Generic Link Requirements
Recommendation dated 2009-06-22
Copyright © 2008-9, XBRL International Inc., All Rights Reserved

This version:
	GNL-REQ-REC-2009-06-33.rtf
is normative. Any other formats and versions are non-normative.
Editors
Geoff Shuetrim	geoff@galexy.net	Galexy	
Abstract
This document sets down the requirements that are guiding the generic link specification.
Status
Circulation of this Candidate Recommendation is unrestricted.  Recipients of this draft are invited to submit comments to the editors, and to submit notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Formatting
The following highlighting is used for non-normative examples in this document:
	
Non-normative editorial comments to be removed from final recommendations are denoted as follows:
GCS: This highlighting indicates editorial comments about the current draft, prefixed by the editor’s initials.
Italics are used for rhetorical emphasis only and do not convey any special normative meaning.

Table of Contents
1.Overview	3
2.Generic link requirements	3
A.References (non-normative)	4
B.Intellectual Property Status (non-normative)	4
C.Acknowledgements (non-normative)	4
D.Approval process (non-normative)	4
E.Document history (non-normative)	5

1.	Overview
The XBRL 2.1 specification [XBRL] is designed to be enhanced by extensions, several of which use an XLink [XLINK] extended link syntax.
The XBRL 2.1 specification imposes some restrictions on the XLink extended links that can be included in a discoverable taxonomy set: the metadata supporting an XBRL business report.
This document sets out requirements guiding a specification of syntax for a generic extended link syntax that is intended to support many XBRL extension specifications.  The requirements clarify that the generic link specification is intended to:
●	provide a single definition of syntax that will be useful for a range of XBRL extension specifications;
●	provide guidance to editors of XBRL extension specifications on appropriate usage of extended link syntax for XBRL business report metadata; and
●	not alter the XBRL 2.1 specification in any way.
2.	Generic link requirements
●	The generic link specification MUST provide a definition of a custom extended link.
●	The generic link specification MUST provide a definition of a generic link.
●	The generic link specification MUST define syntax that can be used by new XBRL extension specifications that choose to define syntax based on XLink extended links.
●	The extended link syntax defined in the generic link specification MUST be satisfy the restrictions imposed on extended links by the XBRL 2.1 specification.
●	The generic link specification MUST require non-standard roles and arcroles to be declared and referenced from the generic links that use them.
●	The generic link specification MUST NOT encourage extended link syntaxes that encourage or facilitate the definition of business report metadata that would not be included in the DTS supporting an XBRL business report, according to the rules of discovery set out in the XBRL 2.1 specification.
●	The generic link specification MUST include non-normative usage guidelines for custom extended links, custom arcs and custom resources to assist editors of extension specifications when determining how to leverage generic link syntax structures.
A.	
References (non-normative)
[RFC2119]	Scott Bradner
Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels, March 1997
http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt
	
[XBRL]	Phillip Engel, Walter Hamscher, Geoff Shuetrim, David vun Kannon, Hugh Wallis.
Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) 2.1 Recommendation with corrected errata to 2006-12-18.
http://www.xbrl.org/SpecRecommendations/	
[XLINK]	Steve De Rose, Eve Maler, David Orchard.
XML Linking Language (XLink) Version 1.0, 27 June 2001.
http://www.w3.org/TR/xlink/	
B.	Intellectual Property Status (non-normative)
This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works.  However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing the copyright notice or references to XBRL International or XBRL organizations, except as required to translate it into languages other than English.  Members of XBRL International agree to grant certain licenses under the XBRL International Intellectual Property Policy (www.xbrl.org/legal).
This document and the information contained herein is provided on an "AS IS" basis and XBRL INTERNATIONAL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
The attention of users of this document is directed to the possibility that compliance with or adoption of XBRL International specifications may require use of an invention covered by patent rights. XBRL International shall not be responsible for identifying patents for which a license may be required by any XBRL International specification, or for conducting legal inquiries into the legal validity or scope of those patents that are brought to its attention. XBRL International specifications are prospective and advisory only. Prospective users are responsible for protecting themselves against liability for infringement of patents.  XBRL International takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in this document or the extent to which any license under such rights might or might not be available; neither does it represent that it has made any effort to identify any such rights.  Members of XBRL International agree to grant certain licenses under the XBRL International Intellectual Property Policy (www.xbrl.org/legal).
C.	Acknowledgements (non-normative)
This document has been prepared to support development of the Generic Link Specification.
D.	Approval process (non-normative)
This section will be removed from the final recommendation.
These requirements are being developed following the XBRL Technical Working Group Processes: http://www.xbrl.org/XSB/XBRL_Technical_Working_Group_Processes-Approved-2007-04-17.htm
E.	Document history (non-normative)
Date	Editor	Remarks	
2008-02-17	Geoff Shuetrim	First version drafted.	
2008-03-02	Geoff Shuetrim	Edited in preparation for release along with the Generic Link Specification PWD.	
2008-04-09	Geoff Shuetrim	Updated the boilerplate for release with the third PWD.	
2008-11-12	Geoff Shuetrim	Updated for the CR release.	
2009-04-10	Herm Fischer	Updated Title for the PR release.	
2009-06-22	Herm Fischer	Updated Title for the REC release.