0.8.1

Standard for Public Code version 0.8.1

April 28th 2025: 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The 18th draft changes to community governance model.

• The project has switched to a community governance model.
  • Governance model now covers steering team, composition, responsibilities, meetings, decision making process, lazy consensus, voting, and code of Conduct.
  • The website is now located at the new domain https://www.standardforpubliccode.org/.
  • SPDX copyright text updated for all project files.
• Removed optional requirement in Document the code about tempting examples.
• Criteria texts have been slightly simplified, to be more easily understood, with less technical terms.
• The repository README has received documentation improvements.
• The CHANGELOG was renamed to RELEASE_NOTES.
• Improvements to release guidelines.
• Made minor changes to text for clarity and consistency.

0.8.1-rc2

Standard for Public Code version 0.8.1-rc2

April 17th 2025: 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The 18th draft changes to community governance model.

• The project has switched to a community governance model.
  • Governance model now covers steering team, composition, responsibilities, meetings, decision making process, lazy consensus, voting, and code of Conduct.
  • The website is now located at the new domain https://www.standardforpubliccode.org/.
  • SPDX copyright text updated for all project files.
• Removed optional requirement in Document the code about tempting examples.
• Criteria texts have been slightly simplified, to be more easily understood, with less technical terms.
• The repository README has received documentation improvements.
• The CHANGELOG was renamed to RELEASE_NOTES.
• Improvements to release guidelines.
• Made minor changes to text for clarity and consistency.

0.8.1-rc1

Standard for Public Code version 0.8.1-rc1

April 17th 2025: 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The 18th draft changes to community governance model.

• The project has switched to a community governance model.
  • Governance model now covers steering team, composition, responsibilities, meetings, decision making process, lazy consensus, voting, and code of Conduct.
  • The website is now located at the new domain https://www.standardforpubliccode.org/.
  • SPDX copyright text updated for all project files.
• Removed optional requirement in Document the code about tempting examples.
• Criteria texts have been slightly simplified, to be more easily understood, with less technical terms.
• The repository README has received documentation improvements.
• The CHANGELOG was renamed to RELEASE_NOTES.
• Improvements to release guidelines.
• Made minor changes to text for clarity and consistency.

0.8.0

Standard for Public Code version 0.8.0

January 9th 2024: 🌐 The 17th draft distinguishes between authoritative and courtesy translations.

• Clarifies that in addition to English, more authoritative languages are possible.
• Allows for courtesy translations which may not be up to date at time of release.
• Adds guidance to create a mandate for developers to prioritize prompt review of contributions.
• Expands guidance on how to evaluate reviews happening in a timely fashion.
• Includes minor changes to text for clarity and consistency.

0.8.0-rc2

Standard for Public Code version 0.8.0-rc2

January 4th 2024: 🌐 The 17th draft distinguishes between authoritative and courtesy translations.

• Clarifies that in addition to English, more authoritative languages are possible.
• Allows for courtesy translations which may not be up to date at time of release.
• Adds guidance to create a mandate for developers to prioritize prompt review of contributions.
• Expands guidance on how to evaluate reviews happening in a timely fashion.
• Includes minor changes to text for clarity and consistency.

0.8.0-rc1

Standard for Public Code version 0.8.0-rc1

January 4th 2024: 🌐 The 17th draft distinguishes between authoritative and courtesy translations.

• Clarifies that in addition to English, more authoritative languages are possible.
• Allows for courtesy translations which may not be up to date at time of release.
• Adds guidance to create a mandate for developers to prioritize prompt review of contributions.
• Expands guidance on how to evaluate reviews happening in a timely fashion.
• Includes minor changes to text for clarity and consistency.

0.7.1

Standard for Public Code version 0.7.1

July 31st 2023: 💄 The sixteenth draft change the name of a criterion and clarifies references to code.

• The criterion "Make the codebase reusable and portable" was renamed from "Create reusable and portable code".
• Added a glossary entry for "Source Code".
• References to "code" which only applied to "source code" now reference "source code" explicitly.
• Clarification of "running code" as "software".
• Minor changes to clarify "code" vs "codebase".
• Simplify guidance to policy makers in Bundle policy and source code.
• Clarify How to test sections of Make the codebase findable and Make the codebase reusable and portable.
• Add a criteria and requirements checklist to the release artifacts.
• Increase automation of the release process.

0.7.1-rc1

Standard for Public Code version 0.7.1-rc1

July 27th 2023: 💄 The sixteenth draft change the name of a criterion and clarifies references to code.

• The criterion "Make the codebase reusable and portable" was renamed from "Create reusable and portable code".
• Added a glossary entry for "Source Code".
• References to "code" which only applied to "source code" now reference "source code" explicitly.
• Clarification of "running code" as "software".
• Minor changes to clarify "code" vs "codebase".
• Simplify guidance to policy makers in Bundle policy and source code.
• Clarify How to test sections of Make the codebase findable and Make the codebase reusable and portable.
• Increase automation of the release process.

0.7.0

Standard for Public Code version 0.7.0

May 31st 2023: 📑 the fifteenth draft adds new requirements for documenting review funding and clarifies review process requirement.

• Add requirement to document who is expected to cover the cost of reviewing contributions.
• Add requirement to have a short description of the codebase.
• Change the focus of contributions adhering to standards to focus on the review of contributions.
• Relaxed MUST requirements to SHOULD in Make the codebase findable.
• Review template now in HTML format.
• Introduction converted to foreword.
• Improved contributing guidelines.
• Improved documentation of scripts.

0.6.0

Standard for Public Code version 0.6.0

April 20th 2023: 🔀 the fourteenth draft adds new requirements for portability and tests and an introduction to each criterion.

• New requirement in Create reusable and portable code about the development being a collaboration between multiple parties.
• New requirement in Create reusable and portable code about being dependent on a single vendor.
• New requirement in Use continuous integration about publishing results for automated tests.
• Differentiating the two requirements about security to clearly be about providing a method and having documentation about it.
• Rephrased requirements to focus on the codebase rather than contributor behavior.
• Removed the sections Why this is important and What this does not do and replaced with an introduction in each criterion.
• Added general What this does not do section in the introduction of the Standard.
• Added guidance for public policy makers about related policies and license compatibility.
• Added guidance for developers and designers about version controlling files.
• Clarified guidance for developers and designers about prompt responses and search engine optimization.
• Added Further reading about accessibility.
• Aligned criteria URLs with criteria names.
• Improved navigation in the web version.
• Moved tools in Further reading sections to the community implementation guide.
• Moved compliance or certification process to publiccode.net.
• Change format of the review template to make it easier to update after a new release.
• Improved the text on the landing page and added links to related resources.
• Added spell checker automated test.
• Made minor changes to text for clarity and consistency.
• Moved SPDX headers to yaml header.