TEP Structure and Keywords

@@ -310,21 +311,20 @@ ul.auto-toc {

Note

This document specifies a Best Current Practices for the TinyOS Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

This memo describes the structure all TinyOS Extension Proposal (TEP) documents follow, and defines the meaning of several key words in those documents.

1. Introduction

In order to simplify management, reading, and tracking development, all TinyOS Extension Proposals (TEPs) MUST have a particular structure. Additionally, to simplify development and improve @@ -332,40 +332,42 @@ implementation interoperability, all TEPs MUST observe the meaning of several key words that specify levels of compliance. This document describes and follows both.

2. Keywords

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in TEP 1.

Note that the force of these words is modified by the requirement -level of the document in which they are used.

2.1 MUST

+level of the document in which they are used. These words hold their +special meanings only when capitalized, and documents SHOULD avoid using +these words uncapitalized in order to minimize confusion.

2.1 MUST

MUST: This word, or the terms "REQUIRED" or "SHALL", mean that the definition is an absolute requirement of the specification.

2.2 MUST NOT

MUST NOT: This phrase, or the phrase "SHALL NOT", mean that the definition is an absolute prohibition of the specification.

2.3 SHOULD

SHOULD: This word, or the adjective "RECOMMENDED", mean that there may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances to ignore a particular item, but the full implications must be understood and carefully weighed before choosing a different course.

2.4 SHOULD NOT

SHOULD NOT: This phrase, or the phrase "NOT RECOMMENDED" mean that there may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances when the particular behavior is acceptable or even useful, but the full implications should be understood and the case carefully weighed before implementing any behavior described with this label.

2.5 MAY

MAY: This word, or the adjective "OPTIONAL", mean that an item is truly optional. One implementer may choose to include the item because a particular application requires it or because the @@ -378,8 +380,8 @@ does include a particular option MUST be prepared to interoperate with another implementation which does not include the option (except, of course, for the feature the option provides.)

2.6 Guidance in the use of these Imperatives

Imperatives of the type defined in this memo must be used with care and sparingly. In particular, they MUST only be used where it is actually required for interoperation or to limit behavior which has @@ -389,31 +391,32 @@ on implementors where the method is not required for interoperability.

3. TEP Structure

TEPs have two major parts, a header and a body. The header states -document metadata, for management and status. The body contains the +document metadata, for management and status. The body contains the content of the proposal.

All TEPs MUST follow the TEP docutils template, and conform to -reStructuredText standards [1], to enable translation from -reStructuredText to HTML and Latex.

3.1 TEP Header

All TEPs MUST conform to reStructuredText standards [1] and follow +the docutils template, to enable translation from reStructuredText +to HTML and LaTeX.

3.1 TEP Header

The TEP header has several fields which MUST be included, as well as -others which MAY be included. The first six header fields MUST be +others which MAY be included. The TEP header MUST NOT include headers +which are not specified in TEP 1 or supplementary Best Current +Practice TEPs. The first six header fields MUST be included in all TEPs, in the order stated here.

The first field is "TEP," and specifies the TEP number of the -document. A TEP's number is unique.. This document is TEP 1. The -TEP type (discussed below) -determines how a number is assigned to it. Generally, when a document -is ready to be a TEP, it is assigned the smallest available number. -BCP TEPs start at 1 and all other TEPs (Documentary, Experimental, -and Informational) start at 101.

+document. A TEP's number is unique.. This document is TEP 1. The +TEP type (discussed below) determines TEP number assignment. Generally, +when a document is ready to be a TEP, it is assigned the smallest +available number. BCP TEPs start at 1 and all other TEPs +(Documentary, Experimental, and Informational) start at 101.

The second field states the name of the working group that produced the document. This document was produced by the Core Working Group.

The third field is "Type," and specifies the type of TEP the document is. There are four types of TEP: Best Current Practice (BCP), -Documentary, Informational, and Experimental. This document is Best +Documentary, Informational, and Experimental. This document's type is Best Current Practice.

