From 7258a35d21078a846d7e8600e22588f056c29d8c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: ctcpip Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2024 13:42:25 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] =?UTF-8?q?=E2=9C=A8=20clarifications,=20fixes,=20grammar?= MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Co-authored-by: Ross Kirsling --- index.html | 64 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------- 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 32 deletions(-) diff --git a/index.html b/index.html index 48f1901..dc11f23 100644 --- a/index.html +++ b/index.html @@ -38,9 +38,9 @@

The TC39 Process

Stages

-

Changes to the language are developed by way of a process which provides guidelines for evolving an addition from an idea to a fully specified feature, complete with acceptance tests and multiple implementations. There are six stages: a strawperson stage and five “maturity” stages. The committee must approve acceptance for each stage. +

Changes to the language are developed by way of a process which provides guidelines for evolving an addition from an idea to a fully specified feature, complete with acceptance tests and multiple implementations. There are six stages: a strawperson stage and five maturity stages. The committee must approve proposals for progression to each stage. -

Proposals at stage 1 and beyond must be owned by the committee. Upon proposal acceptance, any externally-owned repositories must be transferred by following the onboarding instructions. +

Proposals at Stage 1 and beyond must be owned by the committee. Upon proposal acceptance, any externally-owned repositories must be transferred by following the onboarding instructions. @@ -50,7 +50,7 @@

Stages

@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@

Stages

ECMAScript Proposal Stages
Stage Status Entrance Criteria - Purpose + Purpose
  • Identified a champion or champion group who will advance the addition -
  • Prose outlining the problem or need and the general shape of a solution +
  • Prose outlining the problem/need and the general shape of a solution
  • Discussion of key algorithms, abstractions, and semantics
  • Identification of potential cross-cutting concerns and implementation challenges/complexity
  • A publicly available repository for the proposal that captures the above requirements @@ -145,7 +145,7 @@

    Stages

The proposed feature is complete and ready to be included in the standard. No further changes will be made to the proposal.
    -
  • Two compatible implementations which pass the test262 acceptance tests +
  • Two compatible implementations which pass the Test262 acceptance tests
  • Significant in-the-field experience with shipping implementations, such as that provided by two independent VMs
  • A pull request has been sent to tc39/ecma262 or tc39/ecma402, as appropriate, with the integrated spec text
  • The relevant editor group has signed off on the pull request @@ -157,52 +157,52 @@

    Stages

    Input into the process

    -

    Ideas for evolving the ECMAScript language are accepted in any form. Any discussion, idea, or proposal for a change or addition which has not been submitted as a formal proposal is considered to be a “strawperson” (stage 0) and has no acceptance requirements. Such submissions must either come from TC39 delegates or from non-delegates who have registered via Ecma International. +

    Ideas for evolving the ECMAScript language are accepted in any form. Any discussion, idea, or proposal for a change or addition which has not been submitted as a formal proposal is considered to be a strawperson (Stage 0) and has no acceptance criteria. Such submissions must either come from TC39 delegates or from non-delegates who have registered via Ecma International.

    Spec revisions and scheduling

    -

    TC39 intends to submit a specification to the ECMA General Assembly for ratification in July of each year. The following is an approximate timeline for producing a new spec revision:

    +

    TC39 intends to submit a specification to the Ecma General Assembly for ratification in July of each year. The following is an approximate timeline for producing a new spec revision:

    • February 1: Candidate Draft is produced.
    • February - March: 60 day royalty-free opt-out period.
      • -
    • March TC39 Meeting: stage 4 proposals are incorporated, final semantics are approved, and the new spec version is branched from main. Only editorial changes are accepted from this point forward.
      • -
    • April-June: ECMA CC and ECMA GA review period.
      • -
    • July: Approval of new standard by the ECMA General Assembly
      • +
    • March TC39 Meeting: Stage 4 proposals are incorporated, final semantics are approved, and the new spec version is branched from main. Only editorial changes are accepted from this point forward.
      • +
    • April-June: Ecma ExeCom and Ecma GA review period.
      • +
    • July: Approval of new standard by the Ecma General Assembly

    Status of in-process additions

    -

    TC39 will maintain a list of in-process additions, along with the current maturity stage of each, on its GitHub. +

    TC39 will maintain a list of in-process additions, along with the current maturity stage of each, on its GitHub.

