FEP - Format Developer - Form


		FEP - Format Developer - Form
		If you have developed a format that is suitable for Space Science use, please feel free to complete and submit this form. This form is a convenient method for providing your input to the Format Evolution Process. If your browser does not support forms or you are unable to use this form for some other reason, please feel free to complete the template and send the results via electronic mail to John.Garrett@gsfc.nasa.gov and Don.Sawyer@gsfc.nasa.gov. To use this form, fill in your comments below. When you are finished, select the "Submit" button. Identification Information Submitter's Name Submitter's Affiliation Submitter's Project (if appropriate) Submitter's E-mail Address Submitter's Phone Number Acronym or Name of Format 1. History and Philosophy 1-2 paragraphs 1.1 Identification State how the format being described is typically identified, e.g., Common Data Format, version 2.6. Distinguish different formats, if different software sets are user to generate/access them. Describe them in separate templates instances. 1.2 Purpose State the general purpose for development of the format. 1.3 User Community and Sponsoring Organization State the important user communities. State who provides funding to evolve/maintain the format. 1.4 Format Evolution State who controls the evolution and how this operates. 2. Conceptual Model Use text and figures to give a good view. Describe the underlying model upon which the format is based, such as 'multi-dimensional arrays with x features, etc., or it is a description language with the following capabilities and limitations. Call out any object types it explicitly supports, such as 'image of type x', or 'arrays of type y', or 'time-dependent values with x features'. If it uses tags to identify object types, describe how this is done and give some idea of the object types supported. Identify the ability to add new attributes to object types and what attributes are considered an integral part of the format. Also identify any relationships to formal standards and defacto standards. 3. Format Details For example: Relation to Hardware and Media Portability Primitive data types supported Include internal representation of numbers Describe how software recognizes that it is working with data in this format - e.g. Magic numbers Other details 4. Uses What is the format particularly suited and designed for? What features reflect this thrust? Examples may include Archival, Transfer, Low level instrument/telemetry, Processing, Display, Updateability, Extendability 5. Format Developer Software (if applicable) Describe functionality and modes of usage. Access, Generation, Display, Utilities (e.g., ingest that recognizes other formats) Describe APIs. 6. Software Standard Features What aspects of the format and/or software do you consider to be 'standard'? 7. Non-developer Software Additional software and support provided by vendors or projects. Identify and briefly describe functionality if known. 8. User Support How is support provided? What level? Is there a cost? What is size of user community? What are types of user community? etc. 9. Work In Progress (Not future plans) 10. Evolution Plans 11. Documentation and Related References Describe where a description of the format can be found; include pointers to web sites supporting the format and annotate the relationship of each reference to the format. 12. Other Comments

Wider Views Formats Evolution Process (FEP) Discussion Forums Page Formats Evolution Process (FEP) Home Page NASA/Science Office of Standards and Technology (NOST) Home Page

URL: http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/nost/fep/developer-form.html A service of NOST at NSSDC. Access statistics for this web are available. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Author: Don Sawyer (Don.Sawyer@gsfc.nasa.gov) +1.301.286.2748 Curator: John Garrett (John.Garrett@gsfc.nasa.gov) +1.301.286.3575 NASA Official: Code 633.2 / Don Sawyer (Don.Sawyer@gsfc.nasa.gov) +1.301.286.2748 Last Revised: 1999-06-16, Don Sawyer