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Re: Reserved prefixes

  • To: Simon Westrip via comcifs <[email protected]>
  • Subject: Re: Reserved prefixes
  • From: Peter Murray-Rust via comcifs <[email protected]>
  • Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 18:48:27 +0100
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On 21/07/2026 17:45, Simon Westrip via comcifs wrote:
[email protected]">The page at https://www.iucr.org/cgi-bin/cifreserve.pl describes 'reserved prefixes', primarily allowing developers to create 'local' data names without necessarily publishing an associated dictionary.

As the IUCr is leaning towards 'opening up' CIF-related content development and discussion by migrating to GitHub (while still promoting/publishing/maintaining CIF content on its websites and through its publications), I have a couple of questions:

1) Do COMCIFS (and contributors) want to continue/encourage this practice? 

I am a strong believer in local data names (I do a lot of this elsewhere). Generally local names belong to a community of practice and they can operate within themselves. As long as local names are clearly local and ignorable by software then the system works. This was the great vision of TBL in the web - links can break and fail gracefully. 
[email protected]">NB  the registry seems to be active (3 registered prefixes in 2026)

2) Should this facility be migrated to the COMCIFS GitHub repository?

For example, a simple repository containing a list of 'approved' prefixes (along with associated metadata, ideally in CIF format), with ability to request additions via GitHub's issue mechanism. 
Again I think Github (or whatever comes next) creates a stable centre that everyone can manage. 

The world is much more literate than when CIF or HTML wast started. Software doesn't require rigidity - it can deal with errors. 

Postels's Law: (1980) 
Be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others". In simple terms: always ensure your outputs strictly follow standard specifications, but make your inputs as forgiving and adaptable as possible

PeterMR 
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