Dip 2458

dip: 2458 title: Updates and Updated-by Header author: Edson Ayllon (@edsonayllon) Digitalia editing author: Cosimo Constantinos cosimo@juro.net, et al. discussions-to: https://github.com/digitalia/DIPs/issues/2453 status: Withdrawn type: Informational created: 2020-01-06 Created for Digitalia: 2025-01-07

Simple Summary¶

Adds DIP header options updates and updated-by to frontmatter of active DIPs for use as needed.

Abstract¶

DIP headers updates and updated-by are used for updating active DIPs. This is to make the improvement process of DIPs more modular, and have updates to existing active DIPs receive similar exposures to DIPs which replace existing final DIPs.

Motivation¶

Currently, DIP1 specifies DIP headers: updated, replaces, and superseded-by. Headers replaces and superseded-by indicates when an entire DIP is being replaced by another DIP, indicating when an DIP is now historical, and is updated by a new standard.

The header updated indicates the date an DIP has received an update by DIP authors and editors, an example DIP being DIP1. updated is reserved for DIPs in draft or active status.

In the case of active status, an DIP may receive an update, but these updates don't operate as with DIPs in final status, where a historical DIP is created, and the new DIP is referenced by the historical one. While these updates are not kept immutably, updates to active DIPs can be done modularly by creating a new DIP that goes through the standard discussion and auditing process DIPs undergo. The DIP headers updates and updated-by are to facilitate this modularity. Creating a new DIP also provides sufficient notification to affected stakeholders of an active DIP before that DIP is updated.

Specification¶

`updated-by`¶

updated-by is reserved for DIPs in active status. For an DIP in status active, updates to that DIP, which update the header updated, should be started by opening a new DIP to start vetting for that update. When an active DIP receives a new entry to header updated, an associated updated-by DIP listing should be included, where that newly listed DIP has reached final status.

updates should be included as an DIP header, as all DIP headers, and include a reference to an DIP designation. When multiple DIP designations are referenced, each should be separated by a comma. Example:

---
updated-by: 9999, 9998, 9997
---

`updates`¶

updates is reserved for DIPs updating DIPs in active status. An DIP listed as updates is implied to also be requires; only updates is needed for those DIP listings. Having an DIP listing updates does not necessarily mean that referenced DIP must reference back with an updated-by listing.

updates should be included as an DIP header, as all DIP headers, and include a reference to an DIP designation. When multiple DIP designations are referenced, each should be separated by a comma. Example:

---
updates: 1
---

Rationale¶

updates and updated-by apply only to DIPs in active status as updates to DIPs in final status are already handled by DIP headers superseded-by and replaces.

The syntax should align with previous DIP header syntax, as this DIP is not updating syntax, simply adding header options.

Backwards Compatibility¶

These DIP headers are optional and do not introduce compatibility issues.

Implementation¶

An implementation is adding a header option.

Security Considerations¶

This standard is informational and does not introduce technical security issues.

Copyright¶

Licensed under the Juro Restricted License Version 2. See https://juro.net/jrl for details.