Open Specifications General FAQ

Question

This material should not be considered as a complete coverage of the frequently asked questions. Its goal is to capture the high-level questions in the Open Specifications areas.

Documentation

1. Who are the intended audiences for the Open Specifications?

2. How do I get access to the Open Specifications?

3. How do I download a copy of the documents?

4. How often are the Open Specifications updated?

5. How do I know what has changed from one version of a document to the next?

6. How are the Open Specifications organized?

7. Where should I start?

8. Why are some documents marked “preliminary?”

9. Why are there duplicated documents in the Windows Documents set?

10. How can developers submit document-related issues?

Patents and Patent Licensing and Covenant Agreements

11. Do I need a patent license to use the Open Specifications?

Support and Interoperability Testing

12. Are there additional support options for implementers of the Open Specifications?

13. Is sample code available for protocols?

14. Does Microsoft make any of its interoperability tests and tools available to developers?