[mod.computers.vax] sys$wake & missing parameters

JOHNSON@NUHUB.ACS.NORTHEASTERN.EDU.UUCP (01/27/87)

     >woops.....I stand corrected, sys$xxxx calls
     >REQUIRE the correct number of comma's
     >regardless..... BUT RTL$xxx, LIB$xxx, UIS$xxxx and
     >many others don't. 
     >
     >MORAL:	Read ALL of the fine print.....and if that
     >doesn't work, just sprinkle in a few comma's......
     >
     >.score: 2 mistakes by me, 0 mistakes by Digital
     >(and lots of hysterical laughter 	from the
     >peanut gallery... :-) 
     >
     >-ed

     Nonsense!  I was hit by that one years ago myself.  I wasn't 
laughing.  

     The problem would seem to be that the FORTRAN compiler builds the 
argument list you tell it to.  This is fine.  You just need to remember 
it.  When you call a system routine in macro, you are really calling a 
MACRO.  MACROs undestand about missing values and plug them in for you.  
The FORTRAN compiler doesn't.  That's all.  It was never FORTRAN's job 
to match argument lists.  We leave that to other laguages such as 
PASCAL.

Chris Johnson
Northeastern University

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