Overview
ISO/IEC 8613-6:1994/Cor 1:1998 is a Technical Corrigendum to ISO/IEC 8613-6:1994, the part of the Open Document Architecture (ODA) and Interchange Format that defines character content architectures. Published in 1998, this corrigendum makes editorial and technical clarifications to terminology, control-function definitions, presentation attributes and the interchange semantics used for character-level content in ODA documents. It also adds a new clause describing implementation-dependent features and how recipients may handle presentation attributes.
Key Topics and Requirements
- Terminology corrections: Multiple term replacements to align names (for example, various “Relative”/“Backward”/“Forward” label changes) and consistent quoting/formatting of alignment values.
- Control-function clarifications: Revised definitions for control functions that govern text layout and imaging, including:
- Character position adjustments (HPB/Character Position Backward, HPR/Character Position Forward)
- Tabulation and selective tabulation references (STAB)
- Line break semantics (SPACE as potential line-break point, NBH/No Break Here)
- Superscript/subscript start/end, inverse imaging, and parallel presentation markers
- No Justify (JFY) insertion rules for the last line of a sequence
- Presentation attributes and formatting: Stipulation that formatting indicators cannot be altered inside a basic component; notes removed or renumbered for clarity; rules for pairwise kerning, first-line offset and itemization that may result in insertion of positioning control functions.
- Implementation-dependent features: New explicit note that rendering of presentation attributes is implementation dependent. Originators can request attributes but recipients may substitute or fall back (examples provided):
- font selection for emphasis (weight/posture)
- alternate rendition for blinking in print
- replacing underlining when writing direction requires it
- substitution of fonts when specified ones are unavailable
- Interchange behavior: Emphasis that document application profiles may impose additional constraints or requirements on character presentation.
Applications and Who Uses It
- Software developers and implementers of ODA document processors, converters and renderers.
- Vendors creating document interchange and archival systems that must preserve character-level semantics.
- Standards authors and profile writers who define document application profiles or interoperability rules for ODA.
- Preservation and interoperability specialists who require precise rules for character spacing, kerning, line breaking and font substitution during interchange.
Related Standards
- ITU‑T Rec. T.416 (1993)/Cor.1 (1997) - related interchange recommendations cited in the corrigendum
- ISO/IEC 6937 - graphic character repertoire referenced for selective parameters
- ISO/IEC 6429 and ISO/IEC 2022 - character set designation and invocation mechanisms
- ITU‑T Rec. T.410-series / ISO/IEC 8613 - higher-level presentation/layout context
Keywords: ISO/IEC 8613-6, ODA, Open Document Architecture, character content architectures, technical corrigendum, character positioning, kerning, tabulation, line breaking, presentation attributes, document interchange.