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RE: MS office XML

• To: 'Tim Bray' <tbray@t...>
• Subject: RE: MS office XML
• From: "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@i...>
• Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2002 14:07:02 -0500
• Cc: xml-dev@l...

From: Tim Bray [mailto:tbray@t...]

>I'm pretty sure it's safe to interpret the advent of 
>XDocs as MSFT's declaration that they're not going to do anything with 
>XForms.

And that will be trouble for some.  Here is a quote 
from the Draft Federal XML Developer's Guide (April 2002):

"Production Applications

Prior to creating, incorporating or using software that 
implements non-W3C specifications, activities MUST:

o Ensure that no competing W3C endorsed recommendation 
exists or is being developed."

And just in case someone wants to go, say to ECMA, 
and create an alternative standard:

"Standards promulgated by nationally or internationally 
accredited standards bodies (such as ISO, IEEE, ANSI, 
UN/CEFACT, etc) MUST be adhered to when developing 
applications within the domain that the standard 
addresses. (upper caps mine) THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO 
THIS RULE IS WHEN A STANDARD PRODUCED BY ONE OF THESE 
BODIES COMPETES WITH A SIMILAR PRODUCT OF THE W3C.  
IN THIS CASE, ONLY, THE W3C HAS PRECEDENCE".

If the OMB approves it with that language in it, it is 
Federal policy.  There are two problems I can forsee:

1.  Organizations within the government who decide 
to use alternatives have to ensure that nowhere in 
their contracts is the Federal standard referenced 
normatively.  That means informative references only.

2.  Organizations that don't do that can end up 
forced to use technology not suitable for them, 
or otherwise, dumb to apply.   Everyone here has 
W3C tech they don't like, so we don't have to 
get into that.  The point is, a blanket rule 
such as the one cited ends up being a snake 
in the mailbox.

len

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