Excerpted from message dated 08-21-96, David Noon to Murray Lesser:

ML> Release 1.1 seems to work fine for what I am doing these days,
ML> and I suppose my utilities can always be recompiled and relinked
ML> with 1.2 when and if.

DN>When you see the enhanced tools it will be when, not if. [Assuming
  >the OS/2 1.2 has the same profiler, etc., as the NT 1.2.]

Hi David--

    Can you elaborate a little, please.  What "enhanced tools?"

    Now, in one of your communiques to someone, you mentioned that PL/I
release 1.3 would be out next year.  If that is the one that will allow
creating stand-alone executables, it might be worth the cost of
upgrading.  In the meantime, I'll think about it.

ML>     At the moment, I am contemplating "porting" the full-screen
ML> text-mode "windowing" subroutine library that I wrote for BASIC
[snip]
ML> otherwise), making VIO calls to replace the assembled screen stuff,

DN>Are you going to try the 32-bit VIO that has been on Dev Con for the
  >last year or two?

    It is my understanding that the 32-bit VIO is just a 32-bit wrapper
for the same-old same-old 16-bit VIO calls.  Why insert "automatic"
thunking with additional system code when PL/I does it all for me now?

DN>You could try your hand at macro writing by having a single "switch"
  >to change the decalrations of the VIO calls between the 16=bit and
  >32-bit versions. [Also remember that using BYADDR was a foolproof way
  >of choosing between PTR and PTR SEGMENTED to pass parameters by
  >location.]

    I haven't written a macro since Z-80 assembly language days under
CP/M, but I suppose I ought to start learning how to write PL/I macros.
As you may remember, I learned about BYADDR the hard way when I was
making some KBD calls!

DN>Well PL/I was a special effort, by refusing to allow software
  >resellers to market this "hardware device" for them. Incompetence
  >cubed.

    In spite of the misdirection, the last couple of Indelible Blue
catalogs have listed PL/I for OS/2 (page 40 in the "1996 Summer
Catalog").  $700 (US) for the Professional Edition, $213 (US) for the
Personal Edition.  If they actually stocked it, it may be a last chance
for cheapskates like me to get a copy of Personal Edition 1.1.

    Regards,

          --Murray

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