[comp.std.c] A FIPS for C?

jm@awds1.imsd.contel.com (Jim Macropol) (01/10/91)

Has there been any news concerning a FIPS for C?  The last I heard was about
a month after the standard was formally approved.  At that time, it was
stated that getting a FIPS would be just a formality.

Has anything happened since?

rex@aussie.COM (Rex Jaeschke) (01/10/91)

> Has there been any news concerning a FIPS for C?  The last I heard was about
> a month after the standard was formally approved.  At that time, it was
> stated that getting a FIPS would be just a formality.
> 
> Has anything happened since?


Here's my understanding:

Re FIPS:

The FIPS criteria over and above the ANSI Standard have been specified.  I
don't know if the comment period for this is over or if it's cast in stone
yet.  Doug Gwyn will likely know.  Once that's settled I think there's a
6-month waiting period before it goes to the Secretary of Commerce for
signing.

Re validation:

Perennial's suite has been chosen by NIST for validation purposes.  A
public test phase is now underway in which companies/individuals (no more
than 20) are test sites of the Perennial suit.  I am one of them and am
awaiting the s/w so I can begin.  Test site reports must be completed and
forwarded to NIST by mid-Feb.  The purpose of this exercise is to to make
suggestions for additions, changes, and deletions to the suite before
validation begins in earnest.  Since NIST could only evaluate the suites
tendered on a few different systems this effort is designed to `iron out
bugs' with regard to porting the suite to numerous other systems.

Rex

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