Transition from FIX 5.0 SP2 to FIX Latest

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The FIX Global Technical Committee (GTC) has discussed the transition from FIX 5.0 SP2 to FIX Latest during its last meeting and would like to receive feedback on its transition plan.

Extension Pack EP260 introduced a new value 10=”FIXLatest” for ApplVerID(1128). The FIX Orchestra repository has not been transitioned to FIX Latest yet. This is planned as follows:

  • EP259 is the last Extension Pack for FIX 5.0 SP2 (ApplVerID(1128) = 9 (FIX50SP2))
  • EP260 is the first Extension Pack for FIX Latest (ApplVerID(1128) = 10 (FIXLatest))
  • All Extension Packs as of EP261 are enhancements of FIX Latest
  • The repositories for EP260 – EP264 will be republished, whereby references to FIX 5.0 SP2 (e.g. version=”FIX.5.0SP2” and added=“FIX.5.0SP2”) are replaced with references to FIX Latest (e.g. version=”FIX.Latest” and added=”FIX.Latest”) for all changes made with EP260 (addedEP=”260”) or higher.
  • FIXimate as of EP264 will be republished as “FIX.Latest_EP264” and references to FIX 5.0 SP2 (“FIX.5.0SP2”) will be replaced with references to FIX Latest (“FIX.Latest”) for all changes made with EP260 or higher.

The FIX Repository is currently provided as a set of XML and XSD files having different structures with every Extension Pack, i.e. Basic, Unified and Orchestra.

  • The Basic (a.k.a. Standard) repository consists of separate files for the various elements (messages, components, enums, etc.).
  • The Unified repository consists of one file for all elements and a separate file with any language-specific text (descriptions and elaborations).
  • The Orchestra repository is a single file that follows the FIX Orchestra standard.

It is planned to establish the Orchestra repository as master format going forward and to provide the Unified repository as legacy format. The GTC would like to ask whether the Unified repository should remain unchanged or also use “FIX.Latest” instead of “FIX.5.0SP2” for changes from Extension Packs as of EP260.

Currently, the Basic and Unified repository are created as part of the Extension Pack implementation process. The Orchestra repository is then created from the Unified repository. This process will eventually be reversed, i.e. the Unified repository will then be created from the Orchestra repository. It is planned to then discontinue the Basic repository.

The GTC is interested to know whether the Basic repository is currently still in use and if there are plans to migrate it to the Unified or Orchestra repository in the near future. It would be great if you could share your use of the FIX Repository.

Please provide any questions or comments in this discussion thread.

Thank you,
Hanno Klein
(FIX GTC co-chair for EMEA)

FIX Standard Errors and Omissions 2018-2021
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It looks fine to me. I don’t think there is any concern for legacy versions since I don’t expect any update of these repositories. Regarding the products I am responsible for, we plan to support Orchestra in order to handle FIX Latest and any custom specification using this repository format.

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Hi Hanno,

looks good to me. For QuickFIX/J it is planned to generate FIX Latest data dictionary and Java classes directly from the Orchestra files.
QuickFIX/J also contains a generator which will create dictionaries from the old 2010 repository format. But this probably will be replaced by the same approach for the other Orchestra-supported FIX versions (FIX4.2, FIX4.4) eventually. It is no problem from a QFJ point-of-view to discontinue the old repository.

I have another question just for clarification: FIX Latest is meant as a “final” version but will be qualified nonetheless with the EP (e.g. FIX.Latest_EP264)??
What will be the content of the name and version tags in the Orchestra file then? I assume it will be the following:

name="FIX.Latest" version="FIX.Latest_EP264"

Thanks,
Chris.

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That is correct. FIX 5.0 SP2 was also a version that was further qualified with an EP number.

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The transition of the FIX Repositories to FIX Latest has now been completed. Please see the GTC Blog for details.

Hanno Klein
GTC co-chair for EMEA

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