diff --git a/index.bs b/index.bs
index 9aba2976..4f11c1dd 100644
--- a/index.bs
+++ b/index.bs
@@ -3363,17 +3363,21 @@ Errata Management
be annotated inline
alongside the affected [=technical report=] text
or at the start or end of the most relevant section(s).
+ Inline errata are treated as class 2 changes,
+ and are published accordingly.
+
+ An [=erratum=] may be accompanied by a
+ [=candidate amendment=] proposing a solution to the issue.
Candidate Amendments
- An [=erratum=] may be accompanied by a non-normative,
- candidate correction approved by [=group decision=].
- When annotated inline,
- errata--
- including their [=candidate corrections=]--
- must be marked as such,
- are treated as class 2 changes,
+ A candidate amendment is a non-normative annotation,
+ marked as such,
+ integrated into a [=technical report=] by [=group decision=]
+ to indicate a potential [=substantive change=]
+ that has not yet been formally adopted.
+ They are treated as class 2 changes,
and are published accordingly.
Note: Annotating changes in this way allows more mature documents
@@ -3383,13 +3387,6 @@ Candidate Amendments
sufficient review or implementation experience
to be normatively incorporated into the specification proper.
- A candidate addition is similar to a [=candidate correction=],
- except that it proposes a new feature
- rather than an error correction.
-
- [=Candidate corrections=] and [=candidate additions=] are collectively known as
- candidate amendments.
-
In addition to their actual [[#maturity-stages|maturity stage]],
[=published=] [=REC Track=] documents with [=candidate amendments=] are also considered,
for the purpose of the W3C Patent Policy [[PATENT-POLICY]],
@@ -3406,7 +3403,7 @@ Maintenance Without a Group
- class 1 changes;
- inline [=errata=];
-
- [=candidate corrections=],
+
- [=candidate amendments=] not including class 4 changes,
which must be marked as Team correction;
- class 2 changes other than inline [=errata=] and [=Team corrections=].
@@ -3635,15 +3632,6 @@ Maturity Stages on the Recommendation Track
(in accordance with [[#revising-rec]])
to address [=editorial change|editorial=] or [=substantive change|substantive=] issues
that are discovered later.
- However, new features can only be added
- if the document already identifies itself
- as intending to allow new features.
- Adding or removing this allowance is a [=substantive change=].
- Such an allowance cannot be added
- to a [=technical report=] previously published as a [=Recommendation=]
- that did not allow such changes;
- this requires a new [=technical report=]
- (which could, for example, be similarly named but with an incremented version number).
As technology evolves,
a [=W3C Recommendation=] may become:
@@ -4161,20 +4149,10 @@ Requirements for Transition
must identify, in the document, where errata are tracked.
- Additionally,
- if the document has previously been published as a [=W3C Recommendation=], the [=Working Group=]
- must not include any class 4 change
- to that publication
- unless it was explicitly marked as [=allowing new features=],
- and must not include any such marking
- if not already present.
-
If the document's most recent publication is a [=Candidate Recommendation Draft=],
the [=Team=] must verify
that it contains no changes since the previous [=Candidate Recommendation Snapshot=] other than:
* [=editorial changes=],
- * the addition or removal of a statement as to whether the document will [=allow new features=]
- after its publication as a [=Recommendation=].
* dropping [=at risk=] features
Otherwise, the [=Working Group=] must republish it
@@ -4255,18 +4233,19 @@ Revising a Recommendation: Editorial Changes
to make this class of change without passing through earlier maturity stages.
(See class 1 and class 2 changes.)
-
+
Revising a Recommendation: Substantive Changes
- Tentative corrections (see class 3 changes)
+ Tentative [=substantive changes=]
+ (see class 3 and class 4 changes.)
may be annotated into a [=Recommendation=]
- using [=candidate corrections=].
+ using [=candidate amendments=].
- Note: [=Candidate corrections=] do not normatively modify the document;
+ Note: [=Candidate amendments=] do not normatively modify the document;
they editorially indicate how one might do so.
They are therefore published following the provisions of [[#revised-rec-editorial]].
- A [=candidate correction=] can be made normative
+ A [=candidate amendment=] can be made normative
and be folded into the main text of the [=Recommendation=],
once it has satisfied all the same criteria
as the rest of the [=Recommendation=],
@@ -4283,30 +4262,19 @@ Revising a Recommendation: Substantive Changes
or, if the relevant criteria are fulfilled,
publish as a Candidate Recommendation--
and advance the specification from that state.
- (See class 3 changes.)
