[Info-vax] exact case transfer_vectors for VAX Macro?

[John E. Malmberg]

On 1/24/2013 3:33 AM, hb wrote:
> On 01/24/2013 01:31 AM, John E. Malmberg wrote:
>> Hand editing the object file is not practical though because of the
>> large volume of symbols. And I need this to be a totally automated build
>> process.
>>
>> I need to have both the exact case transfer vector and the uppercase
>> transfer vector so a global replace is also not feasible even all search
>> strings where unique.
>
> Then you also need both global symbols defined in your C object module,
> anyway, or you need to change/enhance the VAX linker, because an ALIAS
> feature (or a case blind match) is not available, there.

As near as I can tell, only the first symbol name in the transfer vector 
is used as the universal symbol, the second two are used to jump to it.

> That leaves you with the problem to generate both universal symbols in
> the transfer object module. The VAX object language is documented in
> older linker manuals. It should be simple to write a program which walks
> through the global symbol table and changes a symbol and finds the TIR
> records and changes the very same symbol there as well. But how do you
> know which symbol or placeholder to modify to what?

By putting a unique string like "XXXXXXX" that is the same size as the 
string to be replaced, I should be able to use an editor script as a 
short term solution.

So for a new shared image on the VAX, I should be able to have a DCL or 
TPU script read in the ALPHA linker commands and through a couple of 
steps generate the VAX transfer vector object.

> It may be simpler to write the object module, with an own macro32
> assembler or maybe with gas, where you have source control.

Gas may be an option.  I do not know if gas implemented the directives 
needed to generate transfer vectors.

The VAX object language is documented in the Linker manual so a program 
that could read the ALPHA linker DCL commands and translate them to a 
VAX object file is also a

> But it may even be simpler to patch a copy of MACRO32 not to uppercase
> everything (and then carefully write all language tokens in UPPERCASE).

Beyond what I would want to do at the moment.

> On the other hand, if you want to have the shareable image upward
> compatible, then you don't (want or) need to rebuild the transfer object
> module in each build.

Of course I want the sharable images to be upward compatible.

You have put me on the course for a solution though.

Regards,
-John
wb8tyw at qsl.network
Personal Opinion Only