SoftWare Hash IDentifier: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:25, 26 May 2025

Revision as of 13:35, 26 May 2025

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{{Infobox identifier

| name =

| image =

| image_size =

| image_caption =

| image_alt =

| image_border =

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| full_name = SoftWare Hash IDentifier

| acronym = SWHID

| number =

| start_date = {{Start date and age|2025|04}}

| organisation =

| digits =

| check_digit =

| example = swh:1:dir:df32c75242bf8d797ccd43af8ce8e294f35cd8fd

| website = https://www.swhid.org/

}}

The '''''SoftwareSoftWare Hash IdentifierIDentifier''''' ('''SWHID''') is a persistent identifier used to uniquely identify a softwareparticular artifactpiece of software and its various versionsversion. ItSWHID is a standard similar to the [[Digital Object Identifier|DOI]], but is tailored specifically for software, providing finer granularity and compatibilitycompatible with versioning modelssoftware such as [[git]].

== Creation and history ==

It is used in software archiving by platforms like [[Software Heritage]], in research it is integrated with repositories such as [[HAL (open archive)|HAL]] or [[Zenodo]].

The SoftWare Hash IDentifier was developed by [[Software Heritage]]. As of 2023, it was officially released by Software Heritage and was in use for billions of versions of pieces of software, termed "artefacts".<ref name="SWHID_tracking_past">{{cite Q|Q134580517|url-status=live}}</ref> In research it is integrated with repositories such as [[HAL (open archive)|HAL]] or [[Zenodo]].

SinceThe Aprilacronym 2025,SWHID thisoriginally digitalreferred identifierto system"Software hasHeritage beenIdentifiers" formalizedused asto catalog software artifacts in the ISOearly 18670days standardof the [[Software Heritage]] archive<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=ISO/IECSoftWare 18670:2025Hash IDentifier (SWHID) |url=https://www.isosoftwareheritage.org/standardsoftware-hash-identifier-swhid/89985.html |website=ISOSoftware Heritage |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>. [[TélécomIt Paris]]later hasevolved welcomedinto thisan newopen standard withthrough interesta citingdedicated its benefits for the traceability of software affected by vulnerabilitiesworking group<ref>{{Cite web |language=fren |title=UneSWHID avancéeworking significative pour l'infrastructure numérique mondiale : La norme ISO/IEC 18670 est désormais officiellegroup |url=https://www.telecom-parisswhid.frorg/norme-iso-iec-18670-patrimoine-logiciel |website=Télécom Paris |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>, UNESCOand haswas recognisedstandardized itsas interestISO in theApril reproducibility2025 andunder long-termthe accessibilitymore ofgeneral softwarename "Software Hash Identifier"<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=ArchivingISO/IEC open software as human heritage18670:2025 |url=https://www.unescoiso.org/enstandard/open-science/inclusive-science/archiving-open-software-human-heritage89985.html |website=UNESCOISO |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>.

[[Télécom Paris]] adopted SWHID, arguing that it has benefits for the traceability of software affected by vulnerabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |language=fr |title=Une avancée significative pour l'infrastructure numérique mondiale : La norme ISO/IEC 18670 est désormais officielle |url=https://www.telecom-paris.fr/norme-iso-iec-18670-patrimoine-logiciel |website=Télécom Paris |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>, UNESCO has recognised its interest in the reproducibility and long-term accessibility of software <ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=Archiving open software as human heritage |url=https://www.unesco.org/en/open-science/inclusive-science/archiving-open-software-human-heritage |website=UNESCO |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>.

== Standards ==

SWHID is an open standard licensed under the Community Specification License<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=Copyright Section of SWHID Specification v1.2 |url=https://www.swhid.org/specification/v1.2/ |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>.

SWHID was formalized as the ISO 18670 standard in April 2025.<ref name="ISO18670">{{Cite web |language=en |title=ISO/IEC 18670:2025 |url=https://www.iso.org/standard/89985.html |website=ISO |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>. SWHID is an open standard licensed under the Community Specification License<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=Copyright Section of SWHID Specification v1.2 |url=https://www.swhid.org/specification/v1.2/ |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>.

== Format ==

The SWHID has the following syntax:<ref name="SWHID_tracking_past" />

<syntaxhighlight lang="none">

Line 48 ⟶ 54:

</syntaxhighlight>

=== Example ===

Version 3.0 of the Linux kernel, released in July 2011, has the following SWHID:{{cn|date=May 2025}}

<code>swh:1:dir:df32c75242bf8d797ccd43af8ce8e294f35cd8fd</code>

== History ==

The acronym SWHID originally referred to "Software Heritage Identifiers" used to catalog software artifacts in the early days of the [[Software Heritage]] archive<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=SoftWare Hash IDentifier (SWHID) |url=https://www.softwareheritage.org/software-hash-identifier-swhid/ |website=Software Heritage |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>. It later evolved into an open standard through a dedicated working group<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=SWHID working group |url=https://www.swhid.org/ |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref> and was standardized as ISO in April 2025 under the more general name "Software Hash Identifier"<ref>{{Cite web |language=en |title=ISO/IEC 18670:2025 |url=https://www.iso.org/standard/89985.html |website=ISO |access-date=2025-05-24}}</ref>

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== See also ==

* [[Software Heritage]]

== External links ==

* [https://www.swhid.org/ Official website]

* [https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso-iec:18670:ed-1:v1:en ISO/IEC 18670:2025 Specification v1.2]