The rise of X/Open Group Ltd as the driving force in standardising the open systems environment continues unabated, with new plans revealed this week. The future of its Common Application Environment, which sets out a standard set of requirements for software development, is to be mapped out in a document known as the Prospectus of Market Demand, due to be published in the autumn. Whilst the exact nature of its content is currently being debated within X/Open, the document will be based on recommendations thrashed out at its recent meeting in Montreal. Attendees were drawn from three areas: existing X/Open members – limited to one representative each, to tame their influence – non-member hardware manufacturers, such as Cray Research and Amdahl Corp, as well as over 100 delegates from the open systems user community. Those from the last two categories were invited to contribute proposals and ideas for a wide range of features to included in future specifications of the CAE – the idea being for X/Open to bring its software application programme into line with specific market requirements. The meeting was broken down into ten working groups, each focusing on a particular area of interest – such as networking, migration, compilers and testing – the results are to be incorporated into the Common Applications Environment, with a commitment from members that they will develop products in accordance with these guidelines. According to sources, the whole user interface issue was also hotly debated at the meeting with Unix International’s Open Look, and the Open Software Foundation’s Motif currently vying for attention. X/Open is currently biding time on this issue, and while a decision is expected soon, the group seems set to avoid a straight choice between the two and go for a more limited set of interface toolkit specifications, perhaps capable of supporting both. Unix International’s Tom Mace reported that the meeting had been tremendously successful, and revealed that 13 new members of Unix International are due to be announced within the next few days.
