secretariat and the WG4 convenor - therefore, my GUESS is that anything that
MUST happen will be allowed to happen.  However, these (CD 1.10 to FCD)
really are the last documents where "substantive technical changes" are
supposed to be allowed.  Therefore, if you find a problem, you might want to
"bring it to the attention" of J4 ASAP.  OTOH, J4 is also putting NEW
comments (not related to current work) in a "early public review" category,
so it may be too late already to get much change made.

NOTE:
  The current (draft) agenda for the December meeting and the "outstanding"
papers can be retrieved from the J4 web page at:
  http://people.ne.mediaone.net/doncobol/index.html

NOTE WELL:
  If an issue/change is NOT on that agenda and there is no paper for it -
but the "problem" exists in CD 1.10 - you MUST assume that it will not be
fixed (certainly not before Public Review - and probably not after) - UNLESS
you tell the committees about it via a "document submission".

BOTTOM LINE:  If you are interested in the "quality" of the upcoming COBOL
Standard, I strongly, STRONGLY, suggest that you get a copy of this document
and review whatever areas most interest you.  You can (should?) send them to
J4 (via doncobol <at> mediaone.net) BEFORE Nov 18th (hopefully with
recommended "fixes").  In addition, if you are not in the US, please,
PLEASE, find out how to submit comments to your "national body" before it
goes out to review next Jan/Feb.

Please feel free to pass this "note" on to anyone who you think might be
interested in it (and might actually follow-up on it).