PS/8 Programming System Programmer's Reference Manual

This document details the PS/8 Programming System, a keyboard-oriented program-development environment designed for the PDP-8/I or PDP-8/L with at least 8K of core memory, a DECtape, and an ASR-33 Teletype. The system is expandable and supports various I/O devices, including disks, papertape, card readers, and line printers.

Key components of PS/8 include the Keyboard Monitor for command input, a Command Decoder for interpreting I/O specifications and options, and the User Service Routine (USR), which is central to the system, managing directory operations, device handlers, and program chaining. User programs can leverage USR for services like loading device handlers, searching file directories, creating/closing files, and decoding Teletype input, providing true device independence.

The PS/8 system features a robust filing system with permanent, tentative, and free file types, and uses symbolic device and file names. A library of system programs is provided, including the Peripheral Interchange Program (PIP) for file transfer and directory management, a Symbolic Editor, Absolute Binary Loader, 8K PAL-D Assembler, a Conversion Program (CONVRT) for file compatibility, an 8K SABR Assembler, and an 8K FORTRAN Compiler with a Linking Loader.

The document also outlines the internal structure of the system, including the Core Control Block and directory organization, and provides detailed command syntax, options, and error messages for the Keyboard Monitor, Command Decoder, and various system programs. A preliminary version of PS/8 is discussed, noting limitations such as the lack of a configuration editor and unimplemented Command Decoder options. An appendix summarizes keyboard commands and error messages.