11# Goals and Non-Goals
22
3- This document defines the purpose of the Message Format Working Group (MFWG)
4- and informs the decisions about the scope and the priorities of its efforts.
3+ This document contains the DRAFT charter for the MessageFormat Working Group (MFWG),
4+ which is subject to approval from the CLDR-TC,
5+ and informs decisions about the scope and priority of its efforts.
56
6- ## Goals
7+ ## Charter
78
8- The primary task of the MFWG is to develop an industry standard for the
9- representation of localizable dynamic message strings. A ** _ dynamic message
10- string_ ** is a string whose content changes due to the value of or insertion
9+ A ** _ dynamic message string_ ** is a string whose content changes due to the value of or insertion
1110of some data value or values.
1211
13- The design goals are listed below.
12+ The _ Unicode MessageFormat Standard_ is an industry standard for the representation
13+ of localizable _ dynamic message strings_ .
14+
15+ The MessageFormat Working Group maintains and extends the Unicode MessageFormat Standard,
16+ provides documentation;
17+ encourages implementation, including the development of tools and best practices;
18+ manages default and Unicode-defined function sets;
19+ and provides for interoperability with other standards.
20+
21+ The MessageFormat Working Group is a working group of the CLDR-TC.
22+
23+ ## Goals
24+
25+ - Maintain and develop the [ messageformat.unicode.org] site,
26+ maintaining a high bar (as a model for other Unicode documentation),
27+ including at least
28+ a user guide,
29+ and a migration guide from other formats (including ICU MessageFormat).
30+ - Encourage adoption of Unicode MessageFormat by:
31+ providing implementation support materials;
32+ creating tests;
33+ linking to success stories, tools, and implementations;
34+ supporting or hosting workshops or supporting presentations by members;
35+ and supporting adoption by encapsulating standards (such as ECMA-402, MessageResource, etc.)
36+ - Support migration and adoption by publishing as Stable in the default function set
37+ the functions and options needed to provide compatibility with ICU MessageFormat ("MF1").
38+ Note that certain features of MF1 have been deliberately excluded from this goal
39+ because they are in conflict with the design goals of Unicode MessageFormat,
40+ because they are specialized features unique to MF1 (which ICU is free to implement),
41+ or because they might be superseded by newer specifications:
42+ - ChoiceFormat (an anti-pattern)
43+ - Date/time picture strings (an anti-pattern)
44+ - Date/time and number skeletons (potentially superseded by semantic skeletons)
45+ - Nested selection or partial message selection (an anti-pattern)
46+ - ` spellout ` and ` duration ` formats (specialized functionality)
47+ - ` ordinal ` _ formatting_ (specialized functionality)
48+ - Support migration and adoption by expanding the default function set to support
49+ additional use cases.
50+ - Develop a machine-readable function description format or syntax to support the needs of
51+ implementations, including localization tools.
52+ - Define a standard vocabulary for expression attributes and message properties/metadata,
53+ to enable better interoperation between translation tools and platforms.
54+ - Incubate and support working groups or interest groups
55+ that promote adoption of Unicode MessageFormat,
56+ such as the proposed working group to develop a standard message resource format,
57+ i.e. a new file format for bundles or collections of messages.
58+
59+ ## Deliverables (v48, v49, v50)
60+
61+ - Deliver as Stable all remaining functions needed to support migration from MF1
62+ - ` :datetime ` and all date/time functions
63+ - percent formatting
64+ - Deliver at least as Technical Preview (v49) and Stable (v50) all draft functions and options
65+ - ` :unit `
66+ - the ` u:locale ` option
67+ - Deliver as Technical Preview additional functions to support significant additional functionality.
68+ Such functions could include: lists, ranges, relative time, inflection.
69+ - Deliver as Technical Preview a machine-readable function description format or syntax.
70+
71+ ## Design Goals
72+
73+ The original design goals are listed below.
1474
15751 . Allow users to write messages that are both grammatically
1676 correct and can be translated in a grammatically correct manner
@@ -31,6 +91,8 @@ The design goals are listed below.
3191
3292## Deliverables
3393
94+ The original deliverables were:
95+
34961 . A formal definition of the canonical data model for representing
3597 localizable _ dynamic message strings_ .
3698
@@ -39,7 +101,7 @@ The design goals are listed below.
39101 escape sequences, whitespace, markup, as well as parsing errors.
40102
411033 . A specification for a one-to-one mapping between the data model and XLIFF.
42- _ Note: This deliverable is not included in the LDML46.1 Final Candidate release._
104+ _ Note: This deliverable was not included in the LDMLv47 release._
43105
441064 . A specification for resolving messages at runtime, including
45107 runtime errors.
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