Best Current Practice is the closest thing TEPs have to a standard: it represents conclusions from significant experience and work by its @@ -421,7 +424,7 @@ authors. Developers desiring to add code (or TEPs) to TinyOS SHOULD follow all current BCPs.

Documentary TEPs describe a system or protocol that exists; a documentary TEP MUST reference an implementation that a reader can -easily obtain. Documentary TEPs simplify interoperability when +easily obtain. Documentary TEPs simplify interoperability when needed, and document TinyOS service implementations.

Informational TEPs provide information that is of interest to the community. Informational TEPs include data gathered on radio behavior, @@ -430,14 +433,13 @@ organizational and logistic information, or experiences which could help the community achieve its goals.

Experimental TEPs describe a completely experimental approach to a problem, which are outside the TinyOS core and will not necessarily -become part of it. Unlike Documentary TEPs, Experimental TEPs may +become part of it. Unlike Documentary TEPs, Experimental TEPs may describe systems that do not have a reference implementation.

The fourth field is "Status," which specifies the status of the TEP. A TEP status can either be "Draft," which means it is a work in -progress, "Final," which means it is complete and will not change. -Once a TEP has the status "Final," its body MUST NOT change. -The values of its header fields MUST NOT change. The header of a -Final TEP MAY have an "Obsoleted By" field added.

+progress, "Final," which means it is complete and will not change. +Once a TEP has the status "Final," the only change allowed is the +addition of an "Obsoleted By" field.

The "Obsoletes" field is a backward pointer to an earlier TEP which the current TEP renders obsolete. An Obsoletes field MAY have multiple TEPs listed. For example, if TEP 191 were to replace TEPs 111 and 116, it @@ -463,7 +465,7 @@ here (see Section 3.2).

There is an optional field, "Extends." The "Extends" field refers to another TEP. The purpose of this field is to denote when a TEP represents an addition to an existing TEP. Meeting the requirements of a TEP with an -Extends field requires also meeting the requirements of all TEPs listed +Extends field requires also meeting the requirements of all TEPs listed in the Extends field.

If a TEP is a Draft, then four additional fields MUST be included: Draft-Created, Draft-Modified, Draft-Version, and Draft-Discuss. @@ -474,8 +476,8 @@ made. Draft-Discuss specifies the email address of a mailing list where the draft is being discussed. Final and Obsolete TEPs MUST NOT have these fields, which are for Drafts only.

3.2 TEP Body

The first element of the TEP body MUST be the title of the document. A TEP SHOULD follow the title with an Abstract, which gives a brief overview of the content of the TEP. Longer TEPs MAY, after the @@ -485,25 +487,27 @@ seeks to solve and providing needed background information.

If a TEP is Documentary, it MUST have a section entitled "Implementation," which instructs the reader how to obtain the implementation documented.

If a TEP is Best Current Practices, it MUST have a section entitled +

If a TEP is Best Current Practic, it MUST have a section entitled "Reference," which points the reader to one or more reference uses of the practices.

The last section of a TEP (but before citations, if there are any), +

The last numbered section of a TEP (but before citations, if there are any), entitled "Author's Address" or "Author's Addresses" MUST contain detailed author contact information.

A TEP MAY have appendices after its Author section. Unlike regular sections, +appendices are lettered. Please refer to Appendix A for details.

4. Reference

The reference use of this document is TEP 1 (itself).

5. Acknowledgments

The definitions of the compliance terms are a direct copy of definitions taken from IETF RFC 2119.

6. Author's Address

Philip Levis

467 Soda Hall

@@ -515,8 +519,8 @@ definitions taken from IETF RFC 2119.

email - pal@cs.berkeley.edu

7. Citations

@@ -524,6 +528,10 @@ definitions taken from IETF RFC 2119.