    Spec text

    -

    At stages 2 and later, the semantics, API and syntax of an addition must be described as edits to the latest published ECMAScript standard, using the same language and conventions. The quality of the spec text expected at each stage is described above. +

    At Stage 2 and later, the semantics, API, and syntax of an addition must be described as edits to the latest published ECMAScript standard, using the same language and conventions. The quality of the spec text expected at each stage is described above.

    Reviewers

    Anyone can be a reviewer and submit feedback on an in-process addition. The committee should identify designated reviewers for acceptance during Stage 2. These reviewers must give their sign-off before a proposal enters Stage 2.7. Designated reviewers should not be authors of the spec text for the addition and should have expertise applicable to the subject matter. Designated reviewers must be chosen by the committee, not by the proposal's champion. -

    When reviewers are designated, a target meeting for Stage 2.7 should be identified. Initial reviewer feedback should be given to the champions two weeks before that meeting to allow for a back-and-forth ahead of the meeting. The target Stage 2.7 meeting may be delayed by a champion outside of the meeting at a later time if it is not ready. +

    When reviewers are designated, a target meeting for Stage 2.7 should be identified. Initial reviewer feedback should be given to the champions at least two weeks before the meeting to allow time for discussion and revisions. The target Stage 2.7 meeting may be postponed by a champion if further refinement is necessary.

    Calls for implementation and feedback

    -

    When an addition is accepted at stage 3, the committee is signifying that it believes design work is complete and further refinement will require implementation experience, significant usage, and external feedback. +

    When an addition is accepted at Stage 3, the committee is signifying that design work is complete and further refinement will require implementation experience, significant usage, and external feedback.

    Tips for achieving consensus

    -

    During the discussion of a proposal any aspect may be discussed. Consensus is given as an indicator of the current stage. Delegates should openly give feedback on proposals, and especially for a proposal for stage advancement where the concern is relevant to the stage. Delegates should raise their concerns early and asynchronously, in order to help the champion resolve any issues. +

    During the discussion of a proposal, any aspect may be addressed. Delegates are encouraged to provide feedback on proposals, especially on stage advancement proposals where concerns are relevant to that stage. Feedback and concerns should be raised early and asynchronously to help the champion resolve any issues efficiently. Consensus determines whether a proposal is ready to advance to the next stage. -

    A delegate may pose a constraint as necessary for advancement. A constraint refers to an desired property of the proposal, accompanied by a rationale. We encourage this to also be done asynchronously in issues, and in incubator calls, as well as in plenary. In this situation, the delegate should expect to work with the champion and other delegates during earlier stages to incorporate their constraint into the solution, and to consider different possible tradeoffs. In general, the earlier a constraint is raised, the better. +

    A delegate may pose a constraint as necessary for advancement. A constraint refers to a desired property of the proposal, supported by a rationale. We encourage this to be done asynchronously in issues, in incubator calls, and in plenary. In this situation, the delegate should work with the champion and other delegates during earlier stages to incorporate the constraint into the solution, and to explore possible tradeoffs. Generally, the earlier a constraint is raised, the better. -

    Frequently, many different conflicting constraints are posited about proposals, and the committee collectively may make tradeoffs selecting a particular design even though it compromises one or more constraints. +

    Often, multiple conflicting constraints are proposed, and the committee may make tradeoffs, selecting a design that compromises one or more constraints. -

