conor@lion.inmos.co.uk (Conor O'Neill) (11/06/90)
In article <P0X6D.G@xds13.ferranti.com> peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >In article <04!^M_@uzi-9mm.fulcrum.bt.co.uk> tjo@its.bt.co.uk (Tim Oldham) writes: >> Microfocus write their COBOL compilers, debuggers etc. in COBOL. Kids, >> don't try this at home. > >I'll see you and raise you one. I once had the "opportunity" of working on >a Z-80 based multi-user accounting system, with the O/S largely in COBOL. > >No, it's been like 10 years and I don't remember what the system was called. >If that relegates this to urban legend status, so be it. I _did_ work on a Z-80 based mullti-user accounting system, with the O/S largely in COBOL. The O/S was (is still) called BOS (Business Operating System), and was portable across _many_ different systems, requiring a minimum of 2 floppies. I worked on Apple-II systems, up to a LSI-11 (Single chip PSP-11?) system last I heard, but that was now 6 years ago. It is definitely still being used and developed. The stuff was sold by a company called BOS, but who have changed their name to (or merged with) TIS software in the last six months. They are now aiming more to UNIX (unfortunately) but can run BOS on top of UNIX (and on top of DOS, etc). The stuff was originally written by CAP in the late 70's, who sold it to MPSL, who became BOS. I worked for a company called WASP who wrote applications (not just Accounts packages, but also `Vertical' applications like Insurance Broker's stuff and Printer's Costing software). WASP are still going strong. The whole thing worked by compiling a proprietary version of COBOL called MicroCobol to an intermediate code, and interpreting that. It wasn't _too_ slow, I even used a 4-user Z-80 machine (oh well - yes it was too slow!). Portability was wonderful - same application binary on all machines, and disk data formats were kept too, so you could genuinely upgrade a user from a twin floppy system to a LSI-11, just by changing the box, and we even did so. Its nice features are proper multi-user work, including decent file locking and COBOL style access methods (eg indexed files), decent device independence, and portability. It restricted each user's code and data to 64K (shows its age) so all the big stuff has to be done by RAM Disk and program overlays. For the type of application, the multi-user aspects were far more important than speed. BOS (or TIS or whoever) are based in London, and can be reached on 071 831 8811. --- Conor O'Neill, Software Group, INMOS Ltd., UK. UK: conor@inmos.co.uk US: conor@inmos.com "It's state-of-the-art" "But it doesn't work!" "That is the state-of-the-art".