[Info-vax] Userland programming languages on VMS.

[Simon Clubley]

On 2022-01-31, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
> On 1/31/2022 8:42 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> 
>> For the same reason that OS designers moved from Fortran to C as the
>> system implementation language when C became available.
>
> I am not aware of any OS done in Fortran.
>

Anyone remember the Sperry V77 series with VORTEX II ?

I was exposed to it in secondary school. DASMR assembler for the kernel
and at least some of the userland stuff written in Fortran IV IIRC.

Also, didn't the first version of Software Tools use a Fortran version
within the book ? There was clearly a demand for it before C got established.

>
> C is a good language for OS kernel.
>
> I don't see it as particular well suited for user land utilities.
> C's low level features are not needed and just add risk.
>

Oh, I strongly agree that there are better options for userland stuff
than C. The only question is what is mainstream enough to be a viable
alternative when you consider the global nature of C and the fact that
there is a C compiler for _everything_ ?

Any alternative needs to be popular enough and have enough support
in general across multiple architectures and operating systems that
it becomes an asset to the operating systems using it and not a liability.

Simon.

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