Peters Programming With RT-11 Volume 2 1984

"Programming with RT-11, Volume 2: Callable System Facilities" is a technical programming guide published by Digital Equipment Corporation (DECbooks) in 1984. Authored by Stephen Peters, Kevin Small, Anne Summerfield, and Julie Wright, it is part of "The RT-11 Technical User's Series."

This volume focuses on enabling programmers using MACRO-11, FORTRAN IV, or BASIC-11 to interact directly with the RT-11 operating system (specifically version 5.0) through its callable system facilities.

Key areas covered in the book (across chapters 8-20) include:

• System Services: Detailed explanation of how to use programmed requests and system subroutines for various tasks, including error handling and accessing system information (e.g., Job Status Word, Resident Monitor areas).
• Program Execution Control: Managing program startup, termination, chaining between programs, and passing commands to the RT-11 monitor (KMON).
• Input/Output (I/O) Systems: Comprehensive coverage of synchronous, asynchronous, and event-driven I/O modes for terminal, multiterminal, and file operations. This includes working with I/O buffers, device handlers, and special functions.
• Inter-Job Communication: Techniques for foreground and background jobs to communicate and transfer data, utilizing send/receive requests, shared memory buffers, and shared files.
• Memory Management: Dynamic allocation of memory and controlling the User Service Routine (USR) for efficient resource utilization.
• Scheduling and Blocking: Understanding job priorities, blocking mechanisms, and context switching within the Foreground/Background monitor to optimize system performance.
• Command String Interpreter (CSI): Interfacing with the CSI for parsing command strings, handling options, and managing file specifications.
• Time-Dependent Programming: Writing programs that interact with the system time and date, schedule "mark-time" routines for specific or elapsed periods, and implement timed waits.

The book provides practical guidance and code examples for developing applications that leverage the full capabilities of the RT-11 operating environment.