About

The version byte of a UL is byte 8.

Current version byte values for new Submissions

As of 10 June 2016, the values to be used for the version byte of new SMPTE-controlled ULs are:

• Elements: 0x0e
• Labels: 0x0d
• Groups 0x01
• Types: 0x01

Assigning version byte values

Class 13 and 14 Registrants may choose any legal version byte value they desire for entries under their own Class 13/14 nodes but a value of 0x01 is typical (and recommended). Note that entries under SMPTE-controlled Class 13 Nodes are governed by the same rules as all other “standard” Registers entries (by “standard” Registers entries we mean those in Classes 1-12 – these are also SMPTE controlled).

In all other cases The Register Editor will confirm to the Document Editor the version byte values that will be used for all ULs in a Submission. These values will be set for the Submission when the Submission is first started and will not be changed. See above for the values that are currently being used for new Submissions.

Two ULs which differ only in terms of their version byte are not allowed.

So, what does the UL version byte tell you about a UL? It tells you the “era” in which work begun on the Registers Submission that created the UL.

The Registers snapshots / releases shall no longer have version numbers because this would be confusing: from the version byte of a UL alone it is not possible to say which snapshot / release of the Register the entry first appears in. Note that this is a departure from the original definition of the version byte and from previous practice.