rcs@SEI.CMU.EDU (rCs) (08/24/89)
The IEEE P1201 Standards Committee held a recent meeting at Nasa Goddard
Space Center in Greenbelt, MD from Aug. 8 - 11. The P1201 Committee is
looking at standardization issues concerning X windows. Specifically the
committee currently consists of two working groups: P1201.1 and P1201.2.
P1201.1 is attempting to create a standard X window system toolkit
interface while P1201.2 is looking at human factors issues relating
to user portability across multiple "look and feels".
There was also discussion at this meeting concerning the use of
user interface definition languages (UIDL) / higher level
application dialogue interfaces (ADI) as a means of providing a
standard API. This discussion included technical presentations of
OSF UIL, DEC UIL, API Ltd. Extensible Virtual Toolkit, and SEI Serpent.
Slides from these presentations will be available as part of the minutes
from the meeting.
As a result of this discussion, a study group was chartered to
look into the possibility of creating a standard UIDL/API. In
order to do this, the group defined the following process:
1. Define the domain of the working group.
2. Approve a standard reference model.
3. Develop set of requirements.
4. Solicit technologies that address the requirements.
5. Evaluate submissions and determine if any are adequate
(with or without modification) as a basis for a standard.
The group completed steps 1 and 2 in the process and also
created an initial set of requirements. I am posting the
reference model and the initial set of requirements separately.
The next meeting of the IEEE P1201 Standards Committee will be
held in Brussels, Belgium from October 16 - 20. As chair of the
UIDL/API study group I would like to encourage participation
in the study group and the presentation of technologies which address
the initial requirements. The deadline to register for the meeting is
September 10. To register, contact the following person:
Sherry Stanton
IEEE Computer Society
1730 Massachusetts Ave
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 371-0101
Thanx.
Robert C. Seacord
Member of the Technical Staff
Software Engineering Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
rcs@sei.cmu.edu