-
-
-Revising a Recommendation: New Features
-
- For [=Recommendations=] explicitly identified as [=allow new features|allowing new features=],
- tentative new features (see class 4 changes)
- may be added as [=candidate additions=] in annotations,
- and class 4 changes may be normatively incorporated
- in the same fashion as class 3 changes in [[#revised-rec-substantive]].
-
- Note: Limiting the addition of new features to [=Recommendations=] that explicitly allow them
- enables third parties to depend on a stable feature-set for [=Recommendations=] that do not advertise that ability,
- as was the case for all [=Recommendations=] prior to the 2020 revision of this Process.
-
- Note: When a [=Recommendation=] does not [=allow new features=],
- new features can be added by creating a new [=technical report=]
- and following the full process of advancing that [=technical report=] to [=Recommendation=]--
- beginning with a new [=First Public Working Draft=].
- Such [=technical reports=] could be written to represent
- additional modules building on top of the original [=Recommendation=] of the core technology,
- or an expanded replacement of the original [=Recommendation=] of the core technology
- (in which case the new [=technical report=] will typically have the same name as the original,
- with an incremented version number).
+
+
+
Note:
+ In earlier version of the Process,
+ new features (
class 4 changes) could only be added to [=Recommendations=]
+ that had explicitly opted into this ability
+ prior to their first publication as [=Recommendation=].
+ Otherwise,
+ new features could only be added by creating a new [=technical report=]
+ and following the full process of advancing that [=technical report=] to [=Recommendation=]--
+ beginning with a new [=First Public Working Draft=].
+ For simplicity, this restriction has been lifted.
+
Incorporating Candidate Amendments
@@ -4319,16 +4287,9 @@ Incorporating Candidate Amendments
must be announced to other W3C groups, the public, and the [=Advisory Committee=].
The announcement must:
- -
- Identify whether this is a
- Last Call for Review of Proposed Corrections,
- Last Call for Review of Proposed Additions,
- or Last Call for Review of Proposed Corrections and Additions.
-
-
Identify the specific [=candidate amendments=] under review
- as proposed amendments
- (proposed corrections/proposed additions).
+ as proposed amendments.
-
Specify the deadline for review comments,
@@ -4345,10 +4306,6 @@ Incorporating Candidate Amendments
Also, the review initiated by the [=Last Call for Review of Proposed Amendments=]
is an [=Advisory Committee Review=].
- Note: [=Last Call for Review of Proposed Additions=] and
- [=Last Call for Review of Proposed Corrections and Additions=]
- can only be issued for [=Recommendations=] that [=allow new features=].
-
A [=Working Group=] may batch
multiple [=proposed amendments=] into a single Last Call for Review of Proposed Amendments.
To facilitate review,
@@ -4702,7 +4659,7 @@ Revising W3C Statements
an [=Advisory Committee review=] of the changes it wishes to incorporate.
The specific [=candidate amendments=] under review
must be identified as [=proposed amendments=]
- just as in a [=Last Call for Review of Proposed Corrections=].
+ just as in a [=Last Call for Review of Proposed Amendments=].
The decision to incorporate [=proposed amendments=] into [=W3C Statement=] is a [=W3C Decision=].
[=Advisory Committee representatives=] may initiate an [=Advisory Committee Appeal=] of the decision.
@@ -5469,6 +5426,37 @@ Appendix A: Retired Terminology
-
Last defined in section 2.2 of the 2014 Process,
now called [=CEO=].
+
+
-
+ Allow new features
+ (retired term)
+
-
+ Last defined in section 6.3.1 of the 2025 Process.
+ See also the note at the end of [[#revised-rec-substantive]].
+
+
-
+ Candidate correction and candidate addition
+ (retired terms)
+
-
+ Last defined in section 6.2.5 of the 2025 Process.
+ Both were subtypes of [=candidate amendment=] and are no longer formally distinguished.
+
+
-
+ Proposed corrections and proposed additions
+ (retired terms)
+
-
+ Last defined in section 6.3.10.4 of the 2025 Process.
+ Both were subtypes of [=proposed amendment=] and are no longer formally distinguished.
+
+
-
+ Last Call for Review of Proposed Corrections,
+ Last Call for Review of Proposed Additions, and
+ Last Call for Review of Proposed Corrections and Additions
+ (retired terms)
+
-
+ Last defined in section 6.3.10.4 of the 2025 Process.
+ All were subtypes of [=Last Call for Review of Proposed Amendments=],
+ and are no longer formally distinguished.