DDS-XTypes™ — DDS Extensible Type and Serialization Framework
The DDS-XTypes specification establishes a formal framework for defining, representing, and evolving data types within the Data Distribution Service ecosystem. It centers on a UML-based Type System that provides a platform-independent model for complex data structures, supported by standardized Type Representations--such as IDL and XML--and Data Representations for wire-level serialization. By decoupling logical type definitions from physical representations and language-specific implementations, the specification ensures consistent data interpretation across diverse programming environments and vendor implementations. To support the requirements of long-lived and evolving systems, the specification defines explicit rules for type extensibility, allowing data models to change while maintaining backward and forward compatibility between decoupled participants. It further enhances system correctness by allowing developers to associate metadata such as units and range limits directly with data types and members. These constraints are enforced during the discovery process through type assignability checks, ensuring that components only communicate if their data models are semantically aligned, for example, by verifying that a producer and consumer agree on physical scales of measurement or permissible value boundaries. This formal validation provides an additional layer of safety by preventing data misinterpretation and ensuring the integrity of interactions in complex, distributed systems.
- Title:
- DDS Extensible Type and Serialization Framework
- Acronym:
- DDS-XTypes™
- Version:
-
1.4 beta
- Document Status:
-
beta ⓘ
This version is made available for informational purposes. The formal version is the final approved specification and is the version that should be followed for compliance with this specification. Access to change bars between versions are available only to OMG members. - Publication Date:
- August 2026
- Categories:
- IPR Mode ⓘ
- RF-Limited ⓘ
Table Of Contents
- About the Specification
- Companies that have contributed to the development of this Specification
- Issues associated with this specification
- Specification Documents
- History
- Links
Companies that have contributed to the development of this Specification
- Copyright © 2019; 2026 Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
- Copyright © 2026 Objective Interface Systems
- Copyright © 2008-2019; 2026 Real Time Innovations
- Copyright © 2026 Rocket Software
- Copyright © 2008-2019; 2026 Twin Oaks Computing, Inc.
- Copyright © 2026 Unity Foundation, NP
- Copyright © 2026 ZettaScale Technology
Issues associated with this specification
Issues Reported in this Specification
‐
Version 1.4 beta only
Specification Documents
Normative Documents
| Description | Format | URL | OMG File ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specification |
DDS-XTypes/1.4/Beta1/PDF
|
ptc/26-02-06 |
Normative Machine Readable Documents
| Description | Format | URL | OMG File ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDL file for TypeObject and TypeIdentifier | IDL |
DDS-XTypes/20260301/dds-xtypes_typeobject.idl
|
ptc/26-02-03 |
| IDL file for the DDS Discovery Builtin Topics | IDL |
DDS-XTypes/20260301/dds-xtypes_discovery_builtin_topics.idl
|
ptc/26-02-04 |
| IDL file for Dynamic Type and Dynamic Data APIs | IDL |
DDS-XTypes/20260301/dds-xtypes_dynanmicdata.idl
|
ptc/26-02-07 |
| UML model XMI file | XMI |
DDS-XTypes/20260301/dds_xtypes_model.xmi
|
ptc/26-03-01 |
Informative Documents
| Description | Format | URL | OMG File ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specification changebar |
DDS-XTypes/1.4/Beta1/PDF/changebar
|
ptc/26-02-01 |
History
In Process Versions
| Version | Adoption Date | URL |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 beta | August 2026 | https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.4/Beta1 |
Formal Versions
| Version | Adoption Date | URL |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3 | February 2020 | https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.3 |
| 1.2 | September 2017 | https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.2 |
| 1.1 | October 2014 | https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.1 |
| 1.0 | October 2012 | https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.0 |
Links
- This Document:
- https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.4/Beta1/About-DDS-XTypes
- RDF
- https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.4/Beta1/About-DDS-XTypes.rdf
- JSON-LD
- https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.4/Beta1/About-DDS-XTypes.jsonld
- Latest Document:
- https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes
- RDF
- https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/About-DDS-XTypes.rdf
- JSON-LD
- https://www.omg.org/spec/DDS-XTypes/About-DDS-XTypes.jsonld
- Members Only
- https://www.omg.org/members/spec/DDS-XTypes/1.4/Beta1
- Keywords:
- Contact:
- Send a question ⓘ