in070838

INCITS Subgroup Annual Report

Annual Report for: J11

Covering the Period from June 2006 to June 2007

Title of INCITS Subgroup: Programming Language C

Links:

  
Informal Description of Work: Standardization of the C computer programming language. J11 holds co-located meetings with, and is the TAG for, SC22/WG14.

1. Executive Summary

J11 assisted SC22/WG14 with the on-going processing of Defect Reports for ISO C (known informally as C99) and the preparation of three Technical Reports (one of the TRs might become an IS instead):
  1. PDTR 24731, Type 2 Technical Report on Extensions to the C Library, Part II: Dynamic Allocation Functions. This report describes new library functions that guard against buffer overrun security attacks by dynamically allocating memory for function results.
  2. DTR 24732, Type 2 Technical Report on Extension for the programming language C to support decimal floating point arithmetic. This report describes new floating-point types with a decimal radix and the operations on those types. A rationale for the technical report is available.
  3. DTR 24747, Type 2 Technical Report on Extensions for the Standard Library of the Programming Language C to Support Mathematical Special Functions. This report describes additional math functions for the C library, such as Bessel functions. Note: WG14 is requesting to change the current Program of Work for DTR 24747 from a Type 2 Technical Report to an International Standard. Several implementations of DTR 24747 now exist or are under development, and the substantial consensus makes an IS more appropriate than a TR.

It is likely that a new work item will be sought to begin work revising the ISO Standard.

All work has occurred with a minimum of controversy.

2. Significant Accomplishments

TR 24731, Type 2 Technical Report on Extensions to the C Library, Part I: Bounds-checking interfaces was published. A rationale for the technical report is available.

DTR 24731, Type 2 Technical Report on Extensions to the C Library, Part II: Dynamic Allocation Functions passed ISO registration ballot.

DTR 24732, Type 2 Technical Report on Extensions for the programming language C to support decimal floating point arithmetic passed ISO registration ballot.

DTR 24747, Type 2 Technical Report on Extensions for the Standard Library of the Programming Language C to Support Mathematical Special Functions passed ISO registration ballot.

The committee has recommended reaffirming INCITS/TR-17 - 1997, Numerical C Extension. Although most of this TR has been superseded by C99, the section on parallel processing is still interesting.

3. Significant Challenges

No significant challenges.

4. Expected Challenges

Work will likely begin on revising the C Standard. See Future Trends.

5. Committee Activities

a. Previous Year's Meetings:

Date Location
October 23-26, 2006 Portland, Oregon
April 23-26, 2007 London, England

b. Next Year's Planned Meetings:

Date Location
October 8-11, 2007 Kona, Hawaii
April 14-18, 2008 Delft, the Netherlands
October 2008 Boulder, Colorado

The SC22/WG14 website contains more detailed information about meetings. Sometimes meeting announcements first appear in committee mailings before the meeting web page is updated.

To best utilize the considerable technical expertise available in J11, J11 and SC22/WG14 will continue to hold co-located meetings. Every other meeting will be located in either North America or the United States.

6. Liaison Activities

SC22/WG14 (ISO C): assist with revision of C standard.

J16: coordinate issues common to C/C++. A number of organizations have joint membership in J11 and J16. When the organization is willing, J11 appoints each representative of such organizations as a liaisons to J16 to insure close communication.

7. Membership and Officers

a. Officers:

Chair
Randy Meyers
rmeyers@ix.netcom.com
Silverhill Systems Inc.
4025 Gumwood LN
Knoxville, TN 37921-1364
Last trained: July 2006

Vice-Chair
Fred Tydeman
tydeman@tybor.com
Tydeman Consulting
1137 Harbour Cove Court
Sparks, NV 89434
Last trained: --

International Representative
Douglas Walls
douglas.walls@sun.com
Sun Microsystems
M/S UMPK16-303
901 San Antonio Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Last trained: 2005

Vocabulary Representative
Open.

b. Membership:
The committee's membership has been fairly stable with many representatives of long tenure.

The membership list is available.

8. Future Trends and Related Technical Activities

The committee has concentrated on producing technical reports since the ISO Standard was approved eight years ago. Technical reports provided a way to address focused concerns (decimal floating point), or to serve the needs of subset markets (embedded systems). However, WG14 and J11 now believe that the standard should be revised to address such issues as multithreading and popular extensions. A charter for the anticipated work is being drawn up, and a new work item to revise the standard will be sought.

Industry wants a stable C Standard, and will not tolerate disruption to existing code. WG14 and J11 believe that a revised C Standard should be limited to the addition of a small number of proven, popular features in order to be successful.

9. Other Administrative Information

No issues.