    Given that consensus on Stage 3 means "the solution is complete" (i.e., all open design issues have been resolved including anticipated implementation and ecosystem compatibility issues), all TC39 participants should validate the design of proposals they care about before granting Stage 3 consensus. Stage 3 proposals which have fulfilled the acceptance criteria for Stage 4 may not be withheld from advancement unless the issue raised is related to implementation experience or identifies a problem or information which has not previously been discussed by the committee. The intention is to allow implementers to invest in implementations, and maintain the significance of stage 3 in the process. +

    Given that consensus on Stage 3 means "the solution is complete" (i.e., all open design issues have been resolved including anticipated implementation and ecosystem compatibility issues), all TC39 participants should validate the design of proposals they care about before granting Stage 3 consensus. Stage 3 proposals which have fulfilled the acceptance criteria for Stage 4 may not be withheld from advancement unless the issue raised is related to implementation experience or identifies a problem or information which has not previously been discussed by the committee. The goal is to enable implementers to invest in implementations, and preserve the significance of Stage 3 in the process.

    In cases where the committee does not come to consensus

    -

    The committee may come to a point where consensus is not reached in committee regarding the feature. In this case, the committee must record a good description of why a proposal did not advance. This should be done both in the meeting notes and within an issue in the proposal's tracker, but not limited to those. This allows us to understand issues in the proposal and similar proposals in a coherent way. +

    The committee may come to a point where consensus is not reached in committee regarding the feature. In this case, the committee must record a good description of why a proposal did not advance. At a minimum, this should be documented in both the meeting notes and an issue in the proposal's repository. This helps us understand issues in the proposal and similar proposals in a cohesive way. -

    There are two forms that this sometimes takes, the first is the violation of a constraint and the other is colloquially known as a block. Other forms exist but are not discussed directly here. +

    There are two forms that this sometimes takes, the first is the violation of a constraint and the other is colloquially known as a "block". Other forms exist but are not addressed here.

    In the first case, delegates may consider that the violation of a constraint is sufficiently serious reason to withhold their consensus for stage advancement. The dissenting delegate(s) and the champion(s) should work together accordingly to resolve the issue. @@ -210,34 +210,34 @@

    In cases where the committee does not come to consensus

    When possible, it is preferable to raise an actionable constraint. The committee does not have an established concept of a rejected proposal--it is always possible for the champion to make changes and come back to ask for consensus. -

    Conditional Advancement

    +

    Conditional advancement

    -

    A delegate may also request additional time to consider the proposal, if a topic they had not considered comes up during discussion. In this case, the delegate should give the champion some actionable request for how to facilitate the analysis (e.g., the champion could walk through the proposal with the delegate offline). In practice, this work should be done during the plenary, or before the next meeting. A delegate may also request additional time to consider the proposal, if it was added to the agenda after the deadline for proposal advancement. +

    A delegate may request additional time to consider the proposal if a topic they had not considered comes up during discussion. In this case, the delegate should give the champion an actionable request for how to facilitate the analysis (e.g., the champion could walk through the proposal with the delegate offline). In practice, this work should be done during the plenary, or before the next meeting. A delegate may also request additional time to consider the proposal, if it was added to the agenda after the deadline for proposal advancement.

    The committee may resolve to conditionally advance a proposal to address a particular well-understood condition offline, e.g., making a particular small specification change concrete, among a group of interested people who have an idea of the solution. Conditional advancement is time-limited, giving the person raising the concern time to discuss with the champions and authors about their concerns. If a proposal has a conditional advancement, an issue must be opened on the proposal’s repository. If the issue is resolved, the proposal automatically reaches the next stage without further discussion by the committee. If the issue cannot be resolved, the proposal does not advance. -

    Withdrawing Proposals, Reverting to Earlier Stages, and Adopting Proposals

    +

    Withdrawing proposals, reverting to earlier stages, and adopting proposals

    -

    At any point in the process, a proposal champion may propose that a proposal be downgraded to an earlier stage or withdrawn. Consensus of the committee is necessary for these transitions. The proposal to make this change must be accompanied by a reason why it is appropriate, e.g., a significant issue that may have not been considered, or identified, before. +

