----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Ball" andy.ball@earthlink.net To: gpc@gnu.de Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 9:59 AM Subject: Re: Closing a file
Hello Frank,
FH> Just FMI, which Pascal compiler is this? We've seen > various syntaxes in this area, but I can't remember > seeing this one.
The book doesn't appear to say. It's...
Chirlian, Paul M. Pascal Beaverton, OR, USA: Matrix, 1980 ISBN 0-916460-28-2Here are some quoted sections both to provide flavour and perhaps some clues as to the platform that the author was using (I hope that the author would consider this "fair use")...
"This text discusses the running of programs both from a terminal and also via batch processing."
[skipping some stuff about punched cards and bubble memory]
"There is another form of input and output device called a /terminal/. The input is transmitted through a keyboard that resembles an ordinary typewriter keyboard. The programmer types in his program and the terminal generates electrical signals which supply the information to the computer Output from the computer is typed on the terminal by the computer. This typing can be actually printed on a paper or it can appear on a video screen."
I found this part interesting, and it may provide a clue as to the platform that the author was using...
"Note that we have always used a blank space as the first character printed on a line (after the first quote). On many, but not all, computers this first character is /not/ printed, but is used as a /carriage control character/. That is, it controls the spacing between lines. Typically, if the first character is a blank, then the printer will advance one line before printing."
A table follows, listing the actions caused by certain characters in that first position of a printed line...
Symbol Action ----------- --------------------------------- blank space advance one line before printing 0 (zero) advance two lines before printing 1 skip to top of next page before printing + do not advance (will overprint)
This is the original print line convention proposed by Wirth. It was discarded for the ISO standard.
This is one of several places in the book where the author is careful to point out things that may be platform-specific (without mentioning his platform. ;-) Another is when he discusses file names. An example given is...
REWRITE(INFO,'#9:INT.DATA');"INFO is the name of the file as far as the program is concerned. #9:INT.DATA is its destination. The form of the destination will vary from computer to computer... #9 refers to a particular floppy disk drive, INT.DATA is the name we have chosen to assign to the particular file on the floppy disk."