[Info-vax] Userland programming languages on VMS.

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] As far as I can see, it's only C or maybe C++.

   Choosing one and sticking with it might help to reduce the annoyances
resulting when every program does its file I/O in an idiosyncratic
(language-specific?) way.  I realize that almost anything can be done in
almost any language, but expecting anyone to write his own exotic
user-open routine for every file just to get consistent attributes seems
unrealistic.

   For example, I'm not amazed that a (written-in-C-for-Unix-)web-server
log file comes out as:

Record format:      Stream_LF, maximum 0 bytes, longest 1057 bytes
Record attributes:  Carriage return carriage control

but, although I might guess how, it's not immediately clear to me _why_
an FTP server log file (sys$sysdevice:[tcpip$ftp]tcpip$ftp_run.log)
should be:

Record format:      VFC, 2 byte header, maximum 0 bytes, longest 0 bytes
Record attributes:  Print file carriage control

while the corresponding anonymous FTP log file
(sys$sysdevice:[tcpip$ftp]tcpip$ftp_anonymous.log) is:

Record format:      Variable length, maximum 0 bytes, longest 198 bytes
Record attributes:  Carriage return carriage control

   Every time I open that anonymous FTP log file with an editor (EDIT
/TPU), I see annoying little "CR" and "LF" characters at the end of
every line.

   If a language like Fortran leads a programmer to create common text
files with quirky attributes, then I'd suggest using a different one.


> [...] As long as the appropriate RTLs are available, use what ever
> language you want. [...]

   Not, I claim, the best philosophy in this situation.

> [...]  I look more at what I am trying to do and use the language that
> will be the easiest.

   Easiest for you, or easiest for the poor slob who has to try to
integrate the resulting scrap-box filled with mismatched/incompatible
pieces?  Writing a quick tool for your own use is one task, and writing
part of an OS for general use is a different task.  Coherence and
consistency might have greater value in one situation than another.

   I claim.