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

[John Reagan]

On Monday, January 11, 2016 at 2:45:27 PM UTC-5, David Froble wrote:
> John Reagan wrote:
> > On Monday, January 11, 2016 at 12:55:05 PM UTC-5, Kerry Main wrote:
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: Info-vax [] On Behalf Of hb
> >>> via Info-vax
> >>> Sent: 11-Jan-16 12:21 PM
> >>> To: 
> >>> Cc: hb <>
> >>> Subject: Re: [New Info-vax] Some questions on software for VMS 7.3
> >>> VAX
> >>>
> >>> On 01/11/2016 04:52 PM,  wrote:
> >>>> Not a lot to like about UNIX but I still can't get used to not having
> >>>> a version command or option on VMS/VAX. Had to see what sys$help
> >>>> there was to find out what version I had.
> >>> The version is usually in the compiler listing, on each page. On recent
> >>> VMS versions with "pipe" one can get to the version with something like
> >>>
> >>> $ pipe fort/old/list=sys$output nl:/noobj | (read sys$pipe x ;
> >>> x=f$edit(x,"compress,trim") ; x=x-f$element(0," ",x)-f$element(1,"
> >>> ",x)-"Page 1" ; write sys$output f$edit(x,"trim"))
> >>> Compaq Fortran 77 V7.2-180
> >>> $
> >>>
> >>> Or, if you like GNV more than UNIX :-)
> >>>
> >>> bash-4.3$ dcl 'fort/old/list=sys$output nl:/noobj' | head -n1 | awk
> >>> '{for (i=3; i<NF-1; i++) printf "%s ", $i; printf "\n"}'
> >>> Compaq Fortran 77 V7.2-180
> >>> bash-4.3$
> >>>
> >>> Shouldn't be a big deal to write a generic script to do this for all the
> >>> compilers, available on your system.
> >> Not sure if available on VAX/VMS, but for recent systems, you simply 
> >> enter the following native commands: 
> >>
> >> $ fort /version
> >> VSI Fortran V8.3-104956-50P85
> >> $
> >> $ cc /version
> >> VSI C V7.4-001 on OpenVMS IA64 V8.4-1H1
> >> $
> >> $ CXX /version
> >> HP C++ V7.4-004 on OpenVMS IA64 V8.4-1H1
> >> $ 
> >> $ java -version
> >> java version "1.6.0"
> >> Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment "1.6.0-6"
> >> Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.6-b06, mixed mode)
> >> $
> >> $ cobol /version
> >> VSI COBOL V3.1-0007 on OpenVMS IA64 V8.4-1H1
> >> $
> >> $ pascal /version
> >> VSI Pascal I64 V6.2-125 on OpenVMS I64 V8.4-1H1
> >> $
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Kerry Main
> >> Kerry dot main at starkgaming dot com
> > 
> > Yep, just BASIC is missing.  It is on our list.
> 
> Ah, someone remembers ...
> 
> :-)

As I mentioned earlier, most compilers (including Alpha BASIC) put their version numbers in the image header.  Depending on what info the developer's wanted to encode, it might be a little cryptic since there is a limit of just 15 chars (and that rather small limit was carried over to Itanium - I wish we made it larger... I'll add *that* to the list too.)

$ write sys$output f$getsyi("arch_name")
Alpha
$ anal/image/select=ident sys$system:basic.exe
SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]BASIC.EXE;2
"BASIC V1.5-000"
$ anal/image/select=ident sys$system:pascal.exe
SYS$COMMON:[SYSEXE]PASCAL.EXE;2
"V5.7-73-408BJ"
$ ! The word PASCAL was dropped to make room for GEM version

I don't know about the VAX compilers as I don't have a VAX system.