[vhdl-200x] Question on provision of UML tool with P1076c

Folks,

I'd like to get some feedback from working group and VHPI task force members
on an issue relating to publication of P1076c, the VHPI amendment to the
VHDL LRM.

I've been working with the IEEE editorial staff on the publication. We had
planned to include distributions of the MagicDraw Reader tool for browsing
the UML information model, as an alternative to browsing the HTML report of
the information model. Using the Reader has some usability advantages
compared with browsing the HTML.

The IEEE editor informs me that they now have some concerns about this
approach. First, their main concern is that the distribution is quite large
(around 300MB, containing installers for Windows, Max and Linux). They would
prefer not to host such a large download.

Second, they have concerns about distributing a commercial product. The
issue is not one of permission, which has been given by the tool supplier.
Rather, they are concerned about being perceived as endorsing a particular
product. Our rationale for including the tool with the standard is that
doing so mitigates the risk of future versions not being compatible with the
form in which we publish the information model, and the risk of the tool
supplier withdrawing the tool or going bust. None of these is likely.
However, as a wise man once said, confidence is that glowing feeling you get
just before falling flat on your face!

The alternative proposed by the IEEE editor is to include a link to the tool
supplier's website, so that people can download the tool for themselves. The
link would would be accompanied by a statement that IEEE does not endorse
this tool and that users are free to use equivalent tools. Would that be
satisfactory?

If you have opinions one way or another on these issues, could you please
let me know? If there is concensus that the IEEE editor's proposal is ok,
I'll advise him to proceed that way. Many thanks.

Cheers,

PA

--
Dr. Peter J. Ashenden         peter@ashenden.com.au
Ashenden Designs Pty. Ltd.    www.ashenden.com.au
PO Box 640                    VoIP: sip://0871270078@sip.internode.on.net
Stirling, SA 5152             Phone: +61 8 7127 0078
Australia                     Mobile: +61 414 70 9106



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