VAX/VMS Primer

This "VAX/VMS Primer," published in May 1982, is a tutorial document designed for new users of the VAX/VMS operating system. Its primary goal is to introduce fundamental concepts and practical skills for interacting with the system.

The document covers the following key areas:

1. Accessing the System and Typing Commands: Explains how to use terminals and keyboards, log in and out, and interact with the system using the DIGITAL Command Language (DCL), including command structure (parameters, qualifiers), prompting, abbreviation, and error recovery.
2. Using an Editor (EDT): Provides a comprehensive guide to file identification (names, types, versions) and text editing with the EDT editor, detailing both its keypad and line editing modes, cursor manipulation, text deletion/restoration, searching, moving, and special features like multiple buffers and journal files.
3. Commands to Manipulate Files: Describes DCL commands for managing files, including identifying files (nodes, devices, directories, wildcards), creating, deleting, purging, displaying, printing, copying, and renaming files, as well as creating and changing subdirectories.
4. Program Development: Outlines the four essential steps for developing programs (creating source, compiling/assembling, linking, and executing/debugging), illustrating the process with examples for FORTRAN and MACRO (assembly language) programs.
5. Logical Names for Program Input/Output: Introduces the concept of logical names for achieving device and file independence in programs, explaining their assignment and use in commands and within FORTRAN and MACRO programs.
6. Tailoring the Command Language: Shows users how to customize their VAX/VMS environment and automate tasks by defining symbols (aliases), creating command procedures (scripts) for batch processing or interactive execution, and utilizing programming constructs within these procedures.

The primer emphasizes interactive system use and includes "For More Information" sections throughout to guide users to more detailed VAX/VMS documentation.