July 2004-July 2005
[Please note changes in phone numbers above.]
Coordination of ISO standards for Programming Language Ada
The Technical Corrigendum was published 2001-06-01. WG9 has determined that the best strategy for updating the standard is to develop an Amendment with completion of drafting anticipated in 2005. SC22 approved the project subdivision in N3310. The work is currently underway. In order to keep the standard in place for the amendment, WG9 requests that IS 8652 as corrected should be confirmed in the systematic review process. (See Section 5.1).
WG9 recommended that this standard should be confirmed. SC22 endorsed the request in its 2001 plenary meeting. Subsequently JTC1 endorsed the request. Its status is shown on the ISO web site as 90.93 (confirmed).
WG9 recommended the withdrawal of this standard. SC22 endorsed the request in its 2001 plenary meeting. JTC1 originally voted to confirm the standard. At the request of SC22, JTC1 reconsidered its action and has recently voted to withdraw the standard. The withdrawal has not yet been implemented. Instead, the status is shown on the ISO web site as 90.93 (confirmed). (See Section 5.2).
WG9 voted in June 2003 to confirm this standard upon its reaching the five-year review point. SC22 endorsed the request in its 2003 plenary meeting. The Status shown on the ISO web site is 90.93 (confirmed).
WG9 has requested that this Type 3 Technical Report be made freely available on an appropriate web site. The request was approved by SC 22 and JTC 1 and was recently implemented.
WG9 voted in June 2003 to confirm this standard upon its reaching the five-year review point. SC22 endorsed the request in its 2003 plenary meeting. The status is shown on the ISO web site as 90.93 (confirmed).
A Type 3 Technical Report, ISO/IEC TR 24718, Guide for the use of the Ada Ravenscar Profile in high integrity systems, was completed during the year. The status shown on the ISO web site is 60.60 (published). Although the normal process was used to approve the report, the document is an adoption of a report developed by the University of York, UK. Both the University of York and the UK National Body have agreed to cooperate with JTC1 if any revisions are made to the report.
On March 7, 2005, JTC 1 recommended that the Technical Report should be made freely available. This has not yet been implemented. (See Section 5.3).
Drafting of the planned amendment to the Ada Language standard, ISO/IEC 8652:1995/Amd 1, is completed and is currently undergoing editorial review. WG9 anticipates approving the draft before the end of 2005. WG9 has a history of careful preparation of its documents and SC22 has a history of approving them without comment. Accordingly, WG9 requests that the SC22 Secretariat be authorized to conduct an FPDAM ballot on the amendment directly upon receiving an approved draft from the WG9 convener. (See Section 5.4).
None
22.10.02 -- IS 11430:1994 Generic Package of Elementary Functions for Ada
22.10.03 -- IS 11729:1994 Generic Package of Primitive Functions for Ada
22.31 -- IS 12227:1995 SQL/Ada Module Description Language (SAMeDL)
22.35 -- (Type 2) TR 11735:1996 EXTensions for Real-time Ada
There are two major professional societies in this area: Ada-Europe and the Special Interest Group on Ada (SIGAda) of the Association for Computing Machinery. The semi-annual meetings of WG9 are scheduled to coincide with the major conferences organized by these two groups. Officials of both organizations are active participants in the work of WG9. Both groups have the status of Category C liaison with WG9.
There is one major vendor consortium, the Ada Resource Association (ARA). Informal liaison with ARA is maintained via the US TAG.
Although support for Ada has declined in the US defense sector, Ada remains the language of choice for major parts of the real-time, embedded systems community. Ada usage in other sectors of the marketplace seems to be stable. The locus of Ada usage is perceptibly shifting from North America to Europe. There is demand for minor improvements while retaining the stability of the existing language. This motivates WG9 to update the language standard by means of an Amendment rather than a Revision.
National body participation in WG9 has grown and is now stable. There has been long-time participation from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, UK, and US. It is possible that Russia will resume participation in a Rapporteur Group of WG9.
Implementation of the Category C Liaisons with Ada-Europe and SIGAda has broadened the base of technical review and support for language standardization.
All new work item suggestions are screened by the requirement for active support from five national bodies. This has worked well, resulting in explicit commitments from national bodies supporting a possible project.
WG9 uses Rapporteur Groups to perform the drafting of its technical documents. This allows WG9 itself to meet only twice per year--for approximately five hours at each meeting. When appropriate, WG9 delegates initial drafting to national bodies working with Rapporteur Groups. (For example, the US will contribute the draft of the planned amendment to ISO/IEC 8652.)
