[Info-vax] VMS Software needs to port VAX DIBOL to OpenVMS X86 platform

[ultr...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 12:02:54 PM UTC-5, Stephen Hoffman wrote:
> On 2020-12-14 19:08:16 +0000, ultr... at gmail.com said: 
> 
> > So Synergex as of now refuses to port their OpenVMS version of DIBOL to 
> > OpenVMS X86. 
> > 
> > This is a request for VMS software to port VAX DIBOL to the x86 OpenVMS 
> > environment. 
> > 
> > I have started a project using DIBOL and need to implement it on the 
> > x86 platform.
> There are no good choices here. 
> 
> Your available choices are to... 
> 
> ...convince Synergex to port DIBOL/DBL, or convince somebody to port an 
> existing DIBOL compiler or to write a new DIBOL compiler for you, or 
> write one yourself. For folks writing a new DIBOL compiler, the back 
> end will prolly be LLVM, that for either native code or (using 
> emscripten) to WebAssembly for browser-based operations, or otherwise. 
> And no, I'm not aware of an open-source DIBOL compiler. 
> 
> ...translate the existing DIBOL code into C or into some other 
> language, using the available d2c or dibol2c or other tooling, or 
> home-grown tooling. That'll prolly then best use a C refactoring tool 
> such as Xcode or a Visual Studio Code plug-in, or potentially using 
> manual translations. That there are vendors with automated translation 
> services available would not surprise. I looked around for tools that 
> translated into C, there may well be other language targets for other 
> tools. Migration Specialties was offering CBL, though that targets DEC 
> VAX DIBOL and apparently doesn't target DIBOL/DBL. 
> 
> ...port the DIBOL apps to another platform with a supported DIBOL 
> compiler. This when continued use of the current platform and current 
> compiler becomes untenable. This other platform may well co-exist as a 
> guest with OpenVMS x86-64 in a virtual machine, too. Either long-term, 
> or for the duration of the platform migration. 
> 
> ...If the project is just starting and there is not yet an extensive 
> installed base of DIBOL code, use a different programming language with 
> the required support. VSI expects to have BASIC, Fortran, and COBOL 
> available for OpenVMS x86-64, and there are other common languages and 
> other DSLs available for various requirements. 
> 
> ...Leave (for another job, retirement, etc) before this DIBOL situation 
> blows up; defer, delay, deny, etc. 
> 
> 
> Absent a sufficiently large number of zeros included with the request, 
> VSI won't be writing the compiler for you. They've far too much work 
> already. VSI also prolly doesn't have the VAX DIBOL compiler source 
> code as AFAIK all that went to the predecessor of Syngergex a 
> quarter-century ago. 
> 
> Complicating the cost calculations, if Synergex isn't porting 
> DIBOL/DBL, that can be inferred to believe the market here is small, 
> and which usually then means a custom compiler will be expensive, and 
> for a product at risk of being undercut by some future port by 
> Synergex. That'll be an expensive compiler, for the work and for the 
> risk involved. 
> 
> It's also some time before this OpenVMS x86-64 discussion is even 
> particularly relevant, as the second native-tooling beta V9.1 hasn't 
> arrived yet (early 2021 was predicted), and the V9.2 production release 
> will prolly be a year or three after that. Few third-party vendors are 
> likely to commit to porting until after V9.1 is available and tested, 
> and variously of those vendors may not release statements until much 
> closer to or even after V9.2 is released; until they know more about 
> the target and about the platform and the market. 
> 
> If the priority for this whole porting discussion is due to concerns 
> about existing and old hardware, maybe replace that with less-old 
> hardware and/or with emulation as an interim step in whatever the 
> long-term plans here might be. 
> 
> The referenced dibol2c and d2c tools are open-source. YMMV, etc. 
> 
> There are various LLVM examples around, and open-source projects using 
> LLVM, if you're inclined to write your own front-end and DIBOL parser. 
> http://llvm.org/docs/tutorial/index.html 
> https://tomassetti.me/a-tutorial-on-how-to-write-a-compiler-using-llvm/ 
> Etc. 
> 
> *Visions of a GoFundMe being run for and by the few sites still using DIBOL* 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Pure Personal Opinion | HoffmanLabs LLC

WHY WOULD YOU DO ALL OF THAT? SYNERGY DBL CAN JUST BE PORTED TO EITHER WINDOZE OR LINUX. IT RUNS ON 3 OS ENVIRONMENTS.
BUT THAT MEANS GOOD BYE OPENVMS PLATFORM.