    At any point in the process, a proposal champion may propose downgrading a proposal to an earlier stage, or withdrawing it altogether. Consensus of the committee is necessary for these transitions. The proposal to make this change must include a rationale explaining why it is appropriate, e.g., a significant issue that may have not been considered, or identified, before. -

    If the proposal champion is not available or no longer interested in a proposal, then another committee delegate may volunteer to champion the proposal. From that point on, this other delegate takes over champion duties, and can propose to advance, downgrade, or withdraw the proposal. +

    If the proposal champion is not available or is no longer interested in a proposal, then another committee delegate may volunteer to champion the proposal. From that point on, this other delegate takes over champion duties, and can propose to advance, downgrade, or withdraw the proposal. -

    Scope of Responsibility for Champions

    +

    Scope of responsibility for champions

    -

    Champions (or, frequently "champion groups" of several members) are authors and editors of proposals. The champion is responsible for the evolution of the proposal from Stage 0 through Stage 4, at which point maintenance transfers to the editor group. Champions have admin permissions in the proposal repository and can freely make changes within this repository. Periodically, champions may bring their proposal to TC39 to ask for consensus on stage advancement. +

    Champions (or, frequently "champion groups" of several members) are authors and editors of proposals. The champion is responsible for the evolution of the proposal from Stage 0 through Stage 4, at which point maintenance is transferred to the editor group. Champions have admin permissions in the proposal repository and can freely make changes within this repository. Periodically, champions may bring their proposal to TC39 to ask for consensus on stage advancement. -

    When asking for advancement, the champion is expected to make the whole proposal accessible for review by the committee, by explaining its contents, providing supporting documentation, etc. Material changes should be presented explicitly. +

    When requesting advancement, the champion is expected to make the entire proposal accessible for review by the committee, including an explanation of its contents, providing supporting documentation, etc. Any substantive changes should be presented explicitly. -

    Although there is no requirement to do so, it is often beneficial for champions to keep the committee updated with periodic status updates explaining major changes. These status updates do not require consensus; consensus is only required for stage advancement. A significant design change may require that the committee has a chance to re-evaluate if the proposal is in the appropriate stage. +

    While not required, it is often beneficial for champions to provide periodic status updates to the committee, highlighting major changes. These status updates do not require consensus; consensus is only required for stage advancement. A significant design change may require the committee to re-evaluate whether the proposal is currently at the appropriate stage.

    Test262 tests

    -

    During stage 2.7, test262 tests should be authored and submitted via pull request. Once it has been appropriately reviewed, it should be merged to aid implementors in providing the feedback expected during this stage. +

    During Stage 2.7, Test262 tests should be authored and submitted via pull request. Once it has been appropriately reviewed, it should be merged to aid implementors in providing the feedback expected during this stage.

    Eliding the process

    -

    The committee may elide the process based on the scope of a change under consideration as it sees fit. +

    The committee may elide the process based on the scope of a change under consideration, as it sees fit.

    Role of the editors

    -

    In-process additions will likely have spec text which is authored by a champion or a committee member other than the editors although in some cases one or more of the editors may also be a champion with responsibility for specific features. The editors are responsible for the overall structure and coherence of the ECMAScript specification. It is also the role of the editors to provide guidance and feedback to spec text authors so that as an addition matures, the quality and completeness of its specification improves. It is also the role of the editors to integrate additions which have been accepted as “finished” (stage 4) into a new revision of the specification. +

    In-process additions will likely have spec text which is authored by a champion or a committee member other than the editors, although in some cases one or more of the editors may also be a champion with responsibility for specific features. The editors are responsible for the overall structure and coherence of the ECMAScript specification. It is also the role of the editors to provide guidance and feedback to spec text authors so that as an addition matures, the quality and completeness of its specification improves. It is also the role of the editors to integrate additions which have been accepted as finished (Stage 4) into a new revision of the specification.