[Info-vax] BASIC and AST routines

[Dave Froble]

On 11/24/2021 9:12 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2021-11-24, VAXman-  @SendSpamHere.ORG <VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG> wrote:
>> In article <snlerq$jrr$1 at dont-email.me>, Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes:
>>>
>>> Fine. So why are these architecture-specific registers passed to what
>>> is essentially a callback function in a normal application program
>>> and why do those registers need to be visible from that same callback
>>> function ?
>>
>> Stop there!  You stated crap, pure unadulterated crap!  Answer the initial
>> question!  You're trying to drag this off the main street and down a side
>> alley where it'll be lost amongst the riff-raff.
>>
>
> No, I am not. Are the arguments passed to the AST because the Macro-32
> programmer has to manually preserve them in some cases ?
>
> The same kind of thing that a programmer would never have to worry
> about if the lowest supported language on VMS was not Macro-32 ?
>
> Simon.
>

On VAX Macro-32 is an assembler, not a compiled language.  Nothing wrong with 
that.  Note also that the VAX 11/780 was first available in 1978.  Trying to 
blame the VAX for not having things that didn't exist back then is rather 
unfair, to say the least.

On Alpha, itanic, and x86 Macro-32 is a compiled language.  Yes, a rather poor 
compiled language.  But it's existence allowed applications to be easily ported 
to Alpha, then itanic, and soon x86.  Now, that is a very huge capability. 
Allowed Alphas to be sold, and applications to continue doing the job they were 
implemented to do.  For myself, I have a database product implemented in 
Macro-32 that is still in use and doing very well.

That compatibility that you so despise allowed Alphas to be sold, applications 
to be ported, saved a large expense, and in general was/is a good thing.  If you 
cannot understand that, we'll never agree.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
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