FW: New Specification Templates and Guidelines now Available

To all TC Chairs and Secretaries:

 

Please 
pass this information along to your specification editors. OASIS policy requires 
that all specifications must conform to the OASIS-supplied templates. 

 

An updated set of 
templates has been created to align with the "Guidelines for Filenames, URIs, 
Namespaces and Metadata (http://docs.oasis-open.org/specGuidelines/namingGuidelines/resourceNaming.html) 
as well as the OASIS Naming Guidelines: Metadata and Versioning (http://docs.oasis-open.org/specGuidelines/namingGuidelines/metadata.html) 
policies that were approved last fall.

 

The main template 
index page is here: http://docs.oasis-open.org/templates/index.html. 
Templates are provided in several formats: Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Writer, 
and XHTML. Please note that there are two versions for each application - one in 
which the Notices section conforms to TCs operating under the 15 April 2005 IPR 
Policy, and the other noted as 'legacy' which cites the previous Notices 
section.

 

The XHTML user guide 
(http://docs.oasis-open.org/templates/OASISSpecificationTemplateGuidelines.html) should be used in conjunction with all templates; 
the Word user guide - while containing useful information on the application of 
styles and field codes - has not been updated to include the new metadata and remove 
the obsolete categories.

 

OASIS encourages the 
use of RDDL (Resource Directory Description Language) documents to describe XML 
namespaces. A template is now available: http://docs.oasis-open.org/templates/rddl.html. This template should be considered 'alpha'; it is anticipated 
that it will be updated frequently as we determine 'best practices' related 
to its usage.  

 

I encourage editors 
who are authoring in one of these formats to migrate to the new 
templates now rather than waiting until submitting for Public Review. I am 
more than happy to answer any questions and provide assistance. Also, please 
note that the OASIS TC Process Policy requires that specifications now be 
submitted in XHTML. We are well aware of the problems editors are experiencing 
in trying to generate valid XHTML from Word or OpenOffice that still 
adheres to the style requirements. We strongly encourage the use of structured 
markup in the authoring environment - whether it be DITA, DocBook, or XHTML. I 
will be providing assistance for those TCs still working in Word or OpenOffice 
to properly convert their documents to XHTML.

 

I urge all 
chairs and editors (and anyone else who is interested) to attend the Chair and 
Editor training sessions that will be held in conjunction with the Symposium. 
The materials will be made available to everyone shortly 
thereafter.

We will also be setting up a new mailing list for 
editors (). Once the list is 
established I'll be sending out a note with subscription instructions. 
The main purpose of the list will be to post information relating to the 
creation, maintenance and submission of TC work products. While the list is 
intended to address the needs of TC editors, all members are welcome to 
subscribe. 

 

As always, please feel free to contact me with any 
questions, suggestions, comments, or concerns. I hope to see many of you in San 
Diego.

 

Regards,

 

Mary

 

---------------------------------------------------

Mary P McRae

Manager of TC Administration, 
OASIS

email:  
 

web: www.oasis-open.org 

phone: 603.232.9090

 

OASIS Symposium:
"eBusiness and Open 
Standards: 
Understanding the Facts, Fiction, and Future"
15-18 April 2007 
San Diego, CA USA
http://www.oasis-open.org/events/symposium/