[DDI-users] Bi-Monthly Report on Candidate Draft

[Wendy Thomas]

Bi-Monthly Report on Candidate Draft . 2007/07/27

During the first two months following the Expert Committee Meeting in 
Montreal, the Technical Implementation Committee (TIC) updated the 
following parts of the Technical Specification:

Part I and Part II - updated and combined to create a new Part I: Overview
Part II: User Guide . first draft was completed
Part IVB: Schema . updated and field level documentation added to all 
elements

Updates of Parts IVA and III of the Technical Specification are still in 
process and are expected to be completed shortly. All parts have been 
published on the updated Candidate Draft page on the DDI Alliance site.

We have received 13 Use Cases which can be found at:

http://opendatafoundation.org/ddi/3.0_use_cases.php

A fourteenth Use Case has been received an will be added to the list. 
Additional Use Cases are expected as DDI members return from their 
vacations and are able to prepare official submissions. Others wishing to 
be included in this process can submit a use case using the form listed in 
on the above site.

A bug tracker for recording and discussing has been set up and 30 bugs 
have been recorded as implementers begin their work and examples created 
for the Public Review Version are updated.

--5 of these related to clarification of the field level 
documentation
--13 deal with the requirement of certain elements and the ability 
to capture simple files in a simple manner (use of defaults)
--9 request the addition or deletion of an element such as a link or 
description
--3 refer to structural aspects of the schemas

Each of the bugs have been assigned to a member of TIC to make sure that 
the issue is discussed and resolved. At this point, most bugs are awaiting 
additional comments and the recording of related bugs from the different 
use cases. We would like a bit more information on the use of some 
sections of the schema before resolving these bugs. None of the bugs are 
currently classified as critical.

Implementers have been provided with instructions on obtaining reporting 
access to the bug tracker and instructions for working with this system. 
Members of the Expert Committee and the DDI User Group have been offered 
viewing access to the bug tracking system if they wish to follow the 
details of this process.  Only implementers with files use cases can 
submit bugs to the system. If in the course of reviewing or using the 
Candidate Draft Technical Specifications you have questions or note 
corrections that need to be made, please contact Wendy Thomas 
(wlt at pop.umn.edu). We are tracking all questions and comments received and 
their responses as a basis for improving the documentation. TIC members 
will enter in the tracking system any corrections or comments identified 
as bugs.

A number of the Use Cases, primarily dealing with document creation, 
expect to be completed over the next two months and results will be 
included in the next update. The TIC will be meeting in late October and 
their meeting, including a review of the Use Cases to date, will comprise 
the third bi-monthly report. Please let us know if there are particular 
issues or information you would like to have included in future reports.

Wendy Thomas, Chair
and the Technical Implementation Committee (TIC)



Wendy L. Thomas                          Phone: +1 612.624.4389
Data Access Core Director		 Fax:   +1 612.626.8375
Minnesota Population Center              Email: wlt at pop.umn.edu
University of Minnesota
50 Willey Hall
225 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455