The objective of the work is to further the support provided to users of the ASN.1 notation, and to extend that notation as new needs are identified.

During this Study Period (2001-2004) there are two main pieces of activity:

• Provision of an Encoding Control Notation that enables ASN.1 to be used to describe any (typically legacy) protocol, with full user control of the actual bits on the line.
• Provision for the display or transfer of ASN.1 values in XML format, and for the encoding of XML-defined data using ASN.1

All work will be collaborative with ISO/IEC/JTC 1/SC 6.

Support for users of ASN.1 will continue to be provided in the form of advice and guidance, tutorials, and free syntax-checkers. The establishment of the ASN.1 project will assist this support, as will the provision of the proposed database of ASN.1 modules.

Time-scales

Initial work on ECN was substantially completed in early 2001. Support for extensibility was mature in late 2001, and work on support for character-based protocols will extend into 2002 or 2003.

The XML work is expected to mature during 2002, with some parts made available during 2001.

The new version of ASN.1 Recommendations is planned for 2002.

Due to the large amount of new Recommendations and amendments in the first half of the Study Period, it is expected that there will be an increase in the rate of defect reports and of requests for further minor extensions to the new work. This will be the main activity during the latter half of the Study Period.

Frequency of meetings

The ASN.1 group expects to meet with Study Group 17 for most of its meetings, and also with ISO/IEC/JTC 1/SC 6. In addition there are likely to be two or three interim meetings to progress the work.

Liaisons

There will be continued close liaison with ASN.1 users in all Study Groups and in ISO/IEC and in other groups such as 3GPP.