[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 131 (Monday, July 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-16620]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 11, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No. 940669-4169]
RIN 0693-AB25

 

Proposed Revision of Federal Information Processing Standards 
(FIPS) 119, ADA

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This proposed revision of Federal Information Processing 
Standard (FIPS) 119, Ada, will adopt the revised voluntary industry 
specifications, American National Standard and the International 
Organization for Standardization Reference Manual for the Ada 
Programming Language, ANSI/ISO/IEC 8652:1994, as a Federal Information 
Processing Standard (FIPS). American National Standard and the 
International Organization for Standardization Reference Manual for the 
Ada Programming Language, ANSI/ISO/IEC 8652:1994, specifies the form 
and meaning of programs written in Ada. The purpose of the standard is 
to promote portability of Ada programs for use on a variety of data 
processing systems. The standard is for use by implementors as the 
reference authority in developing compilers, interpreters, or other 
forms of high level language processors; and by other computer 
professionals who need to know the precise syntactic and semantic rules 
of the standard.
    Prior to the submission of this proposed revision to the Secretary 
of Commerce for review and approval, it is essential to assure that 
consideration is given to the needs and views of manufacturers, the 
public, and state and local governments. The purpose of this notice is 
to solicit such views.
    This proposed FIPS contains two sections: (1) An announcement 
section, which provides information concerning the applicability, 
implementation, and maintenance of the standard; and (2) a 
specifications section which deals with the technical requirements of 
the standard. Only the announcement section of the standard is provided 
in this notice. Interested parties may obtain copies of the technical 
specifications from the Standards Processing Coordinator (ADP), 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology Building, 
Room B64, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, telephone (301) 975-2816.

DATES: Comments on this proposed revision must be received on or before 
October 11, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the proposed revision should be 
sent to: Director, Computer Systems Laboratory, ATTN: Proposed FIPS 
119-1, Ada, Technology Building, Room B-154, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Written comments 
received in response to this notice will be made part of the public 
record and will be made available for inspection and copying in the 
Central Reference and Records Inspection Facility, Room 6020, Herbert 
C. Hoover Building, 14th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution 
Avenues, NW., Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. William H. Dashiell, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, (301) 975-2490.

    Dated: June 30, 1994.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.

Proposed Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 119-1

DRAFT  1994 June 7  DRAFT

Announcing the Standard for Ada

    Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) 
are issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 111(d) 
of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as 
amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 100-235.
    1. Name of Standard. Ada (FIPS PUB 119-1).
    2. Category of Standard. Software Standard, Programming Language.
    3. Explanation. This publication is a revision of FIPS PUB 119 and 
supersedes that document in its entirety.
    This publication announces the adoption of American National 
Standard and the International Organization for Standardization 
Reference Manual for the Ada Programming Language, ANSI/ISO/IEC 
8652:1994, as a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS). 
American National Standard and the International Organization for 
Standardization Reference Manual for the Ada Programming Language, 
ANSI/ISO/IEC 8652:1994, specifies the form and meaning of programs 
written in Ada. The purpose of the standard is to promote portability 
of Ada programs for use on a variety of data processing systems. The 
standard is for use by implementors as the reference authority in 
developing compilers, interpreters, or other forms of high level 
language processors; and by other computer professionals who need to 
know the precise syntactic and semantic rules of the standard.
    4. Approving Authority. Secretary of Commerce.
    5. Maintenance Agency. U.S. Department of Commerce, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Computer Systems 
Laboratory (CSL).
    6. Cross Index. American National Standard and the International 
Organization for Standardization Reference Manual for the Ada 
Programming Language, ANSI/ISO/IEC 8652:1994.
    7. Related Documents.
    a. Federal ADP and Telecommunications Standards Index, U.S. General 
Services Administration, Information Resources Management Service, 
April 1994 (updated periodically).
    b. Federal Information Resources Management Regulations (FIRMR) 
subpart 201.20.303, Standards, and subpart 201.39.1002, Federal 
Standards.
    c. FIPS PUB 29-3, Interpretation Procedures for FIPS Software, 29 
October 1992.
    d. NBS Special Publication 500-117, Selection and Use of General-
Purpose Programming Languages.
    e. NIST, Validated Products List, (republished quarterly). 
Available by subscription from the National Technical Information 
Service (NTIS).
    f. ISO 6429: 1992(E)--Information Technology--Control Functions for 
Coded Character Sets.
    g. ISO 646 Information Processing--7-bit Single-Byte Coded 
Character Set.
    h. ISO 8859-1:1987(E)--Information Processing--8 bit Single-Byte 
Coded Character Sets--Part 1: Latin Alphabet No. 1.
    i. ISO 10646-1:1993 Information Technology--Universal Multiple-
Octet Coded Character Set (UCS)--Part 1: Architecture and Balic 
Multilingual Plane.
    8. Objectives. Federal standards for high level programming 
languages permit Federal departments and agencies to exercise more 
effective control over the production, management, and use of the 
Government's information resources. The primary objectives of Federal 
programming language standards are:

