Re: [xtm-wg] What are the definitions of "informative" and "normative"?

[Murray Altheim <altheim@eng.sun.com>]

Sam Hunting wrote:
> 
> The subject line says it all.
> 
> OK, standards wonks -- jump in!

To use a topic maps idea, one can only answer this depending on the scope
of what you're talking about. Different organizations have different 
meanings. "Normative" usually means a "Must" as according to [RFC 2119]

  http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt
  
though you won't find "normative" in that document. "Informative" means
non-binding, i.e., there for the assistance of the reader. I think the 
W3C has written up their use of the terms somewhere, but I can't think
where that is right now, as I thought it was in their Process Document.
There might be a definition in an IETF document, as I think it originated
there.

Murray

[RFC 2119] "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels"
  http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt
[W3C Process] "World Wide Web Consortium Process Document"
http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process-20010208/process.html
...........................................................................
Murray Altheim                            <mailto:altheim&#x40;eng.sun.com>
XML Technology Center
Sun Microsystems, Inc., MS MPK17-102, 1601 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025

      In the evening
      The rice leaves in the garden
      Rustle in the autumn wind
      That blows through my reed hut.  -- Minamoto no Tsunenobu

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