
          

                                                                      
 
 
[1,200]   RSX BASIC - MICHAEL REESE VERSION

 
 
          Overview:

 
          BASIC as implemented in the following files under RSX-11D is

          a highly upgraded version of what used to be a DECUS library

          program for DOS.  Full FILES-11 I/O is  supported  (although

          in  a  bastard  sort of way).  String functions and user de-

          fined functions are much more flexible than  in  either  the

          original  version or in DEC's BASIC-11.  A number of defici-

          encies and bugs in the original have been fixed.  Multi-user

          implementation  is  supported  with separate pure and impure

          areas.  This implementation of BASIC is highly  interpretive

          and  thus  is slow for number crunching (that's why you have

          FORTRAN).  It is however, highly  interactive  and  includes

          special  debugging  commands:   STEP,  CON  and  SET  TRACE.

          OVERLAY and a data preserving CHAIN are also  supported.   A

          clean  "break"  feature  is  implemented  via the TT handler

          (more below).  In the latest version, a number of  RSTS-like

          features have been added including:  virtual arrays, integer

          and byte variables, continued lines and IF-THEN-ELSE.

 
          Files:

 
          BASIC0.MAC through BASIC4.MAC plus IDNTFY.MAC and  IMPUR.MAC

          are  the seven source files for the interpreter.  BASIC4.MAC

          implements the guts of the user  subroutine  CALL  statement

          plus  a set of specialized subroutines used at Michael Reese

          Medical Center.  This code can probably be  removed  with  a

          minimum  of  work  if  space  becomes  a  problem.  The file

          SPAWN.MAC implements the IAS V3.0 SPAWN directive via a  BA-

          SIC  CALL  statement.   The reference to SPAWNB in IMPUR.MAC

          should be commented out if not running  under  IAS  V3.0  or

          higher.   Two  command  files  for  assembly  are  provided:

          11MASM.CMD and 11DASM.CMD.

 
          BIGBASIC.CMD is a task build command file which may be tail-

          ored for single user operation.  Note that for either single

          user or multi-user operation, routines for trigonometric and

          transcendental functions are taken from a FORTRAN OTS libra-

          ry.  The library which we are set  up  for  is  V01C.   This

          could  be changed to use F4P OTS if references in BASIC1 are

          changed to the F4P entry point names.  FOR V02 is an unknown

          as  far  as use of its OTS routines are concerned.  The task

          build command files assume these to be in SYSLIB.   If  they

          are  somewhere else, an explicit reference should be made to

          whatever library they are in.

 
          Another set of command files is used to link a library  ver-

          sion  of BASIC.  First, an impure area STB is created by as-

          sembling IMPUR without the symbol  definition  TASK=1.   Use

          IMPURNOMO.ASM for this.  This prevents the global definition

          of .MOLUN and prevents problems later on.  Also assemble IM-

          PUR with the command file IMPUR.ASM in preparation for final




                                                                PAGE 2

                                                                      
 
 
          linking with BAS.CMD (below).  IMPURNOMO is then  linked  to

          form the symbol table.  For RSX11D usd IMPURNOMO.CMD to link

          the  symbol  table.   The  library  is  then  linked   using

          BASPUR.CMD.    Put  the  resulting  TSK  and  STB  files  in

          LB:[1,1], install the BASPUR resident library and link  with

          BAS.CMD.  The BAS.TSK file can now be installed with differ-

          ent INC values and different names for optimized  use,  each

          one  sharing  the  pure  code.   A command file for use with

          ...AT.  are provided for doing all of the work described  in

          the  above  paragraph:  11DSHARE.CMD for RSX11D or IAS.  The

          development of the equivalent command file to  do  the  same

          for  RSX11M-PLUS remains to be done at this point.  If some-

          one has done this, we would appreciate their feedback.   One

          could  probably  make  one following the RSX11D command file

          and modifying for RSX11M.

 
          Programs:

 
          MSGEN is a program for generating and modifying an  MO  mes-

          sage  file  for  BASIC.   The current file is BASIC.MSG.  It

          should be placed under [1,2] on the disk referred to as SD:.

          BASIC0.MAC  can  be  edited  to change the disk name and ac-

          count.  If no MO output is desired, modify BASIC0.MAC by re-

          moving  the line defining the symbol RSX11D.  This will pro-

          duce numbered error messages but no explanatory text.   This

          is automatically done with 11MASM.CMD.

 
          BASDOC is a program which extracts RUNOFF format source text

          from  the  macro  files  for  BASIC.   The  output is a file

          BASIC.RNO which, when processed by a special version of  RU-

          NOFF,   produces   a   fairly  complete  manual  for  BASIC.

          BASIC.DOC is such a manual.  The special version  of  RUNOFF

          was made at Michael Reese Medical Center for use with a Cen-

          tronics printer having a wide character option.  It also has

          some  non-standard  abbreviations  for commands.  If needed,

          the BASIC.RNO file could be edited for use with  a  standard

          RUNOFF.   The special Centronics commands usually start with

          a "W", i.e.  ".WC" instead of ".C" etc.

 
          A BASIC break is now implemented via the ^C AST function  of

          the  TT  handler.  Note that the definition RSX11D=1 is used

          for this option to distinguish between  handler  AST  action

          under  RSX11M and RSX11D.  Also note that this break happens

          between successively executed lines.  Thus a one  line  loop

          cannot be broken.

 
          If you have questions call:

                    Frank R. Borger

                    Dept. of Medical Physics

                    Michael Reese Medical Center

                    2929 So. Ellis Ave.

                    Chicago, Ill. 60616

                    (312) 791-2515

 
 



                                                                PAGE 3

                                                                      
 
 
OPERATING SYS  : RSX11D - IAS? - RSX-11M?

HARDWARE REQ'D : FP11

SOFTWARE FORM  : SOURCES AND COMMAND FILES

DOC. FORMAT    : RUNOFF (MICHAEL REESE VERSION)

VERSION        : 21FE81

