As per BIP0001 _BIP Purpose and Guidelines_, there are three kinds of BIP:
* A _Standards_ Track BIP describes any change that affects most or all bitcoin implementations, such as a change to the network protocol, a change in block or transaction validity rules, or any change or addition that affects the interoperability of applications using bitcoin.
* An _Informational_ BIP describes a bitcoin design issue, or provides general guidelines or information to the bitcoin community, but does not propose a new feature. Informational BIPs do not necessarily represent a bitcoin community consensus or recommendation, so users and implementors are free to ignore Informational BIPs or follow their advice.
* A _Process_ BIP describes a process surrounding bitcoin, or proposes a change to (or an event in) a process. Process BIPs are like Standards Track BIPs but apply to areas other than the bitcoin protocol itself. They may propose an implementation, but not to bitcoin's codebase; they often require community consensus; unlike Informational BIPs, they are more than recommendations, and users are typically not free to ignore them. Examples include procedures, guidelines, changes to the decision-making process, and changes to the tools or environment used in Bitcoin development. Any meta-BIP is also considered a Process BIP.
_Standard_ BIP:: Describes any change that affects most or all bitcoin implementations, such as a change to the network protocol, a change in block or transaction validity rules, or any change or addition that affects the interoperability of applications using bitcoin.
_Informational_ BIP:: Describes a bitcoin design issue, or provides general guidelines or information to the bitcoin community, but does not propose a new feature. Informational BIPs do not necessarily represent a bitcoin community consensus or recommendation, so users and implementors may ignore Informational BIPs or follow their advice.
_Process_ BIP:: Describes a process surrounding bitcoin, or proposes a change to (or an event in) a process. Process BIPs are like Standards Track BIPs but apply to areas other than the bitcoin protocol itself. They may propose an implementation, but not to bitcoin's codebase; they often require community consensus; unlike Informational BIPs, they are more than recommendations, and users are typically not free to ignore them. Examples include procedures, guidelines, changes to the decision-making process, and changes to the tools or environment used in Bitcoin development. Any meta-BIP is also considered a Process BIP.
Bitcoin Improvement Proposals are recorded in a versioned repository on https://github.com/bitcoin/bips[GitHub]. <<table_d-1>> shows a snapshot of BIPs in the Fall of 2014. Consult the authoritative repository for up-to-date information on existing BIPs and their contents.
myarbrough@oreilly.com
10 years ago