The CALS Table Model is a standard for representing tables in

SGML The Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML; International Organization for Standardization, ISO 8879:1986) is a standard for defining generalized markup languages for documents. ISO 8879 Annex A.1 states that generalized markup is "based on t ...

XML Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing data. It defines a set of rules for encoding electronic document, documents in a format that is both human-readable and Machine-r ...

. It was developed as part of the Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support (CALS) initiative by the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

History and rationale

The CALS Table Model was developed by the Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support (CALS) Industry Steering Group ''Electronic Publishing Committee'' (EPC). The EPC subcommittee, of which Harvey Bingham was co-chair and a major contributor, designed the CALS Table Model in 1989–1990. The EPC was made up of industry and military service representatives. Some represented traditional military document printing agencies. Others represented electronic publishing organizations. SGML itself was new. At that time, the CALS intent for all their technical manuals was to use that document type definition (DTD) to achieve system-neutral interchange of content and structure. Its basis was a minimal description and example of a table from the prior Mil-M-38784B specification for producing technical manuals. The incomplete specification of the semantics associated with the table model allowed too much freedom for vendor interpretation, and resulted in problems with interchange. SGML-Open, the former name of the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (

OASIS In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment (IUPAC) name pyro-EGTA 2,2',2'',2-(2,2'-(1,2-phenylene bis(oxy))bis(ethane-2,1-diyl)) bis(azanetriyl)tetraacetic acid EGTA ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid EDTA 2,2',2'',2-(ethane-1,2-diyldinitrilo)tetraacetic acid (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) AATA 2,2'-(2-(2-(2-(bis(carboxymethyl)amino)ethoxy)ethoxy) phenylazanediyl)diacetic acid APTRA 2-carboxymethoxy-aniline-N,N-diacetic acid BAPTA 1,2-bis(-2-aminophenoxy)ethane- N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid HIDA N-(2-hydroxyethyl)iminodiacetic acid Carboxyglutamate 3-Aminopropane-1,1,3-tricarboxylic acid

History and rationale

See also