[Info-vax] DEC Basic and dynamic memory ?

[Simon Clubley]

On 2022-01-28, seasoned_geek <roland at logikalsolutions.com> wrote:
>
> Oh, you don't like it as a doubly linked list?
>
> RECORD SOME_RECORD
> STRING IN_USE=1%
> STRING SOME_KEY_VALUE=15%
> INTEGER  LEFT_NODE
> INTEGER  RIGHT_NODE
> INTEGER  PARENT_NODE
> STRING    WHOLE_LOT_OF_STUFF=255%
> ! other fields
> END RECORD
>
> You can even redimension if need be.

If _that's_ how you do a tree in DEC Basic, then yuck, yuck, yuck!!!

For starters, what about when you want to prune the tree and insert
new branches and leaf nodes while you are processing it ?

My question was driven by Arne's comment that he would prefer DEC Basic
over C for userland applications. If you are going to replace C, then
you need a language that can do everything C can, and do it better.

That's certainly true for Pascal, but not true for DEC Basic based
on what I see above. DEC Basic might be suitable for some less complex
programs, but certainly not all of the userland programs.

For example, could you cleanly write a CDU replacement or a TPU
replacement in DEC Basic ? I've never seen the source code for either
of them, but I would expect both of those to use variable sized
tree building and processing because of the parsing they do.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.