# MEP Template {#MEP-template}

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This MEP template is a guideline of the sections that a MEP should
contain. Extra sections may be added if appropriate, and unnecessary
sections may be noted as such.

## Status

MEPs go through a number of phases in their lifetime:

-   **Discussion**: The MEP is being actively discussed on the mailing
    list and it is being improved by its author. The mailing list
    discussion of the MEP should include the MEP number (MEPxxx) in the
    subject line so they can be easily related to the MEP.
-   **Progress**: Consensus was reached and implementation work has
    begun.
-   **Completed**: The implementation has been merged into main.
-   **Superseded**: This MEP has been abandoned in favor of another
    approach.
-   **Rejected**: There are currently no plans to implement the
    proposal.

## Branches and Pull requests

All development branches containing work on this MEP should be linked to
from here.

All pull requests submitted relating to this MEP should be linked to
from here. (A MEP does not need to be implemented in a single pull
request if it makes sense to implement it in discrete phases).

## Abstract

The abstract should be a short description of what the MEP will achieve.

## Detailed description

This section describes the need for the MEP. It should describe the
existing problem that it is trying to solve and why this MEP makes the
situation better. It should include examples of how the new
functionality would be used and perhaps some use cases.

## Implementation

This section lists the major steps required to implement the MEP. Where
possible, it should be noted where one step is dependent on another, and
which steps may be optionally omitted. Where it makes sense, each step
should include a link related pull requests as the implementation
progresses.

## Backward compatibility

This section describes the ways in which the MEP breaks backward
incompatibility.

## Alternatives

If there were any alternative solutions to solving the same problem,
they should be discussed here, along with a justification for the chosen
approach.