Standards (software)
Encyclopedia
A software standard is a standard, protocol
, or other common format of a document, file, or data transfer accepted and used by one or more software developers while working on one or more than one software programs. Software standards enable interoperability between different programs created by different developers.
Developers prefer using standards for software development because of the efficiencies it provides for code development and wider user acceptance and use of the resulting application.
For example, the protocols HTML
, TCP/IP, SMTP, POP
and FTP are software standards that an application designer must understand and follow if their software expects to interface with these standards. For instance, in order for an email sent from Microsoft Outlook
can be read from within the Yahoo! Mail
application, the email will be sent using SMTP, which the different receiving program understands and can parse properly to display the email. Without a standardized technique to send an email, the two different programs would be unable to accurately share and display the delivered information.
Some widely used data formats, while understood and used by a variety of software programs, are not considered a software standard. Microsoft Office
file formats, such as .doc and .xls, are commonly converted by other software programs to use, but are still owned and controlled by Microsoft
, unlike text files (TXT
or RTF
.)
s like W3C and ISOC
that consist of groups of larger software companies like Microsoft
and Apple Inc.. Representatives of these companies contribute their ideas about how to make a single, unified software standard to address the data problem they are trying to handle.
Complexity of a standard can vary depending on what kind of problem that they are trying to solve. For instance FTP (file transfer protocol) tries to solve a different problem than SMTP, which is concerned with sending and receiving email. Standards also need to be simple, maintainable and understandable. The software standard document that they create needs to detail every possible condition, types, elements, etc. in order to retain utility and serve the role for which it was created.
. The documentation for an open standard is open to the public and anyone can create a software that implements and uses the standard. The documentation and specification for closed standards are not available to the public, enabling its developer to sell and license the code to manage their data format to other interested software developers. While this process increases the revenue potential for a useful file format, it may limit acceptance and drive the adoption of a similar, open standard instead.
Communications protocol
A communications protocol is a system of digital message formats and rules for exchanging those messages in or between computing systems and in telecommunications...
, or other common format of a document, file, or data transfer accepted and used by one or more software developers while working on one or more than one software programs. Software standards enable interoperability between different programs created by different developers.
The use of software standards
Software standards consist of certain terms, concepts, data formats, document styles and techniques agreed upon by software creators so that their software can understand the files and data created by a different software program. To be considered a standard, a certain protocol needs to accepted and incorporated by a group of developers who contribute to the definition and maintenance of the standard.Developers prefer using standards for software development because of the efficiencies it provides for code development and wider user acceptance and use of the resulting application.
For example, the protocols HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, TCP/IP, SMTP, POP
Post Office Protocol
In computing, the Post Office Protocol is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection. POP and IMAP are the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval. Virtually all modern...
and FTP are software standards that an application designer must understand and follow if their software expects to interface with these standards. For instance, in order for an email sent from Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
can be read from within the Yahoo! Mail
Yahoo! Mail
Yahoo! Mail is a web mail service provided by Yahoo!. It was inaugurated in 1997, and, according to comScore, Yahoo! Mail was the second largest web-based email service with 273.1 million users as of November 2010....
application, the email will be sent using SMTP, which the different receiving program understands and can parse properly to display the email. Without a standardized technique to send an email, the two different programs would be unable to accurately share and display the delivered information.
Some widely used data formats, while understood and used by a variety of software programs, are not considered a software standard. Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
file formats, such as .doc and .xls, are commonly converted by other software programs to use, but are still owned and controlled by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, unlike text files (TXT
Text file
A text file is a kind of computer file that is structured as a sequence of lines of electronic text. A text file exists within a computer file system...
or RTF
Rich Text Format
The Rich Text Format is a proprietary document file format with published specification developed by Microsoft Corporation since 1987 for Microsoft products and for cross-platform document interchange....
.)
Creating a standard
In order for all parties to agree to a certain software standard that they all should use to make their software connect with each other, there are software standards organizationStandards organization
A standards organization, standards body, standards developing organization , or standards setting organization is any organization whose primary activities are developing, coordinating, promulgating, revising, amending, reissuing, interpreting, or otherwise producing technical standards that are...
s like W3C and ISOC
Internet Society
The Internet Society or ISOC is an international, nonprofit organization founded during 1992 to provide direction in Internet related standards, education, and policy...
that consist of groups of larger software companies like Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and Apple Inc.. Representatives of these companies contribute their ideas about how to make a single, unified software standard to address the data problem they are trying to handle.
Complexity of a standard can vary depending on what kind of problem that they are trying to solve. For instance FTP (file transfer protocol) tries to solve a different problem than SMTP, which is concerned with sending and receiving email. Standards also need to be simple, maintainable and understandable. The software standard document that they create needs to detail every possible condition, types, elements, etc. in order to retain utility and serve the role for which it was created.
Open v. closed standards
Standard can be a closed standard or an open standardOpen standard
An open standard is a standard that is publicly available and has various rights to use associated with it, and may also have various properties of how it was designed . There is no single definition and interpretations vary with usage....
. The documentation for an open standard is open to the public and anyone can create a software that implements and uses the standard. The documentation and specification for closed standards are not available to the public, enabling its developer to sell and license the code to manage their data format to other interested software developers. While this process increases the revenue potential for a useful file format, it may limit acceptance and drive the adoption of a similar, open standard instead.