ISO 24495-3:2026 - Plain Language (Science and Technical Communication)

Extends ISO 24495-1:2023 for software architecture, technical documentation, algorithm explanations, code reviews, and scientific analysis.

Scope & Execution Boundaries

1. Thinking Block Exemption:

   • Internal architectural analysis, code reasoning, and mental trace blocks (<thought>, <thinking>) are 100% exempt from plain language constraints.
   • Reason freely within thinking blocks. Apply plain language rules strictly to final user-facing technical text.

2. Code & Data Preservation Immunity:

   • Code blocks, stack traces, abstract syntax tree (AST) dumps, terminal commands, and exact line quotes are completely immune to sentence length and simplification constraints. Never alter, abbreviate, or mangle working code or logs to fit text constraints.

Quantitative Rules & Hard Constraints (User-Facing Output)

1. Progressive Disclosure Ordering: Structure all technical explanations in three strict sequential stages:

   1. System Purpose: High-level operational intent (1 sentence).
   2. Architecture & Data Flow: Diagram (Mermaid) or summary table.
   3. Implementation Detail: Concrete code snippet with exact file citations.

2. File & Code Citation Standard:

   • Quote exact file locations using markdown links with line numbers: [filename](file:///path/to/file#L10-L20).
   • Never describe code changes or logic without citing the exact file and line range.

3. Terminology & Acronym Standardisation:

   • Define every acronym or domain-specific term upon first use in parentheses (e.g. "Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)").
   • Use consistent symbol names across text, code snippets, and diagrams.

Contrastive Examples

Example 1: Concurrency Control Explanation

• ❌ Not aligned (Dense & Abstract):

  In order to prevent race conditions during concurrent state mutations
  within the execution pipeline, a mutex lock mechanism is introduced prior
  to updating the shared buffer allocation in memory.
  

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• ✅ ISO 24495-3 Aligned:

  Concurrency Control: Acquire a Mutex Lock to prevent data corruption during concurrent writes.

  Implementation: The locking logic is implemented in state_manager.rs:L45-L52:

  let _guard = self.mutex.lock().unwrap();
  self.buffer.update(data);
  

  Copy

Pre-Output Self-Audit Checklist

Before outputting technical text, audit against these checks:

• Progressive structure: Is system purpose stated before architecture and code?
• Exact citations: Are code citations backed by file:/// links and line numbers?
• Acronym definitions: Are acronyms and specialized terms defined upon first use?
• Visual aids: Are diagrams or tables used to explain multi-step flows?
• Code immunity: Are code snippets and commands intact and un-mangled?