Hi Murray,

On 19-Nov-99, Murray Lesser wrote to Fred Springfield:



 ML>> In case there is anyone out there besides me who is still
 ML>> using the vintage-1990 MS BASIC PDS v 7.1 compiler running as a
 ML>> "native OS/2" application (not in a VDM!):

I've got it on floppy somewhere... It'll probably need an
archeological dig through my stuff to find it though :-).

 ML>> I made a small test of the DATE$ function (compiled and linked
 ML>> for both real (VDM) and protected (native OS/2) modes with my
 ML>> system clock cranked up a year.  The full source code of TEST.BAS
 ML>> was: PRINT DATE$. Both versions returned 11-16-2000, something
 ML>> that was not really expected!

Wow! :-)

 ML> REXX is a great programming tool for quick and dirty jobs, or even
 ML> for jobs that spend most of their activity manipulating text
 ML> files, but I would not use it as a complete substitute for BASIC
 ML> PDS, even though there are things that are easier to do in REXX
 ML> than in any other language that I know: anything that "needs" the
 ML> REXX PARSE statement. But I prefer PL/I to any other language that
 ML> I know for "real" text-mode applications.  I tried "porting" a few
 ML> BASIC PDS programs to C (before I began to learn PL/I), but gave
 ML> up; C is just too clumsy a language to be useful for programs with
 ML> a lot of text manipulation, Kernighan and Ritchie to the contrary
 ML> notwithstanding.

But the IBM pricing for PL/I puts it outside my pocket :-(.

C is a useful general purpose language for many purposes, but for
string handling it's a pain, and it's lack of built in number
crunching capabilities is a limitation for other applications.

 ML> FS>But, surprise, surprise.  How do you run it as an OS/2
 ML> application?

 ML> You have to remember that "native OS/2" for the BASIC PDS compiler
 ML> (and protected-mode applications written in it) are 16-bit
 ML> text-mode OS/2 programs, because the only version of OS/2 that
 ML> Microsoft recognized at the time was 1.0.  However, since IBM is a
 ML> very strong believer in backward compatibility, 16-bit OS/2
 ML> programs run fine, unchanged, in 32-bit OS/2.

The "Getting Started" manual says OS/2 V1.1 or higher is required.

 ML> It has been over six years since I installed BASIC PDS to run in
 ML> "protected mode" and I'm not sure that I could do it today, since
 ML> I seem to have lost any "getting started" documentation that came
 ML> with the compiler.  I suppose, if I had to, I would try by
 ML> starting with SETUP.EXE on the first distribution diskette,
 ML> telling it to load the BINP directory as well as the others.  (A
 ML> small test this morning indicated that SETUP would run in a VDM.)

I've still got my copy of "Getting Started" for Microsoft PDS 7 :-).
I've just dug it out and, yes, _all_ the installation is done via
SETUP.EXE. Isn't SETUP a bound program? Given the fact that DOS
support back then was via the "penalty box" I would have expected it
to be bound. There is no useful information about installation in the
Getting Started manual other than the suggestion that all
installations are done to new directories as it says "Note that Setup
may replace existing files.". The only other useful information is
about adding the path to the DLLs (it says \BC7\BINP) to LIBPATH and
either adding the contents of NEW-VARS.CMD to config.sys or running
the file from the command line before invoking the compiler.

Aside. I checked the spelling of "invoke", and this is the dictionary
definition.

"1. to call upon (an agent, esp. God or another deity) for help,
inspiration etc. 2. to appeal to (an outside agent or authority) for
confirmation, corroboration, etc. 3) to implore or beg (help, etc.).
4.to summon (a spirit, demon, etc); conjure up."

It struck me as most apt :-).

George

--- Terminate 5.00/Pro