ODF 1.0 use of word "should", etc.

[robert_weir@us.ibm.com]

Hi Dennis,

In response to your comment of 10/19/2005 (
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/office-comment/200510/msg00031.html), 
where you asked about how to interpret the use of terms such as "should", 
"should not" when used in a context where they were not in bold text.

As you noted, when used in bold, these terms are interpreted according to 
RFC 2119.  What you might not know is that in ISO 26300:2006, and in OASIS 
ODF 1.0 (second edition) and in OASIS ODF 1.1, these terms are used 
according to ISO Directives, Part 2, Annex H which is subtly different 
than RFC 2119.   ODF 1.2 will also use these terms according to the ISO 
meanings.

As for the terms used when not in bold, there is no additional formal 
meaning provided by the ODF standard, beyond that in the Shorted Oxford 
English Dictionary.

In ODF 1.2 we will be editing the text so that control vocabulary like 
"shall", "should", etc., will be used only  in the normative sense.

Regards,

-Rob
___________________________

Rob Weir
Software Architect
Workplace, Portal and Collaboration Software
IBM Software Group

email: robert_weir@us.ibm.com
phone: 1-978-399-7122
blog: http://www.robweir.com/blog/