EIP-2458: Updates and Updated-by Header
Simple Summary
Adds EIP header options updates
and updated-by
to frontmatter of active
EIPs for use as needed.
Abstract
EIP headers updates
and updated-by
are used for updating active
EIPs. This is to make the improvement process of EIPs more modular, and have updates to existing active
EIPs receive similar exposures to EIPs which replace existing final
EIPs.
Motivation
Currently, EIP1 specifies EIP headers: updated
, replaces
, and superseded-by
. Headers replaces
and superseded-by
indicates when an entire EIP is being replaced by another EIP, indicating when an EIP is now historical, and is updated by a new standard.
The header updated
indicates the date an EIP has received an update by EIP authors and editors, an example EIP being EIP1. updated
is reserved for EIPs in draft
or active
status.
In the case of active
status, an EIP may receive an update, but these updates don't operate as with EIPs in final
status, where a historical EIP is created, and the new EIP is referenced by the historical one. While these updates are not kept immutably, updates to active EIPs can be done modularly by creating a new EIP that goes through the standard discussion and auditing process EIPs undergo. The EIP headers updates
and updated-by
are to facilitate this modularity. Creating a new EIP also provides sufficient notification to affected stakeholders of an active EIP before that EIP is updated
.
Specification
updated-by
updated-by
is reserved for EIPs in active
status. For an EIP in status active
, updates to that EIP, which update the header updated
, should be started by opening a new EIP to start vetting for that update. When an active
EIP receives a new entry to header updated
, an associated updated-by
EIP listing should be included, where that newly listed EIP has reached final
status.
updates
should be included as an EIP header, as all EIP headers, and include a reference to an EIP designation. When multiple EIP designations are referenced, each should be separated by a comma. Example:
updates
updates
is reserved for EIPs updating EIPs in active
status. An EIP listed as updates
is implied to also be requires
; only updates
is needed for those EIP listings. Having an EIP listing updates
does not necessarily mean that referenced EIP must reference back with an updated-by
listing.
updates
should be included as an EIP header, as all EIP headers, and include a reference to an EIP designation. When multiple EIP designations are referenced, each should be separated by a comma. Example:
Rationale
updates
and updated-by
apply only to EIPs in active
status as updates to EIPs in final
status are already handled by EIP headers superseded-by
and replaces
.
The syntax should align with previous EIP header syntax, as this EIP is not updating syntax, simply adding header options.
Backwards Compatibility
These EIP headers are optional and do not introduce compatibility issues.
Implementation
An implementation is adding a header option.
Security Considerations
This standard is informational and does not introduce technical security issues.
Copyright
Copyright and related rights waived via CC0.