[Info-vax] VMS device drivers

[Dave Froble]

On 1/12/2024 7:19 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 1/12/2024 7:13 PM, Chris Townley wrote:
>> On 12/01/2024 16:43, John Reagan wrote:
>> I'm a big fan of eliminating Macro-32 code.
>>> I have a long-standing joke of paying $5 per module for any rewrite out
>>> of Macro-32 into ANY other language.
>>
>> When I joined our programming team in the 90's, I made it clear that I would
>> not attempt to learn macro. I didn't.
>>
>> I later did the port from Alpha to Itanium, and I found one piece of macro
>> code that didn't work, so I rewrote in DEC Basic. It was helpful that the
>> function well documented as to it's parameters, and output, so it worked 100%
>
> I believe there are a lot of totally unnecessary Macro-32 code out there.
>
> If I were to make a guess about it:
>
> 60% written in Macro-32 in VAX days for performance reasons but without actually
> improving performance
>
> 39% written in Macro-32 in VAX days for performance reasons and actually did
> improve performance on VAX but performance is worse on Alpha/Itanium/x86-64
>
> 0% written in Macro-32 in VAX days for performance reasons and actually do
> improve performance on all platforms
>
> 1% written in Macro-32 to do something not easily expressed in HLL
>
> Arne
>

The bottom line is, MAcro-32 is an assembly language for the VAX.  It is NOT for 
follow on processors.  So, there should not be any reason to write new Macro-32 
after VAX.  The only reasonable use for the Macro-32 compiler is to run existing 
code.

That said, there probably be some exception somewhere.  Rare exception.

I will say that the compiler sure saved my ass when moving to Alpha and itanic. 
And if it happens, to x86 also.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486