Should NIST adopt the Xt Intrinsics? (long)

[Vern Staats]

From: staatsvr at m11.sews.wpafb.af.mil (Vern Staats)

I see that NIST is planning to adopt the X wire protocol, Xlib, and the 
Xt Intrinsics as a FIPS PUB, for "network-based bit-mapped graphic system
applications acquired or internally developed for Federal use, which have 
applications portability as a concern."  That's not a direct quote, but
it's pretty close.

Please note that the focus is on applications portability.  They specifically
state that this FIPS is not intended to specify a government-wide style or
"look & feel".

If adopted, most applications which fall into the above category would have
to be based on Xlib and the Xt Intrinsics.  While this initially struck me 
as a good thing, I do have some questions about including the intrinsics.
Any answers/feedback/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

1)  They are specifying X11R3.  Shouldn't they really spec R4?

2)  Do the benefits of standardization outweigh losing Andrew, Interviews, 
    (and others, I'm sure) applications which are not based on the intrinsics? 

3)  It seems to me that for true application portability, you would need to
    either stay with Xlib, or standardize all the way up to the widget level.
    Creating a standard foundation for widget sets is all well and good, but
    the application may not be portable if you don't have the right widgets.
    Perhaps they should state that applications not be based on proprietary
    widget sets.

4)  Is ICCCM compliance important to application portability?

5)  There seem to be a few differences between the X Consortium intrinsics 
    and those provided by DEC.  I assume other vendors have "enhanced" their
    intrinsics as well to provide extensions, better performance, etc.  The
    departures from the Consortium's intrinsics do not appear to have had
    much impact on applications portability; I can't recall seeing any
    questions on comp.windows.x regarding problems arising from differing
    intrinsics.  Am I correct in assuming that most vendors will have little
    difficulty producing compliant applications, even if they normally use
    extended intrinsics?

6)  I've heard that the X Consortium and X/Open are both opposed to 
    standardizing on the intrinsics at R3 and even at R4.  Is this true?

Thanks again for any info.
If I get mail with points not covered on the net I'll post a summary.

NIST = National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
       previously the National Bureau of Standards.
FIPS PUB = Federal Information Processing Standards Publication.

See Also:  Federal Register / Vol. 54, No. 108 / June 7, 1989, page 24372
and:  Mr. D. Richard Kuhn, NIST, Gaithersburg MD 20899, (301) 975-3337.
NIST is soliciting comments until 5 September 1989.

----
      "Hundreds of miles apart, the ships inerted and their pilots
      fought with supreme skill to make the two intrinsics match."
      --  Edward E. Smith, Ph.D.  
----

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Volume-Number: Volume 17, Number 3