Dictionary release policy

[Peter Murray-Rust]

+1 to explicit versioning *within* the dictionary
Software uses the form:
<major>.<minor>.<point/patch>
This allows for tools to automatically update, and for reversion with
higher fidelity than humans. see https://semver.org/ for one scheme.




On Mon, Oct 10, 2022 at 6:18 AM James H via comcifs <comcifs at iucr.org>
wrote:

> Dear COMCIFS,
>
> Activity is picking up on the dictionary development front, particularly
> regarding powder and core. This has led me to wonder about developing some
> sort of process for releasing dictionary updates. See the below message
> that I've raised as an issue on Github (see
> https://github.com/COMCIFS/cif_core/issues/307). Please feel free to
> respond there or here. Message follows:
>
> We should develop some sort of dictionary release policy. At the moment we
> commit updates to the master branch of the dictionary on Github, and no
> further release activity happens. The status of the release is unclear: is
> it official once the commit is made? It certainly has an internal version
> number. I suggest we develop a process. Here is a start:
>
>    1. A dictionary becomes official once it has been tagged on Github as
>    a Github release
>    2. A Github release should be simultaneously reflected on the main
>    IUCr website as the latest version of the dictionary
>    3. The machine-readable IUCr dictionary catalogue should be updated at
>    the same time as (2)
>    4. There should be one release at least every 3 months unless a
>    dictionary has not changed in that time.
>    5. A dictionary may be released sooner than every 3 months if there is
>    an urgent need
>    6. Approximately one week before the official release date relevant
>    IUCr mailing lists should be advised of the forthcoming release together
>    with a summary of changes
>    7. A "release manager" is nominated for each dictionary and is
>    responsible for managing the release process.
>
> Thoughts? Experiences?
> thanks,
> James.
>
> --
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-- 
"I always retain copyright in my papers, and nothing in any contract I sign
with any publisher will override that fact. You should do the same".

Peter Murray-Rust
Reader Emeritus in Molecular Informatics
Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry
University of Cambridge
CB2 1EW, UK
+44-1223-336432
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