[comp.os.vms] Process startup parameters

sbq@verdix.UUCP.UUCP (04/14/87)

Does anyone know where VMS process startup is documented?
In particular, I would like to find out what parameters are
passed to a new process when it starts up.  I have looked at
some fiche for the C run-time and it looks like there are 6 or
7 interesting parameters, but I have not been able to find any
documentation on these.

I believe that one of these parameters is a descriptor for the
open executable file (or a descriptor for the name of the file).

Sam Quiring
{seismo!vrdxhq decwrl!sequent tektronix!ogcvax ihnp4} !verdix!sbq

tedcrane@batcomputer.UUCP (04/15/87)

In article <177@verdix.UUCP> verdix!sbq@seismo.CSS.GOV (Sam Quiring) writes:
>
>Does anyone know where VMS process startup is documented?
>In particular, I would like to find out what parameters are
>passed to a new process when it starts up.

The only documentation on image initialization we know of is in the
Run-Time library Reference Manual (AA-Z502B-TE).  Chapter 10 discusses
initialization, and the argument list passed to the main procedure
is described in section 10.1.2 and 10.1.4.  These descriptions are
rather vague.  They do mention that one of the arguments is
	image-info "Useful image information such as the program name"

There is also a passing reference to image initialization in the Guide to
Writing Modular Procedures.  That one is even less useful.
-- 
- ted crane, alias (tc)
tedcrane@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu          BITNET: tedcrane@CRNLTHRY
tedcrane@squid.tn.cornell.edu            DECnet: GOPHER::THC

LEICHTER-JERRY@YALE.ARPA (04/16/87)

    Does anyone know where VMS process startup is documented?
    In particular, I would like to find out what parameters are
    passed to a new process when it starts up.  I have looked at
    some fiche for the C run-time and it looks like there are 6 or
    7 interesting parameters, but I have not been able to find any
    documentation on these.

    I believe that one of these parameters is a descriptor for the
    open executable file (or a descriptor for the name of the file).

These parameters are not documented anywhere except in the code.  They have
also changed, in fairly major ways, at each of the major releases of VMS so
far.  So...spend some time with the fiche, then use with the knowledge that
whatever you do is highly likely to break when V5 hits the streets.

							-- Jerry
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