Issues of MIL-STD-804

MIL-STD-804 (Original) 15 April 1960 with Notice 1
        Establishes prefixes only.  NO type codes.

MIL-STD-804A 1 Sept 1962 with Notices 1, 2, 3, 4
        Establishes strange mix of prefixes and extensive list of "type codes", all to go in same column.

MIL-STD-804B 15 August 1966
        Abolishes all of the previous long list of "type codes" created in 804A, as all of the type codes
        were unused by ALL users, had no use for them, and users didn't know what they meant anyway.
        However, it did retain all of the the true drawing prefixes established by drafting offices to lists
        and associated documents.
         However, in a erroneous action, MIL-STD-804B referred to the document prefixes "type codes"
         The drawing system has no "type codes", and has never referred to the prefixes as "type codes".
        The drawing system always referred to the prefixes as "prefixes", and NEVER as "type codes". 

MIL-STD-804C     30 April 1990

 

PAPERS 

 MIL-STD-804 Prefix and Type Codes: A Problem in Populating the JEDMICS System

OC-ALC/TILDO Recommended Document Types

LETTER:  Standard Data Element Usage   A letter from OC-ALC/TILD to HQ asking to standardize
          the prefix/type and document fields in JEDMICS

LETTER:   Joint Engineering Data Management Information Control System
                     (JEDMICS) Type Code/Prefix Survey
   This is a letter telling HQ "Nobody uses type codes
                      but they do use the document prefixes."  Contains survey of actual users, which conflicts
                      with incorrect impressions of repository personnel.  Asks HQ to get rid of all the type codes.
                      as no one uses them.

(new)  JEDMICS “PREFIX” SYSTEM (Consensus views of the JEDMICS task group and added recommendations)
                  This was what was agreed to in Jan 1999 at a task group meeting in the OC-ALC/TILDO conference room.
                  Seems there was a slight departure in a later meeting after I retired.  Don't know results.  

 (new)   PRESENTATION WR-ALC:  "Type Codes vs Prefix Codes in DOD Repositories", Fall 1998(?)
                   This is a simple presentation, but it worked.  Lacks the narrative. 
 

 (new)     Type Codes vs Prefix Codes in DOD Repositories
                       Tells about how Boeing tried to come up with program
                     they could use internally and also ship drawings and associated lists to
                     JEDMICS, only to find out that altho complying with MIL-STD-1840 they still couldn't
                     do use it to transfer some data to JEDMICS.
                      This paper also shows the differing "type codes" used by different offices.

  (new)     Timeline discussion of MIL-STD-804 revisions
                     Not proof read.   Tentative.  Subject to change.