Overview
ISO 5427:1984 - "Extension of the Cyrillic alphabet coded character set for bibliographic information interchange" - defines an extended set of 42 graphic Cyrillic characters and their coded representations for international bibliographic data exchange. The standard supplies a code table, a legend showing each graphic with its name and usage, and explanatory notes. Together with the basic Cyrillic set (registered separately), ISO 5427 creates a character repertoire intended for the interchange of bibliographic citations and annotations in Cyrillic-script languages.
Key topics and requirements
- Character repertoire: Specifies 42 additional Cyrillic graphic characters with designated coded positions and names used in bibliographic records.
- Code table and legend: Provides a code table mapping graphic symbols to coded values and a legend describing each symbol’s usage and designation.
- ISO 2022 compatibility: The extension is defined for use in accordance with ISO 2022 mechanisms (escape sequences) and is recorded in the ISO International Register for character sets.
- Escape-sequence identification: The standard includes the escape sequences used to identify and invoke the extended set in information interchange contexts.
- Materialization and transmission: Notes on realization of the coded set on physical media and transmission channels, taking error-control requirements into account.
- Usage constraints:
- Unassigned positions in the code table must not be used for international bibliographic exchange.
- Diacritic use is not extended; where diacritics would apply, separate pre-defined characters are provided instead.
- Language coverage: Intended for bibliographic interchange in Belarusian, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian (Cyrillic), Macedonian, and Ukrainian.
- Exclusions: Cyrillic Romanian, Old Church Slavonic, and non‑Slavic Cyrillic forms are noted as outside this standard and are planned for separate treatment.
Applications
ISO 5427 is practical for:
- Libraries, national bibliographies, and cataloguing agencies exchanging bibliographic citations in Cyrillic.
- Library automation and integrated library systems (ILS) that must store and transmit accurate Cyrillic metadata.
- Metadata and bibliographic-data software developers implementing character-encoding support for Slavic-language records.
- Archives, publishers, and information centers participating in international bibliographic interchange where precise character mapping and names are required.
Related standards
Relevant ISO standards referenced by ISO 5427:
Keywords: ISO 5427, Cyrillic alphabet, coded character set, bibliographic information interchange, character encoding, ISO 2022, bibliographic citations, escape sequences.