[net.micro.68k] UCSD P-System: Info needed on GETCMD interface and chain.

rik@uf-csg.UUCP (Rik Faith [guest]) (09/10/84)

In an attempt to write a customized SYSTEM.MENU, I found CHAINing
to a SYSTEM.xxx file results in an 'illegal filename' error, which seems
to be returned by some routine in the GETCMD unit.

I need information about getting around this restriction (patches?)
or a copy of the user interface section to GETCMD and an outline of
how it sets up the environment and calls the program.

The P-System (ver 4.1) is being run on a SAGE IV (68k).  I have the sources
from Sage, but not the proprietary P-System sources.  Does anyone
know if the interface section to the units that run the P-System are
copyright restricted or where I might obtain them?

Thanks in advance,
-- 

			Rik Faith
			University of Florida, Gainesville
			(UUCP: ..!akgua!uf-csv!uf-csg!rik)

julian@ecsvax.UUCP (09/21/84)

>In an attempt to write a customized SYSTEM.MENU, I found CHAINing
>to a SYSTEM.xxx file results in an 'illegal filename' error, which seems
>to be returned by some routine in the GETCMD unit.
>
>I need information about getting around this restriction (patches?)
>or a copy of the user interface section to GETCMD and an outline of
>how it sets up the environment and calls the program.
>
>The P-System (ver 4.1) is being run on a SAGE IV (68k).  I have the sources
>from Sage, but not the proprietary P-System sources.  Does anyone
>know if the interface section to the units that run the P-System are
>copyright restricted or where I might obtain them?
====================================================

The UCSD utility DECODE will do the trick -- it dumps the interface section of
any Unit.  Find it in your Sage utilities, assuming you have a complete system.
You may need LIBRARY.CODE to extract GETCMD from the SYSTEM.LIBRARY.

Phil Julian             mcnc!ecsvax!julian

allyn@sdcsvax.UUCP (Allyn Fratkin) (09/24/84)

In article <uf-csg.159>, an unknown author writes:
> >In an attempt to write a customized SYSTEM.MENU, I found CHAINing
> >to a SYSTEM.xxx file results in an 'illegal filename' error, which seems
> >to be returned by some routine in the GETCMD unit.
> >
> >I need information about getting around this restriction (patches?)
> >or a copy of the user interface section to GETCMD and an outline of
> >how it sets up the environment and calls the program.
> >
> >The P-System (ver 4.1) is being run on a SAGE IV (68k).  I have the sources
> >from Sage, but not the proprietary P-System sources.  Does anyone
> >know if the interface section to the units that run the P-System are
> >copyright restricted or where I might obtain them?
> ====================================================

In article <3282@ecsvax.UUCP>, julian@ecsvax.UUCP writes:
> 
> The UCSD utility DECODE will do the trick -- it dumps the interface section of
> any Unit.  Find it in your Sage utilities, assuming you have a complete system.
> You may need LIBRARY.CODE to extract GETCMD from the SYSTEM.LIBRARY.
> 
> Phil Julian             mcnc!ecsvax!julian

This was did the answer the question.  The "decode" utility will only
"do the trick" if the unit *has* an interface section in the code file.
Operating system units do not.  (By the way, GETCMD is in SYSTEM.PASCAL,
not SYSTEM.LIBRARY, and LIBRARY.CODE is not needed.)

In any case, the reason GETCMD is complaining in the first place is that
after you give it a command name (e.g., SYSTEM.EDITOR), it attempts to
add the .CODE suffix.  SYSTEM.EDITOR.CODE is longer than 15 letters,
so it is an illegal filename.  To get around this, simply append a "."
to the name (e.g., SYSTEM.EDITOR.) and GETCMD will not add the .CODE
suffix.

To answer your other question, I doubt that interface sections for most
of the units would be available.  And setting up the operating environment
is very complicated, and I doubt that you would want to do it yourself.

You will never be able to chain to the compiler, if that is one of the things
you are after.  The operating system itself sets up a lot of the variables
including the input files, so the compiler doesn't (and can't) do that itself.

Send me mail if you have any more questions.
-- 
 From the virtual mind of Allyn Fratkin           sdcsvax!allyn@Nosc
                          UCSD Pascal Project     {ucbvax, decvax, ihnp4}
                          U.C. San Diego                    !sdcsvax!allyn

"Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance."

rik@uf-csg.UUCP (Rik Faith [guest]) (10/04/84)

<>
DECODE will not provide the interface section of units which have had
the interface section removed, as has my GETCMD.  My request for the
interface section still stands.

To chain to system files, either chain('*SYSTEM.xxx[*]') or
chain('*SYSTEM.xxx.'), depending on the system you are using.

-- 

Rik Faith at the University of Florida, Gainesville
UUCP: ..!akgua!uf-csv!uf-csg!rik
[...bid Stars to shine, Vines to bear grapes, Water to seek its level...]