Skip to main content

Issue history & what changed

S1000D has evolved across several major issues. Each one added scope, changed the underlying file format, or refined the rules. This page lists the major releases and the milestones that matter.

Current issue

Issue 6.0 is the current release. It was published on 2024-09-01.

Version table​

The table below lists the major issues. Dates and base format are verified against the sources at the end of this page.

IssueReleasedBase format
1.61995-03-31SGML DTD
2.02003-05-31SGML/XML DTD + XML schema
4.02008-08-01XML schema
4.12012-12-31XML schema
5.02019-06-28XML schema
6.02024-09-01XML schema (new SVG profile)
note

This table shows the major issues only. S1000D also had intermediate issues between these points — for example, Issues 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 in the 1.x line, Issues 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 in the 2.x line, and a single Issue 3.0 (2007) between the 2.x and 4.x lines. The major issues above are the ones that mark the big changes in scope and format.

Milestones​

Issue 1.6 (1995) — the first public release​

The first publicly released issue used an SGML DTD. At this stage S1000D was built for military aircraft, in line with its origins at ASD (the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe).

Issue 2 (2003) — scope broadened beyond aircraft​

Issue 2 was a turning point. From Issue 2 onward, the scope of S1000D extended to land, sea, and non-equipment products. The specification was no longer just for aircraft. This issue also moved the base format toward XML, supporting both SGML/XML DTDs and an XML schema.

Why this matters

The Issue 2 scope change is the reason you find S1000D in ships, ground vehicles, and even non-equipment publications today, not only in aviation.

Issue 4.0 (2008) — fully XML schema​

Issue 4.0 completed the move to XML schema as the base format. Earlier issues relied on SGML and DTDs. From Issue 4.0, the specification used XML schema, which made validation and tooling simpler and more consistent.

note

The change between the pre-4.0 line and the 4.0 line also touched element and attribute naming. Because of this, issues from 4.0 onward are often treated as the modern baseline, and earlier issues as legacy.

Issue 4.1 (2012) — refinement​

Issue 4.1 continued on the XML schema base and refined the specification. It kept the same base format as 4.0.

Issue 5.0 (2019) — modernization​

Issue 5.0 was released on 2019-06-28. It stayed on the XML schema base and brought further updates to the specification.

Issue 6.0 (2024) — current, with a new SVG profile​

Issue 6.0 was published on 2024-09-01 and is the current release. A notable addition is a new SVG profile for vector graphics. This issue is the baseline that new projects should target unless a contract requires an older one.

Choosing an issue​

Projects do not always run on the latest issue. The issue you use is usually set by the customer, the contract, or the existing data you must stay compatible with. When you start fresh, the current issue (6.0) is the natural default.

For s1kd-tools users

The s1kd-tools toolchain supports several S1000D issues, so you can create and validate data modules against the issue your project requires. Set the target issue explicitly so your output matches your project rules. (Example only — confirm the exact flag against the tool's own documentation for your version.)

Sources​