VAX-11 BLISS-32 User's Guide

This document is the VAX-11 BLISS-32 User's Guide, Order No. AA-H322C-TE, published in February 1982. It describes the VAX-11 BLISS-32 compiler (Version 3.0) and its use on the VAX/VMS V2.5 operating system.

The guide provides:

• Basic operating instructions for compiling, linking, executing, and debugging BLISS-32 programs.
• Details on compiler output, including various listing formats (source, object, summary) and error messages.
• Definitions of VAX-11 machine-specific functions.
• Programming considerations, such as the efficient use of libraries and handling common coding errors.
• Guidelines for writing transportable BLISS programs across different architectures, including discussions on literals, macros, module switches, and data handling.
• An overview of the compiler's architecture and optimization switches.
• Descriptions of BLISS tools, libraries, and system interfaces, including XPORT (transportable programming tools), BLSCRF (cross-referencer), PRETTY (language formatter), TUTIO (terminal I/O package), and interfaces to VAX/VMS system services and Record Management Services (RMS-32).

Key technical changes introduced in Version 3.0 (compared to Version 2.0) include the addition of the /ERROR_LIMIT general qualifier, new machine-specific functions (e.g., ADDO, DIVF, CMPM, MOVC3, ASHQ, XFC), enhanced /DEBUG qualifier to generate source-line number information, support for quoted strings up to 1000 characters, and expanded diagnostic messages.

The document serves as a comprehensive user guide, supplementary programming information, and reference material for BLISS-32 programmers.