= Metanorma: the standard for standards

image:https://img.shields.io/gem/v/metanorma.svg["Gem Version", link="https://rubygems.org/gems/metanorma"]
image:https://github.com/metanorma/metanorma/workflows/rake/badge.svg["Build Status", link="https://github.com/metanorma/metanorma/actions?workflow=rake"]
image:https://codeclimate.com/github/metanorma/metanorma/badges/gpa.svg["Code Climate", link="https://codeclimate.com/github/metanorma/metanorma"]
image:https://img.shields.io/github/issues-pr-raw/metanorma/metanorma.svg["Pull Requests", link="https://github.com/metanorma/metanorma/pulls"]
image:https://img.shields.io/github/commits-since/metanorma/metanorma/latest.svg["Commits since latest",link="https://github.com/metanorma/metanorma/releases"]

Metanorma is dedicated to harmonizing standard documents
produced by different standard-setting bodies in a manner that
maintains correct semantics while allowing each standard publisher to
define appropriate semantic extensions.

Simply put, it allows standards bodies or any other organization
to create their own standard or specification document in a best
practices manner.

Metanorma is composed of a number of specifications and software
implementations. The Metanorma document model is based on the SecureDoc
document model.

For more on Metanorma and who uses it, refer to https://www.metanorma.org[]

== Installation on supported platforms

See https://www.metanorma.org/install/[]

=== Installing individual components

The Metanorma workflow can be utilized via the `metanorma-cli` Ruby gem.

[source,sh]
----
gem install metanorma-cli
----

== Usage

Refer to https://www.metanorma.org/install/man/[Metanorma man page] and https://www.metanorma.org/install/usage/[Metanorma usage]

=== Threaded execution

Metanorma has threaded execution, to generate output documents from the same Presentation XML input more quickly.
Similar to https://github.com/relaton/relaton[relaton], the `METANORMA_PARALLEL` environment variable 
can be used to override the default number of parallel fetches used.


== Origin of name

*Meta-* is a prefix of Greek origin ("μετα") for "`with`" "`after`".
In English, it has ended up meaning "about (its own category)"; e.g.
_meta-discussion_ (a discussion about discussion). (For the roundabout way
it ended up with that meaning, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta#Etymology.)

*Norma* is Latin for "`rule`" and "`standard`"; hence English _norm_,
but also German _Norm_ "standard".

The Metanorma project is for setting a standard for standard documents
created by standards-setting organizations (which is a meta thing to do);
hence this name.

Metanorma seeks to embrace all standards documents standards, but not possess any:
it can give rise to many "standard" standards, but not limit the extension of any of those standards.

The motto of the project is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aequitas[_Aequitate_] _verum_,
"Truth through equity". Dealing with all standards fairly (_aequitate_), we seek not an abstract
virtue (_veritas_), but a practical reality on the ground (_verum_), that can be used by
stakeholders of multiple standards.