FW: SEC is considering python programming language to replace plain English in some proposed regulatory measures!

["Bruce Nevin (bnevin)" <bnevin@cisco.com>]

Interesting example of business documents in XML. (And an unexpected, to me, adaptation of the phrase 'structured language' in reference to an interpretive computer 'language'.)

 

    /B

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From:  <snip> 
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 2:48 AM
To:  <in-house forum on investment issues>

Subject: SEC is considering python programming language to replace plain English in some proposed regulatory measures!

Investlisters, time to brush up your python skills!! :-)

 

SEC is considering structured language to replace plain English in some proposed regulatory measures.

"with Release 33-9117, the SEC is considering substitution of Python or another programming language for legal English as a basis for some of its regulations"
http://www.itworld.com/government/105031/will-wall-street-require-python

http://www.sec.gov/rules/proposed/2010/33-9117.pdf

 

Found this about 33-9917 off the SEC website,
"We are proposing to require the filing of a computer program (the “waterfall computer program,” as defined in the proposed rule) of the contractual cash flow provisions of the securities in the form of downloadable source code in Python, a commonly used computer programming language that is open source and interpretive. The computer program would be tagged in XML and required to be filed with the Commission as an exhibit. Under our proposal, the filed source code for the computer program, when downloaded and run (by loading it into an open “Python” session on the investor’s computer), would be required to allow the user to programmatically input information from the asset data file that we are proposing to require as described above. We believe that, with the waterfall computer program and the asset data file, investors would be better able to conduct their own evaluations of ABS and may be less likely to be dependent on the opinions of credit rating agencies."