There is the additional intention that these labels be planned in such a way that software may be written to examine the whole of an SFDU object, find certain parts of it, and automatically provide services upon or regarding the information in those certain parts. The SFDU standard includes the description of the activities of specialized personnel whose work can be broadly characterized as combining that of librarians, advisors, and administrators. The development of a particular book is delegated at first to a small group of professionals involved with SFDUs. Eventually, as the book is developed, these professionals put the book out for commentary and approval by the wider community. This process is associated with the book moving through a series of stages that have been named with the colors White, Red, and Blue.
White books are under review by the initial technical panel.
Red books have graduated to formal review by the member agencies. Red books, while recognizably more mature than white books, are still subject to iterations and revisions. Blue books are the final result of the development. Blue books are documents that have been approved by all member agencies. Red books are being developed on additional structure and construction rules, Control Authority Office Policies and Procedures, and technical issues concerning the computer-parsed aspects of SFDU information.