The following deliverables are anticipated during the next 12 months:
Routine, but efficient, processing will suffice to achieve our goals. We delegate technical work to Rapporteur Groups. We collaborate with professional societies via liaison relationships. We achieve full consensus within the working group prior to initiating formal balloting.
Unexpected technical comment could delay any of the items described above. WG9 has mitigated this risk by providing mechanisms for full treatment of NB technical concerns at the RG and WG level. Although we observe all requirements of the directives, we view SC22 and JTC1 level balloting as approval of documents that have already been completed.
National body participation in WG9 has recently grown and is now stable.
The Amendment described previously is the most important item in WG9's current work programme. WG9 anticipates completion of its technical drafting during 2005.
WG9 has two Category C liaison relationships.
[Quoted from WG9 N407, 6 June 2002, Request for Establishment
of Category C Liaison between ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 22/WG 9 and the
Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on
Ada (SIGAda)]
SIGAda is a Special Interest Group of the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM). Its 80,000 members make ACM one of the world's
premier technical professional organizations related to computing.
With over 560 paid members and access to an additional 900 members of the Ada community, SIGAda is one of the world's largest organizations serving the needs of professionals interested in the Ada language. SIGAda is a powerful resource for the software community's ongoing technical and scientific activities concerning the usage, education, standardization, and implementations of the Ada language and related Ada technologies. Its annual international conference is a major event, not only for Ada specialists, but also for all enthusiasts in modern software topics such as software engineering, process improvement, CASE, object-oriented methods, and software education. It publishes a quarterly journal providing news and technical articles important to the Ada community.
In the past, SIGAda members have played an important, but individual, role in the standardization work of SC22/WG9. For example, ISO/IEC 15291 is largely based upon technical material originally developed by individuals acting under the auspices of SIGAda. SIGAda has also played an important role for Ada language improvements in the areas of performance, real-time, numerics, and distribution.
[Quoted from WG9 N402, 23 May 2002, Request for Establishment of Category C Liaison between ISO/IEC JTC1/SC 22/WG 9 and Ada-Europe]
Ada-Europe is an international organization, set up to promote the use of Ada. It aims to spread the use and the knowledge of Ada and to promote its introduction into academic and research establishments. Above all, Ada-Europe intends to represent European interests in Ada and Ada-related matters.
In its current form, Ada-Europe was established in 1988. As there is no European legal framework to govern such organizations, it was established according to Belgian Law. Currently, the member organizations are: Ada-Belgium, Ada-Denmark, Ada-Deutschland, Ada-France, Ada-Spain, Ada in Sweden, Ada in Switzerland and Ada UK. Individual members of these organizations can become indirect members of Ada-Europe. Direct membership is available to individuals in countries without national member organization. At the moment, Ada-Europe has about 350 indirect members.
The best-known of Ada-Europe's activities is its annual conference, now in its 22nd year, which provides the European forum for researchers and users of Ada and other technologies geared towards reliable systems. Ada-Europe publishes the Ada User Journal to keep its members and others abreast of the latest developments related to Ada.
In the past, Ada-Europe members have played an important, but individual, role in the standardization work of SC22/WG9. For example, ISO/IEC 18009 incorporates technical material provided by Ada-Europe members.
In the forthcoming systematic review, WG9 requests confirmation of IS 8652:1995 Programming Languages: Ada as corrected by ISO/IEC 8652:1995/Cor.1:2001. An amendment is under development.
WG9 has recommended the withdrawal of ISO/IEC 13814. Both SC22 and JTC1 have endorsed the request. (See JTC 1 N 7451.) However, the request has not been implemented. Instead, its status is shown on the ISO web site as 90.93 (confirmed). WG9 requests that the SC22 Secretariat take whatever steps are necessary to effect the implementation of the request to withdraw the standard.
On March 7, 2005, JTC 1 recommended that the Technical Report should be made freely available. This has not yet been implemented. WG9 requests that the SC22 Secretariat take whatever steps are necessary to effect free availability of the Technical Report.
Drafting of the planned amendment to the Ada Language standard, ISO/IEC 8652:1995/Amd 1, is completed and is currently undergoing editorial review. WG9 anticipates approving the draft before the end of 2005. WG9 has a history of careful preparation of its documents and SC22 has a history of approving them without comment. Accordingly, WG9 requests that the SC22 Secretariat be authorized to conduct an FPDAM ballot on the amendment directly upon receiving an approved draft from the WG9 convener.