--To encourage more effective utilization and management of programmers 
by insuring that programming skills acquired on one job are 
transportable to other jobs, thereby reducing the cost of programmer 
re-training;
--To reduce the cost of program development by achieving the increased 
programmer productivity that is inherent in the use of high level 
programming languages;
--To reduce the overall software costs by making it easier and less 
expensive to maintain programs and to transfer programs among different 
computer systems, including replacement systems;
--To protect the existing software assets of the Federal Government by 
insuring to the maximal feasible extent that Federal programming 
language standards are technically sound and that subsequent revisions 
are compatible with the installed base.

    Government-wide attainment of the above objectives depends upon the 
widespread availability and use of comprehensive and precise standard 
language specifications.
    9. Applicability.
    a. Federal standards for high level programming languages should be 
used for computer applications that are either developed or acquired 
for government use. FIPS Ada is one of the high level programming 
language standards provided for use by all Federal departments and 
agencies. FIPS Ada is suitable for use in programming and any 
applications for which there is no specific language available 
specifically targeted to that application.
    b. The use of FIPS Ada is recommended for the following 
applications and situations:

--Those involving control of real-time or parallel processes.
--Very large systems.
--Systems with requirements for very high reliability.
--Systems which are to be developed with reusable software packages.
--When it is anticipated that the life of an application will be longer 
than the life of the presently utilized equipment.
--The application or program is under constant review for updating of 
the specifications, and changes may result frequently.
--The application is being designed and programmed centrally for a 
decentralized system that employs computers of different makes, models 
and configurations.
--The program will or might be run on equipment other than that for 
which the program is initially written.
--The program is to be understood and maintained by programmers other 
than the original ones.
--The advantages of improved program design, debugging, documentation 
and intelligibility can be obtained through the use of this high level 
language.
--The program is or is likely to be used by organizations outside the 
Federal Government (i.e., State and local governments, and others).

