PDP-11 Software Handbook 1982-83

This document, the "PDP-11 Software Handbook 1982-83," provides a comprehensive overview of software for Digital Equipment Corporation's PDP-11 computer family. It is designed for users of all expertise levels, offering concise descriptions and benefits of various software products.

The handbook details the major operating systems for PDP-11 processors, including:

• RSTS/E and CTS-500: Resource-sharing timesharing systems, with CTS-500 tailored for commercial business applications.
• RSX-11 Family (RSX-11M-PLUS, RSX-11M, RSX-11S): Realtime multiprogramming executives for tasks ranging from dedicated small systems to large-scale program development.
• RT-11 and CTS-300: Compact, single-user, real-time operating systems, with CTS-300 specializing in DIBOL-based business applications.
• DIGITAL Standard MUMPS (DSM-11): A multiuser data management system featuring an interactive language, unique M-tree database structure, and timesharing executive.
• MicroPower/Pascal: A toolkit for developing real-time, concurrent microcomputer applications with an optimizing Pascal compiler.

It covers a wide array of programming languages, such as MACRO-11 (assembly language), FORTRAN (IV and 77 for scientific/technical), BASIC (BASIC-PLUS-2, BASIC-PLUS, BASIC-11 for general and educational use), COBOL (for commercial data processing), and DIBOL-11 (business-oriented language). These sections describe language features, compiler/interpreter operations, and runtime environments.

Data management is a key focus, explaining fundamental concepts of physical and logical data units, various file structures (linked, contiguous, mapped, global arrays), directories, and file protection mechanisms. It elaborates on Record Management Services (RMS), a general-purpose file-handling system bundled with PDP-11 operating systems, and the Database Management System (DBMS-11), a CODASYL-compliant network database. DATATRIEVE-11 is presented as an inquiry, update, and report writing system for easy data access.

The document also outlines numerous system utilities that enhance user experience and programmer productivity. These include text editors (EDT, KED), file management utilities (PIP, DUP, DIR, DUMP, SORT, FILEX, BRU), and screen formatters (FMS-11, DECFORM, INDENT) for creating user-friendly interfaces.

Finally, it addresses distributed processing and networking, showcasing Digital's architecture for connecting computers and terminals. This includes DECnet for Digital-to-Digital communication, Internets (protocol emulators) for linking with non-Digital systems (e.g., IBM, UNIVAC, CDC), and Packetnet System Interfaces (PSI) for public packet-switched networks.

The handbook emphasizes compatibility, flexibility, ease of use, and programmer productivity across Digital's hardware and software offerings, providing tables for quick reference, a glossary of terms, and appendices on DECUS, abbreviations, and ASCII codes.