Evolution of Standards

Evolution of Standards Herman Fischer, UBMatrix, Inc and Mark V Systems 19 November, 2009

Topics • Xbrl, past evolution • Genesis, etc • Xbrl now • Technical state • Project use state • Factors influencing evolution • Xbrl, future evolution • Revelations, etc?

Evolution includes • Specifications and Standard • Projects • Pilot and exploratory • Production • Experience • Bugs & fixes • Project improvements • Outside factors • Other standards • Community

Evolution XML SQL W3C ? ? NASDAQ MSFT Charlie Hoffman AICPA COREP, FINREP ARPA (AU) FDIC (US) US-GAAP (first) SEC (voluntary) SEC (validation) SURFI (FR) COREP,FINREP Japan (tax, 2.0) G.L. 1.0 Spec 2000 Formula 2009 2.0 Spec 2002 2.1 Spec 2003 Dimensions 2005 Formula modules 1st conference, LON iXBRL, Versioning 1998 now future

XBRL Process • Requirements & Working Group • Working Grp & Internal Drafts • Preliminary Working Draft • Candidate Release • Test Suite • Implementations • Recommendation

XBRL base spec • Taxonomy, Xlink-based linkbases • Concepts • Attributes, labels, references • Relationships • Presentation, Calculation, Definition • Instance documents • Facts, Tuples • Contexts • Periods, entity, segment, scenario • Footnotes

XBRL Dimensions 1.0 • Explicit dimensions • Typed dimensions • Hypercubes specifying combinations

XBRL-US current approach • 1 linkbase describes • Tables of • Line items (facts) • Presentation order, roll-forward, total • Axes • Each axis is a dimension model • (Dimension linkbase generated from above) • Calculation linkbase still exists (?)

Formulas & Assertions • Assertion • Existence check for source item • Value check based on source items • Consistency check computed item to source item • Formula • Results in an fact item • For an output instance document • For consistency checking of corresponding input

Examples of formula models

Rendering approaches • iXBRL embeds rendering in instance • Instance is html with XBRL embedded • XBRL has a Rendering Linkbase • Embeds rendering in a taxonomy • This activity is dormant • XSLT is used for rendering • Can utilize XBRL processor • Can be taxonomy independent

iXBRL renders in author’s style <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <head> … <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="iascf-style.css"/> <title>IASCF 2007 ANNUAL REPORT</title> </head> … <body class="body"> <table align="center" width="800px" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> 2007 ANNUAL REPORT <a href="#statement1" class="nounderline">Statement of comprehensive income</a>

iXBRL of a fact value <td class="tableLightGrey" colspan="2" valign="top"> <ix:nonFraction xmlns:ns0="http://www.xbrl.org/2008/inlineXBRL" id="id_footnote_elem_11688477" decimals="0" ix:contextRef="FY07d" ix:unitRef="GBP" ns0:format="commadot" ns0:name="iascf:Contributions" ns0:scale="3">11,277</ix:nonFraction> </td>

XSLT rendering from instance • iXBRL embeds rendering • Rendering linkbase is tied to taxonomy • XSLT separates rendering • Requires knowledge of metadata • May be two XSLT phases • Model and view extraction phase • Easier today with XBRL processor support • Can be independent of taxonomy (extension, country) • Rendering phase

XSLT taxonomy-based rendering DTS dimensions, entity & share axes members trees (sparse data rows/columns are elided)

Versioning - now profile based • 1) Base • URI mapping: namespaces, ELR's • actions, categories, assignments, documentation • 2) Concept-basic • name, namespace, add/delete/split/merge • 3) Concept-extended • attributes, labels, references • 4) Relationships • add/delete… attributes • 5) Dimensions • 6) Resource-parts • link:part, formulae, … Needs an aspect based model, so: name, dimensions, period, etc can change into new combinations of name + dims + …

Documentation is part of evolution • “XBRL for Dummies” (#2) arrived last week • Charlie Hoffman, Liv Watson (et al) • Strategy Guide to XBRL • Where, What, Who, Projects, How to find • Geek-free • No bible (no Genesis, no Leviticus) • “Guide to the Soul of XBRL”

Ok, We are here, It is now • What evolves next? • Expected tradeoffs • Stability • Market adoption • Changes in underlying standards (XML) • Changes in systems and servers • Resources

Easy next evolution steps

Multi-entity,-period comparability • Namespaces change often • Local names inconsistent • Dimensions can be scary

Standards today • XML Schema has already evolved • Modernize our xsd • Reduce dependency on XLink • Work with W3C and RDF • Taxonomies lack semantics models • Relational technologies • Model for relational efficiency • Embed namespace and localnames mapping • Vender-interoperable design

Instance evolution • Include some metadata • So ordinary XSLT and tools can render • Refactor for no repeated strings • Isomorphic transform to/from current instance • Hierarchical structural inheritance of shared aspects

Taxonomy evolution • Evolution of primary items and dimensions • Before dimensions many primary items • Tens of thousands • Reanalysis into few primary items • With multiple dimensions • Evolution of how to present taxonomy • First taxonomies from charts of accounts • Now data model designs taxonomy • Multiple linkbases -> simplified linkbases • Alternate model representations

Questions Herm Fischer herman.fischer@ubmatrix.com fischer@markv.com +1-818-995-7671 +1-818-404-4708 THANK YOU!

Evolution of Standards