2.4. NeXus Community

NeXus began as a group of scientists with the goal of defining a common data storage format to exchange experimental results and to exchange ideas about how to analyze them.

The NeXus Scientific Community provides the scientific data, advice, and continued involvement with the NeXus standard. NeXus provides a forum for the scientific community to exchange ideas in data storage.

The NeXus International Advisory Committee (NIAC) supervises the development and maintenance of the NeXus common data format for neutron, X-ray, and muon science through the NeXus class definitions and oversees the maintenance of the NeXus Application Programmer Interface (NAPI) as well as the technical infrastructure.

There are several mechanisms in place in order to coordinate the development of NeXus with the larger community.

2.4.1. NeXus Webpage

First of all, there is the NeXus webpage, https://www.nexusformat.org/, which provides all kinds of information, including membership, minutes, and discussions from the meetings of the NIAC, Code Camps, and Tele Conferences, as well as some proposed designs for consideration by NeXus.

The webpage is kept with a number of other repositories in the nexusformat.org Github organisation https://github.com/nexusformat/. As for all of these repositories, pull requests to correct or improve the content or code are always welcome!

2.4.2. Contributed Definitions

The community is encouraged to provide new definitions (Base Class Definitions or Application Definitions) for consideration in the NeXus standard. These community contributions will be entered in the Contributed Definitions and will be curated according to procedures set forth by the NIAC: The NeXus International Advisory Committee.

2.4.3. Other Ways NeXus Coordinates with the Scientific Community