Hi All,

The IMS Content Packaging V1.2 specification will undergo public release in the next few days. We are making this release to encourage adoption of this new version.

It is v1.2 which is undergoing standardisation by ISO/IEC. We expect the ISO/IEC version to be voted on as a full standard in late November 2009. However, there will be a delay before the ISO/IEC documents are available to buy.

The IMS documents will be available free of charge. The technical information is identical to that adopted by ISO/IE; only the descriptive information and format is changed.

Colin S.

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Colin Smythe
IMS GLC Chief Architect

Hi All,

The IMS Content Packaging v1.2 Public Draft v2.0 is now available.

This specification describes data structures that can be used to exchange data between systems that wish to import, export, aggregate, and disaggregate packages of content. IMS content packages enable exporting content from one learning content management system or digital repository and importing it into another while retaining information describing the media in the content package and how it is structured, such as a table of contents or which web page to show first.

The URL for the specification is: http://www.imsglobal.org/content/packaging/index.html

We invite implementation feedback.

Note that this version is backwards compatible in rems of the XML instances. All of the new functionality uses a new namespace in the v1.1 namespace. The key changes from v1.1.4 are:

The new functionality and clarifications incorporated in this Version 1.2 of IMS Content Packaging are:

a) The meanings of terms used within the specification have been clarified;

b) The use of (sub)manifests, now termed child-manifests, has been clarified and enhanced:
. Interpretation of an item pointing to a child-manifest has been clarified.
. New functionality allowing components of child-manifests to be precisely referenced and interpreted has been added.
. Support for external child-manifests has been added;

c) Support for external referenced meta-data files has been added;

d) All internal vocabularies have been removed and are now maintained through the IMS registration process and contained in the corresponding VDEX file (for the Type in Resource and Structure in Organization);

e) A new resource type of "stand-alone" has been added that allows another package to be used as a piece of content;

f) The syntax and usage of the Base, Parameter, IsVisible, and Href Information Model classes has been clarified;

g) Support for variant resources has been added. This includes support for alternative resources for accessible content;

h) Support for Organization and Item titles in multiple languages has been added;

i) Support for interchange packages that contain only content and interchange packages that have no local content files has been clarified.


Colin S.

-------------------------
Colin Smythe
IMS GLC Chief Architect