DUMP Reference Manual Aug72

This document is a reference manual for the DUMP program, a utility designed for the DECsystem-10 system, dated August 15, 1972.

DUMP's primary purpose is to convert files into a human-readable format, allowing system programmers and users to understand the raw contents of various file types. It is particularly used for generating dumps of the user's core memory area and job environment, often in conjunction with the system's monitor and the DAEMON program.

The manual outlines:

• A "language" for describing file formats, enabling users to specify how bits and bytes within a file should be interpreted and displayed.

• A comprehensive set of commands for controlling the dumping process and output appearance, including:

  • File management: INPUT, OUTPUT, CLOSE, APPEND, SUPERSEDE.
  • Output formatting: MODES (e.g., ASCII, Decimal, Octal, Numeric, Symbolic), IRADIX/ORADIX (input/output radix), JUSTIFY, LEFTMARGIN, RIGHTMARGIN, WIDTH, LINEPAGE, NUMPAGE, TITLE, EJECT.
  • Data selection: ADDRESS, DUMP (the core command for specifying bytes or byte ranges to dump), CATEGORY (for DAEMON dump sections), SYFILE/XTRACT (for extracting symbol tables).
  • System interaction: EXIT, HELP, RUN.

• Details on expressions and symbols used within DUMP commands, including arithmetic and bitwise operators.

• Extensive error messages from the Monitor, DAEMON, DUMP itself, and system-level errors, providing troubleshooting information.
• Specific procedures and formats related to DAEMON dump files, including how to create them and the structure of their various categories (Job, Configuration, DDB, Core, Features).

Intended as a reference rather than a tutorial, it assumes some familiarity with the system and DUMP's purpose, guiding users to become "dump experts" through its detailed explanations.