    10. Specifications. FIPS Ada specifications are the language 
specifications contained in American National Standard and the 
International Organization for Standardization Reference Manual for the 
Ada Programming Language, ANSI/ISO/IEC 8652:1994 standard.
    The American National Standard and the International Organization 
for Standardization Reference Manual for the Ada Programming Language, 
ANSI/ISO/IEC 8652:1994 standard document specifies the form of a 
program written in Ada, the effect of translating and executing a 
program, predefined library entities that must be supplied, and 
detection of compilation and/or link errors.
    The standard does not specify limits on the size or complexity of 
programs, the results when the rules of the standard fail to establish 
an interpretation, the means of supervisory control of programs, or the 
means of transforming programs for processing.
    11. Implementation. The implementation of FIPS Ada involves four 
areas of consideration: the effective date, acquisition of Ada 
processors, interpretation of FIPS Ada, and validation of processors.
    11.1  Effective Date. This revised standard becomes effective 
ninety (90) days after the publication in the Federal Register 
announcing approval by the Secretary of Commerce. Ada Processors 
acquired for Federal use after this date should conform to FIPS PUB 
119-1.
    A transition period provides time for industry to produce Ada 
language processors conforming to the standard. The transition period 
begins on the effective date and ends March 1, 1997. The provisions of 
FIPS PUB 119-1 apply to orders placed after the effective date of this 
publication. If, during the transition period, a processor conforming 
to FIPS PUB 119-1 is not available, a processor conforming to FIPS PUB 
119 may be acquired for interim use during the transition period.
    This transition period is intended to give implementations that 
conform to FIPS PUB 119 time to make the enhancements necessary to 
enable conformance to FIPS PUB 119-1. No further transitional period is 
necessary.
    11.2  Acquisition of Ada Processors. Conformance to FIPS Ada should 
be considered whether Ada processors are developed internally, acquired 
as part of an ADP system procurement, acquired by separate procurement, 
used under an ADP leasing arrangement, or specified for use in 
contracts for programming services. Recommended terminology for 
procurement of FIPS Ada is contained in the U.S. General Services 
Administration publication Federal ADP & Telecommunications Standards 
Index, Chapter 4 Part 1.
    11.3  Interpretation of FIPS Ada. The National Institute of 
Standards and Technology provides for the resolution of questions (see 
FIPS PUB 29-3, Interpretation Procedures for FIPS Software, 29 October 
1992) regarding the specifications and requirements, and issues 
official interpretations as needed. All questions about the 
interpretation of this standard should be addressed to: Director, 
Computer Systems Laboratory, Attn: FIPS Ada Interpretation, National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, Voice: 
301-975-2490, FAX: 301-948-6213, e-mail: [email protected].
    11.4  Validation of Ada Processors. Implementations of FIPS Ada 
shall be validated in accordance with the NIST Computer Systems 
Laboratory (CSL) validation procedures for FIPS Ada. Recommended 
procurement terminology for validation of FIPS Ada is contained in the 
U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) publication Federal ADP & 
Telecommunications Standards Index, Chapter 4 Part 2. This GSA 
publication provides terminology for three validation options: Delayed 
Validation, Prior Validation Testing, and Prior Validation. The agency 
shall select the appropriate validation option and shall specify 
whether a Validation Summary Report or Certificate of Validation is 
required. The agency shall specify appropriate time frames for 
validation and correction of nonconformities. The agency is advised to 
refer to the NIST publication Validated Products List for information 
about the validation status of Ada products. This information may be 
used to specify validation time frames that are not unduly restrictive 
of competition.
    The agency shall specify the criteria used to determine whether a 
Validation Summary Report (VSR) or Certificate is applicable to the 
hardware/software environment of the Ada implementation offered. The 
criteria for applicability of a VSR or Certificate should be 
appropriate to the size and timing of the procurement. A large 
procurement may require that the offered version/release of the Ada 
implementation shall be validated in a specified hardware/software 
environment and that the validation shall be conducted with specified 
hardware/software features or parameter settings; e.g., the same 
parameter settings to be used in a performance benchmark.
    An agency with a single/license procurement may review the 
Validated Products List to determine the applicability of existing VSRs 
or Certificates to the agency's hardware/software environment.
    Ada implementations shall be evaluated using a NIST approved test 
suite.
    For further information contact: Director, Computer Systems 
Laboratory, Attn: FIPS Ada Validation, National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, Voice: 301-975-2490, FAX: 301-
948-6213, e-mail: [email protected].
    12. Waivers. Under certain exceptional circumstances, the heads of 
Federal departments and agencies may approve waivers to Federal 
Information Processing Standards (FIPS). The head of such agency may 
re-delegate such authority only to a senior official designated 
pursuant to section 3506(b) of Title 44, U.S. Code. Waivers shall be 
granted only when:
    a. Compliance with a standard would adversely affect the 
accomplishment of the mission of an operator of a Federal computer 
system, or
    b. Cause a major adverse financial impact on the operator which is 
not offset by Government wide savings.
    Agency heads may act upon a written waiver request containing the 
information detailed above. Agency heads may also act without a written 
waiver request when they determine that conditions for meeting the 
standard cannot be met. Agency heads may approve waivers only by a 
written decision which explains the basis on which the agency head made 
the required finding(s). A copy of each such decision, with procurement 
sensitive classified portions clearly identified, shall be sent to: 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, ATTN: FIPS Waiver 
Decisions, Technology Building, Room B-154, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.
    In addition, notice of each waiver granted and each delegation of 
authority to approve waivers shall be sent promptly to the Committee on 
Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Governmental Affairs of the Senate and shall be published promptly 
in the Federal Register.
    When the determination on a waiver applies to the procurement of 
equipment and/or services, a notice of the waiver determination must be 
published in the Commerce Business Daily as a part of the notice of 
solicitation for offers of an acquisition or, if the waiver 
determination is made after that notice is published, by amendment to 
such notice.
    A copy of the waiver, any supporting documents, the document 
approving the waiver and any supporting and accompanying documents, 
with such deletions as the agency is authorized and decides to make 
under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), shall be part of the procurement documentation 
and retained by the agency.
    13. Where to Obtain Copies. Copies of this publication are for sale 
by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone (703) 487-4650. When 
ordering, refer to Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 
119-1 (FIPSPUB119-1), and title. Payment may be made by check, money 
order, or deposit account.

[FR Doc. 94-16620 Filed 7-8-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-CN-M