DIAL-MS PRINTMS Program Description

This document details the DIAL-MS PRINTMS program, which is a part of the LAP6-DIAL system designed for the PDP-12 computer. LAP6-DIAL itself functions as an editor, filing system, and assembler, with its editor and filing components derived from the LINC program LAP6 by Mary Allen Wilkes, and its assembly portion from PDP-8 programs like PAL-D.

The PRINTMS program specifically handles printing source programs to a Teletype. It can print from a named file area or the system's Working Area. The process involves reading program blocks, converting them to 8-bit ASCII, and printing until an end-of-file character or a carriage return is encountered. The program also features line control, allowing it to skip a specified number of lines before printing and to print only a designated range of lines. If the specified line range is invalid (ending line number is less than starting line number), nothing is printed, and the DIAL system is restarted. PRINTMS is a two-block program (363 and 364), residing in memory locations 5000-5777.