VAX PASCAL STARLET Libraries V3.8 Release Notes
VAX PASCAL STARLET Libraries V3.8 Release Notes
21 July 1988
21 July 1988
This document contains information about new features in VAX
PASCAL STARLET Libraries V3.8, differences between STARLET
V3.8 and previous versions, corrections included in STARLET
V3.8, and other topics. This file is of interest to both
system management and application programmers.
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1
VAX PASCAL STARLET LIBRARIES V3.8 RELEASE NOTES
VAX PASCAL STARLET LIBRARIES V3.8 RELEASE NOTES
1.1 OVERVIEW OF VAX PASCAL STARLET V3.8
The VAX PASCAL STARLET Libraries are a collection of Pascal definition
modules for various VAX/VMS system interfaces and run-time libraries.
These Pascal modules are pre-compiled into VAX Pascal environment
files. These environment files can then be inherited into VAX Pascal
programs to access the definitions.
1.2 NEW FEATURES IN VAX PASCAL STARLET V3.8
In previous releases of STARLET, a single VAX Pascal source file was
created with all available VAX/VMS definitions. This file is called
SYS$LIBRARY:STARLET.PAS. Beginning in VAX/VMS V5.0, definitions for
various Run-Time Libraries are also provided. Instead of combining
everything in STARLET.PAS, smaller individual files are created for
each Run-Time Library. The smaller files yield better compile-time
performance for the inheriting programs. Also putting them into
STARLET.PAS would cause compile-time errors for those sites who have
"homegrown" definition files.
Previously, some Run-Time Library information was in STARLET.PAS. For
example, the SMG$ "termtable" definitions and SMG$ data structures.
To maintain upwards compatibility, these definitions are still in
STARLET.PAS and not in the SMG$ specific Pascal source file. The
Run-Time Library information remaining in STARLET.PAS is:
1. LIB$ messages
2. MTH$ messages
3. OTS$ messages
4. SMG$ data structures and "termtable"
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VAX PASCAL STARLET LIBRARIES V3.8 RELEASE NOTES
VAX PASCAL STARLET LIBRARIES V3.8 RELEASE NOTES
5. STR$ messages
The new Pascal source files are prefixed with "PASCAL$" to identify
them as belonging to VAX Pascal. STARLET.PAS kept its original name
for upwards compatibility.
The new Pascal libraries are:
o PASCAL$DTK_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - DTK$ routine entry points, data
structures, and messages
o PASCAL$LIB_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - LIB$ routine entry points
o PASCAL$MTH_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - MTH$ routine entry points
o PASCAL$NCS_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - NCS$ routine entry points
o PASCAL$OTS_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - OTS$ routine entry points
o PASCAL$PPL_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - PPL$ routine entry points, data
structures, and messages
o PASCAL$SMG_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - SMG$ routine entry points and
messages
o PASCAL$SOR_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - SOR$ routine entry points and
messages
o PASCAL$STR_ROUTINES.PAS/PEN - STR$ routine entry points
1.3 PREREQUISITE SOFTWARE
VAX PASCAL STARLET V3.8 requires VAX/VMS V5.0 or later and VAX PASCAL
V3.8 or later.
1.4 DISK SPACE REQUIREMENTS
VAX PASCAL STARLET V3.8 requires 7000 blocks during installation and
6000 blocks after installation.
1.5 INSTALLATION VERIFICATION PROCEDURE (IVP)
The VAX PASCAL STARLET IVP is left on the system disk in
SYS$COMMON:[SYSTEST.PASSTR]PASSTR$IVP.COM. This command file can be
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VAX PASCAL STARLET LIBRARIES V3.8 RELEASE NOTES
VAX PASCAL STARLET LIBRARIES V3.8 RELEASE NOTES
invoked at any time to verify that each of the environment files is
present and working.
1.6 CREATION OF STARLET LIBRARY FILES
The STARLET files are built using a library of intermediate files
supplied and maintained by VMS (SYS$LIBRARY:STARLETSD.TLB). If this
library is updated during a VMS upgrade, you should re-install the
STARLET saveset to include any modifications that may have been made
by VMS.
1.7 STARLET.PAS NAME CHANGES
The LIB$B_DCF_OPERAND$TYPE symbol has been renamed to LIB$_DCF_OPERAND
since the name already contains a dollar sign before the "$TYPE" was
appended to the end.
1.8 PASCAL$D_FLOAT.PAS/PEN AND PASCAL$G_FLOAT.PAS/PEN
Besides the files listed above, four additional files are placed in
SYS$LIBRARY:. Since several of the Run-Time Library definition files
want to define D_Floating and G_Floating operands in the same file,
the compiler needs access to both kinds of double-precision numbers.
Since the predefined type DOUBLE only represents one of the two styles
of double-precision numbers during the compilation, the small
environment files allow a single compilation to access both styles of
double-precision numbers. These files are only used if the Run-Time
Library environment files need to be recompiled outside of the STARLET
installation procedure and are placed on the system just for
completeness.
1.9 LIB$ESTABLISH AND LIB$REVERT DEFINITIONS IN
PASCAL$LIB_ROUTINES.PAS
The LIB$ESTABLISH and LIB$REVERT Run-Time Library routines are defined
in the PASCAL$LIB_ROUTINES.PEN environment file. These routines are
not compatible with VAX Pascal and should not be used by a program.
The predefined routines ESTABLISH and REVERT are used to establish and
remove condition handlers inside of routines. See the VAX PASCAL
Reference Manual for additional information about ESTABLISH and
REVERT.
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