Introduction
Conventions and notations
Modal verbs
To ensure compliance with the ASAM OpenMATERIAL® specification, users need to be able to distinguish between requirements, recommendations, permissions, possibilities and capabilities, and external constraints.
The following rules for using modal verbs apply:
| Provision | Verbal form | Definition |
|---|---|---|
Requirement |
shall, shall not |
A requirement conveys objectively verifiable criteria to be fulfilled and from which no deviation is permitted if conformance with the document is to be claimed. |
Recommendation |
should, should not |
A recommendation conveys a suggested possible choice or course of action deemed to be particularly suitable without necessarily mentioning or excluding others. |
Permission |
may |
A permission conveys consent or liberty (or opportunity) to do something. |
Possibility and capability |
can, cannot |
A possibility conveys expected or conceivable material, physical or causal outcome. |
External constraint |
must |
An external constraint or obligation on the user of the document, for example laws of nature or particular conditions existing in some countries or regions, that is not stated as a provision of the document. External constraints are not requirements of the document. They are given for the information of the user. |
Normative and informative content
Content in this specification can be normative or informative. The sections listed in Normative and informative sections are normative or informative per definition. Further informative content is shown in table Informative text components.
| Section | Indication |
|---|---|
Foreword |
Informative |
Introduction |
Informative |
Scope |
Normative |
Normative references |
Informative |
Terms and definitions |
Normative |
Abbreviations |
Normative |
Backward compatibility |
Normative |
First to last specification-specific section |
Normative |
Annexes |
Annexes can be normative or informative. The annex heading contains the indication "(normative)" or "(informative)". |
Bibliography |
Informative |
All other sections in this specification are normative.
| Text components | Hints |
|---|---|
Notes |
The document shall be usable without notes. |
Footnotes |
The document shall be usable without footnotes. |
Examples |
The document shall be usable without examples. |
Sequence diagrams |
The document shall be usable without sequence diagrams. |
Notes, footnotes, and examples shall not contain requirements or any information considered indispensable for the use of the document, for example, instructions or permission.