Re: Status of the R2RML document and going last call

On 3 Aug 2011, at 19:12, David McNeil <dmcneil@revelytix.com> wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 12:12 PM, Ivan Herman <ivan@w3.org> wrote:
> reference implementations should be available _at the end_ of the candidate recommendation phase.
> 
> In other words, process-wise, last call can go ahead without those without any problems.
> 
> Ivan - Thanks. What is the mechanism to get feedback from the reference implementation exercise back into the specs?
> 

Both the Last Call and the Candidate Recs phases are such that every comment must be answered and all the comments and answers must be documented; the goal of the administrative "transition calls" at W3C, that give a green light to get to the next phase, is to check that. Formally, the reference implementations' comments are expected at the end of the CR phase, and the comments should be reflected in the document. Of course, such comments can also come at the LC phase and should be treated similarly (and,obviously, the earlier they come the better is).

Note that 'Last call' is a bit of a misnomer. If either at the LC or at the CR phase substantial technical issues come up which lead to a technical change of the specification, then the document goes 'back' to last call, ie, the cycle starts again. That can also happen if the CR phase, ie, reference implementations, reveal technical issues that lead to a change of the specification may send the spec back to last cal, too. Ie, last call  is a significant milestone...

Ivan

> -David