[Info-vax] Whither VMS?

[Richard B. Gilbert]

JF Mezei wrote:
> glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> 
>> Finding the first non-blank character requires only a linear
>> search from the beginning.  VAX has SCANC which may or may not
>> do that fast. 
> 
> 
> VAX didn't exist when someone decided to use null terminated strings. If
> the processors of the day had opcodes and architectures that made null
> terminated strings more efficient, it may have explained their decisions.
> 
> Also, back in the 1960s/1970s, string processing wasn't as big a thing.
> Everything was uppercase, fixed length, and unix machines were really
> used for number crunching, not for cobol that processes punched cards
> containing payment information for your phone bill.
> 

Back in 1960, just about everything was unit record; e.g. punched cards. 
  Programming was done by plugging patch cords into frames that were 
then plugged into various sorters, collators, and maybe even a CPC (Card 
Programmed Calculator)

Computers were few and far between and used vacuum tubes!!

I carry more processing capability in my shirt pocket than you could fit 
in an 18 wheeler back in 1960; it's the PDA features on my phone; 
calculator, appointment calendar, memo pad, address/phone book, . . . .

In 1970, we still used punched cards.  Uppercase only.  The word 
processing program was "runoff" or "roff".  I believe it was written by 
Brian Kernighan while he was a student at Princeton.  It would lowercase 
everything unless you escaped it by preceding it with a $.

The 1403N1 printer could print mixed case at a decent speed.

I don't miss it!  I have more processing power under my desk than 
Princeton University's Computer Center had in 1970; an IBM System/360 
Model 91 (90 nanosecond register to register addition) with a whole 16 
megabytes of magnetic core memory.  My printer is about 1/20 the size 
and weight of the 1403N1 printers that we used and is a lot faster and 
much quieter.  The output is better looking too!