Appendix A. Example Appendix

This is an example appendix. Appendices begin with the letter A.

diff --git a/doc/txt/tep1.txt b/doc/txt/tep1.txt index a2fee1bc..94b45b7f 100644 --- a/doc/txt/tep1.txt +++ b/doc/txt/tep1.txt @@ -45,7 +45,10 @@ The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", document are to be interpreted as described in TEP 1. Note that the force of these words is modified by the requirement -level of the document in which they are used. +level of the document in which they are used. These words hold their +special meanings only when capitalized, and documents SHOULD avoid using +these words uncapitalized in order to minimize confusion. + 2.1 MUST -------------------------------------------------------------------- @@ -110,31 +113,32 @@ TEPs have two major parts, a header and a body. The header states document metadata, for management and status. The body contains the content of the proposal. -All TEPs MUST follow the TEP docutils template, and conform to -reStructuredText standards [1]_, to enable translation from -reStructuredText to HTML and Latex. +All TEPs MUST conform to reStructuredText standards [1]_ and follow +the docutils template, to enable translation from reStructuredText +to HTML and LaTeX. 3.1 TEP Header -------------------------------------------------------------------- The TEP header has several fields which MUST be included, as well as -others which MAY be included. The first six header fields MUST be +others which MAY be included. The TEP header MUST NOT include headers +which are not specified in TEP 1 or supplementary Best Current +Practice TEPs. The first six header fields MUST be included in all TEPs, in the order stated here. The first field is "TEP," and specifies the TEP number of the document. A TEP's number is unique.. This document is TEP 1. The -TEP type (discussed below) -determines how a number is assigned to it. Generally, when a document -is ready to be a TEP, it is assigned the smallest available number. -BCP TEPs start at 1 and all other TEPs (Documentary, Experimental, -and Informational) start at 101. +TEP type (discussed below) determines TEP number assignment. Generally, +when a document is ready to be a TEP, it is assigned the smallest +available number. BCP TEPs start at 1 and all other TEPs +(Documentary, Experimental, and Informational) start at 101. The second field states the name of the working group that produced the document. This document was produced by the Core Working Group. The third field is "Type," and specifies the type of TEP the document is. There are four types of TEP: Best Current Practice (BCP), -Documentary, Informational, and Experimental. This document is Best +Documentary, Informational, and Experimental. This document's type is Best Current Practice. Best Current Practice is the closest thing TEPs have to a standard: it @@ -161,9 +165,8 @@ describe systems that do not have a reference implementation. The fourth field is "Status," which specifies the status of the TEP. A TEP status can either be "Draft," which means it is a work in progress, "Final," which means it is complete and will not change. -Once a TEP has the status "Final," its body MUST NOT change. -The values of its header fields MUST NOT change. The header of a -Final TEP MAY have an "Obsoleted By" field added. +Once a TEP has the status "Final," the only change allowed is the +addition of an "Obsoleted By" field. The "Obsoletes" field is a backward pointer to an earlier TEP which the current TEP renders obsolete. An Obsoletes field MAY have multiple @@ -222,14 +225,17 @@ If a TEP is Documentary, it MUST have a section entitled "Implementation," which instructs the reader how to obtain the implementation documented. -If a TEP is Best Current Practices, it MUST have a section entitled +If a TEP is Best Current Practic, it MUST have a section entitled "Reference," which points the reader to one or more reference uses of the practices. -The last section of a TEP (but before citations, if there are any), +The last numbered section of a TEP (but before citations, if there are any), entitled "Author's Address" or "Author's Addresses" MUST contain detailed author contact information. +A TEP MAY have appendices after its Author section. Unlike regular sections, +appendices are lettered. Please refer to Appendix A for details. + 4. Reference ==================================================================== @@ -258,3 +264,8 @@ definitions taken from IETF RFC 2119. .. [1] reStructuredText Markup Specification. + +Appendix A. Example Appendix +==================================================================== + +This is an example appendix. Appendices begin with the letter A.