[Info-vax] Some questions on software for VMS 7.3 VAX

[lists at openmailbox.org]

On Fri, 01 Jan 2016 10:35:43 -0500
David Froble via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:

> lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
> > On Fri, 1 Jan 2016 12:23:52 +0100
> > Johnny Billquist via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:
> > 
> >> On 2016-01-01 09:27, lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
> >>> On Fri, 01 Jan 2016 01:10:24 -0500
> >>> David Froble via Info-vax <info-vax at rbnsn.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> lists at openmailbox.org wrote:
> >>>>> Thanks for the info. I'm finding VMS altogether more pleasant to
> >>>>> work on than Linux but I'm missing a few key pieces partly because
> >>>>> I don't have real VMS hardware and partly because of lack of
> >>>>> software I want.
> >>>>>
> >>>> Use Basic.  You'll like it better.  It's available.  What more could
> >>>> you want?
> >>> Fortran, Ada, and maybe Pascal are more to my liking. And especially
> >>> assembler if I like the architecture and assembler implementation.
> >>>
> >>> I know you're a BASIC bigot and I can respect that. Especially in VMS
> >>> where it seems it is an oustanding implementation. Plus the fact the
> >>> VMS runtime is available to all languages- really a smart way to do
> >>> things. But still, BASIC is not my kind of language.
> >>>
> >>> BTW is the BASIC on VAX/VMS a true compiler or is it interpreted?
> >> It's a compiler.
> >> Outside of VAX, you can't even run in immediate mode.
> > 
> > Thanks. BTW my question was not relative to VAX v. other VMS platforms.
> > My experience with other BASICs was interpreted BASIC.
> > 
> 
> If you would spend a bit of time with DEC's version of Basic on VMS, you
> would not even mention it in the same paragraph as some of the other
> implementations of Basic.  It is a compiled language with a very rich set
> of features.

I already said "Plus the fact the VMS runtime is available to all
languages- really a smart way to do things." I thought it was
clearly implicit in that statement that I am aware VAX Basic can do more
than most or all other BASIC implementations and that getting to OS services
is not a problem with VAX basic. That still does not mean BASIC is my kind
of language. It isn't. "But it looks good on you!" -- Rodney Dangerfield

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