Comparison
S1000D Issues Compared: 4.0 to Issue 7
The Timeline
Seven Issues, Eighteen Years
Dates are the issue dates the specification's own schemas carry. The changes listed are the ones visible in the official material: schema sets, code lists, and announcements. Detailed change lists for each issue sit inside the specification itself.
| Issue | Issue date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Issue 4.0 | 1 August 2008 | XML Schema only: the SGML and DTD deliverables of earlier issues are gone. Element names were also rewritten from terse codes to descriptive names, the break every later issue inherits. |
| Issue 4.0.1 | 12 May 2009 | A maintenance release. Its schema set is identical in scope to 4.0's. |
| Issue 4.1 | 31 December 2012 | New schemas for service bulletins, common information repositories, updates, and front matter. The issue US Air Force business rules are built around. |
| Issue 4.2 | 31 December 2016 | New schemas for business rules documents and illustration (ICN) metadata, and information code 024 for business rules. The issue US Army business rules are built around. |
| Issue 5.0 | 28 June 2019 | No new schema files: the changes are inside existing ones. Information codes 025 (Export control policy), 026 (Regulatory policy), and 235 (Flush) were added. |
| Issue 6 | 19 June 2024 | The first issue without a minor number. Information codes 0A6 (Hazards) and 0A7 (Terminology repository) were added, the latter for a terminology common information repository. |
| Issue 7 | 16 July 2026 | Announced 10 September 2026. Officially: updates to the standard numbering system, XML schemas, data dictionary, and default BREX; corrections for business rules and the process data module; CIR usage recommendations; ICN metadata file enhancements. |
Before 4.0
The SGML Era
Issues before 4.0 are still out there, mostly in long-lived defense libraries. Up to Issue 3.0, data modules could be produced in SGML as well as XML, which is why so many sustainment programs still carry SGML content; our SGML explainer and conversion guide cover what to do with it. Issue 2 is the other milestone worth knowing: it extended the specification from air vehicles to land and sea applications, the scope it has kept ever since.
Which Issue Where
The Issue You Owe Is in the Contract
The newest issue is rarely the one a program is held to. Service business rules pin specific issues: the Army's MIL-STD-3031 is built around Issue 4.2 and the Air Force's MIL-STD-3048 around Issue 4.1. In civil aviation, ATA Spec 1000BR currently supports Issues 4.1, 4.2, and 6, and not 5.0 or 7.
So a supplier can easily be delivering three issues at once, one per customer, and an author moving between programs has to know which one is in force. Learn the model once; learn the issue your contract cites in detail. Every issue from 1.7 through 7 remains free to download from the official site for exactly that reason.
The Numbering
Why Issue 6, Not 6.0
Up to 5.0, issues carried minor numbers: 4.0.1, 4.1, 4.2. The S1000D Steering Committee then dropped them for public issues. After 5.0 came Issue 6 and Issue 7, and corrections between issues arrive as lettered patches (5.0.A, 6.A) instead. A citation to “Issue 6.0” means Issue 6; there will be no 6.1.
The practical consequence is that each new public issue is a significant step, which is why the move to Issue 7 deserves planning rather than an assumption of compatibility. The concepts carry across every issue on this page; our S1000D reference page covers them, and the information codes show how little the code lists move between issues.
FAQ
Questions We Hear
What is the latest version of S1000D?
Issue 7, whose schemas carry an issue date of 16 July 2026 and which was announced as available on 10 September 2026. It is free to download from the official S1000D site. The latest issue is not necessarily the one your program uses: contracts and service business rules pin specific issues.
Why is there no S1000D Issue 5.1 or 6.1?
The specification changed its numbering. The S1000D Steering Committee announced that public issues would no longer use minor update numbers: after 5.0 came Issue 6, then Issue 7, with corrections released as lettered patches (5.0.A, 6.A) rather than point issues.
Which S1000D issue should my program use?
The one your contract or governing business rules cite. US Army work under MIL-STD-3031 is built around Issue 4.2, and US Air Force work under MIL-STD-3048 around Issue 4.1. For civil aviation, ATA Spec 1000BR currently supports Issues 4.1, 4.2, and 6. A new program with a free choice should weigh the latest issue against what its tools, partners, and customers actually support.
Can I still download older issues like 4.1 and 4.2?
Yes. The official downloads site lists every issue from 1.7 through 7, provided at no cost under its terms and conditions. That matters because many programs are contracted to an older issue and need its exact schemas and rules.
Is upgrading between issues automatic?
Rarely. Each issue can change schemas, rules, and code lists, and a library also carries the program's own business rules, which were written against a specific issue. Plan a move between issues as a migration project with human review, not a script you run overnight.
Get In Touch
Moving Between Issues?
Whether you're delivering to several issues at once or planning a move to Issue 7, we'll help you scope the migration and bring your business rules with you.