SC22/WG15 N387r2 SC22/WG15 RIN N141 25 Oct. 1994 Proposed NP for "Guide for the Development of Profiles for POSIX localization and POSIX Locales" Purpose and Justification: --------------------------- The profiles for POSIX localization described in ISO 9945-1 (POSIX System API) and in ISO 9945-2 ( POSIX Shell and Utilities) form a set of profiles for POSIX localization. A profile for POSIX localization (refer to Annex F of ISO 9945-1 and Annex G of ISO 9945-2) may be developed by national member bodies of ISO/IEC to specify required options, parameters, and extensions of POSIX standards that a conforming implementation shall support. A POSIX Locale, as described in ISO 9945-2, is a part of user environment specifications that are culture or language specific. Application program interfaces (APIs) and utilities refer to POSIX Locales in order to adapt their behavior to the users' language and cultural environment. The relationship between a profile for POSIX localization and a POSIX Locale is that the profile for POSIX localization will specify parameters and options to a POSIX standard to address culturally-dependent functional requirements in addition to those specified within a POSIX Locale. National member bodies of ISO/IEC may specify required or recommended options and parameters of POSIX standards by using profiles for POSIX localization. Also the national member body may specify the culturally-dependent elements relevant to their environment through a POSIX Locale, in order to adapt an implementation of the POSIX standards to the requirements of their regional or cultural environment. From the view point of a conforming application, the profiles for POSIX localization and Locale specify the functionality that the application relies on for being portable within the regional or cultural environment. However, such regional-specific dependency may limit international portability of the application. Therefore, to maximize international portability of a conforming application, international harmonization of profiles for POSIX localization and POSIX Locales is important. The proposed Technical Report "Guide for the Development of Profiles for POSIX Localization and POSIX Locales" establishes guidelines that a writer of profiles for POSIX localization and POSIX Locales would refer to. Then a National member body of ISO/IEC can easily develop profiles for POSIX localization and POSIX Locales that are harmonized internationally. Program of Work: --------------- A preliminary draft of the technical report is available now. A draft suitable for PDTR registration should be available nine (9) months after the approval of this NP.