ISO IEC TR 19755-2003 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC TR 19755:2003 — Information technology — Programming languages, their environments and system software interfaces — Procedures for the assignment of language-independent identifiers to the characters of multiple natural languages and character sets

Abstract

This technical report provides guidance and procedures for assigning language-independent identifiers to characters across multiple natural languages and character sets. It documents principles aimed at consistent identification of characters to support interoperability, data exchange and multilingual processing in information technology systems.

General information

• Status: Technical Report (TR)
• Publication date: 2003
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO) / International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
• ICS / categories: 35.040 (Information technology and office machines) / Programming languages, environments and system software interfaces
• Edition / version: First edition (2003)
• Number of pages: 24 (typical length for the TR; original document published in 2003)

Scope

ISO/IEC TR 19755:2003 defines procedures and recommendations for assigning language-independent identifiers to characters drawn from multiple natural languages and character repertoires. Its aim is to enable consistent reference to characters irrespective of language-specific conventions, supporting character mapping, cataloguing and interchange across systems and applications.

Key topics and requirements

• Principles for assigning language-independent character identifiers.
• Procedural steps and considerations for identifier creation and maintenance.
• Guidance on handling character variants, diacritics and composed forms.
• Recommendations to support interoperability between character sets and encodings.
• Examples and illustrative mappings to show identifier usage across languages.

Typical use and users

Intended for standards bodies, character-set registries, software developers working on text processing, database designers, digital librarians, and implementers of internationalized systems. Useful when designing or mapping character identifiers to ensure consistent cross-language character handling and data interchange.

Related standards

Related documents include standards and recommendations addressing character sets and encodings such as ISO/IEC 10646 (Universal Coded Character Set), Unicode standards, and other ISO/IEC standards on language and character data interchange and naming conventions.

Keywords

character identifier, language-independent identifier, character set, multilingual, interoperability, character mapping, Unicode, ISO/IEC 19755

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: It is a technical report (ISO/IEC TR 19755:2003) providing procedures and guidance for assigning language-independent identifiers to characters from multiple natural languages and character sets.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers principles, procedures and recommendations for creating and managing identifiers that uniquely and language-independently reference characters to aid interoperability and consistent handling across systems.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Standards organizations, implementers of internationalized software, character-set registries, database and content managers, and others involved in multilingual text processing and data exchange.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The document is a 2003 technical report. Users should verify whether newer ISO/IEC publications or updates (or relevant Unicode/ISO/IEC 10646 developments) have superseded or supplemented its guidance for current implementations.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It sits alongside other ISO/IEC standards and technical reports addressing character sets, encodings and internationalization, complementing standards like ISO/IEC 10646 and Unicode-related work.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: character identifier, language-independent, multilingual, character set mapping, interoperability, Unicode