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AE-H114A-TE

May 1978

3 pages

Original

0.2MB

Document:	25.12.00 7809 VAX-11 Bliss-32 1.0
Order Number:	AE-H114A-TE
Revision:
Pages:	3
Original Filename:	http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/spd/25.12.00_7809_VAX-11_Bliss-32_1.0.pdf

OCR Text

momoomo

Software Product Description
PRODUCT NAME: VAX-11 BLISS-32 Implementation Language, Version 1.0
DESCRIPTION:
BLlSS-32 is a high level systems implementation language for VAX-11. BLlSS-32 supports development of
modular software according to structured programming concepts by providing an advanced set of language features. BLlSS-32 also provides access to
most of the hardware features of the VAX-11/780 to
facilitate programming of time-critical and/or hardware-dependent applications. BLlSS-32 is especially
intended for the development of operating systems,
compilers, run-time system components, data base
file systems, communications software, and utilities,
etc., for use on a VAX-11 hardware system.

•

The BLlSS-32 compiler runs in native mode under the
VAX/VMS operating system. It translates BLlSS-32
source programs into relocatable object modules that
can be linked for execution. BLlSS-32 compiled code
is optimized for execution efficiency.

•

The following features of BLlSS-32, while sometimes
described in VAX-11 or VAX/VMS terminology, are
machine-independent concepts. Collectively, this set
of common features is known as "Common BLISS"
and may be used in a transportable manner to develop programs for more than one computer architecture. Common BLISS features include:
• Separately compiled modules for modularity and
convenient development. Object modules are relocatable and can be linked with object modules produced by the VAX-11 MACRO assembler or other
native mode languages.
• BLlSS-32 provides expressions for describing the
actions to be performed and declarations for allocating, describing, and intializing data, for defining
macros and literals, etc.
• BLlSS-32 is "type-free": all data is manipulated as
longwords or 32 bits. Interpretation of data is provided by operators.
• The operators provide a set of operations for
integer arithmetic, for comparison, maximization,
and minimization of signed integer, unsigned integer, and address values, and for Boolean operations.
• Field references allow values to be fetched from or
assigned to any contiguous field of from 1 to 32 bits
located anywhere in the VAX-11 virtual address
space.
• Character sequence functions provide for efficient
run-time manipulation of character data. Operations
include moving, concatenating, comparing, and

•

September 1978

•

SPD 25.12.0

translating character sequences, as well as searching for particular characters or substrings of characters.
IF, CASE, SELECT, and SELECTONE allow the
choice of an expression or group of expressions to
be executed based on programmed tests.
DO, WHILE, and UNTIL allow general loops that cycle as long as a programmed test is satisfied. The
test may be made at either the beginning or the
end of the loop.
INCR and DECR allow counted loops that execute a
computed number of times under control of a loop
variable.
LEAVE allows early termination of a named lexically
containing block and continuation after the named
block. LEAVE may be considered a restricted form
of forward-only GOTO; there is no general GOTO in
BLlSS-32.
OWN and GLOBAL declarations provide static storage allocation; GLOBAL names are made available
to the Linker to resolve EXTERNAL data declarations in other modules.
LOCAL, STACKLOCAL, and REGISTER allow dynamic stack-like allocation using either the
execution stack or the general registers.
STRUCTURE declarations allow the programmed
definition of arbitrary data structures in terms of an
accessing algorithm for locating elements of a
structure. Built-in declarations for VECTORs,
BLOCKs, BITVECTORs, and BLOCKVECTORs provide for commonly needed structures.
ROUTINE declarations provide subroutines or procedures in BLlSS-32. Routines are recursive and
reentrant, and can be linked in sharable images for
use by multiple processes.
REQUIRE declarations allow sources from other
files to be automatically included in the module being compiled.
LIBRARY declarations allow special compiler-produced binary declaration files to be included in the
module being compiled. The effect is substantially
the same as REQUIRE, but is more efficient because a restricted set of declarations can be precompiled into internal form.
MACRO and KEYWORDMACRO declarations allow
compile-time definition of both positional and
keyword oriented macros. Macro definition and replacement are in terms of source lexical units

AE-Hl14A-TE

SPD 25.12.0

VAX-11 BLISS-32 Implementation Language, Version 1.0

-2called lexemes (atoms, tokens) rather than character text. Macro calls and macro declarations may
be nested and recursive.
• %IF, % THEN, %ELSE, and %FI allow conditional
compilation of BLISS source depending on programmed compile-time tests. These can be used
to control expansion of macros or in their own right.
• Lexical functions allow a variety of compile time operations such as concatenation of strings, construction of names, testing properties of macro parameters,
testing
compiler qualifiers,
generating
compiler diagnostic messages, and controlling
macro expansion.
The following features of BLlSS-32 are specialized for
use on VAX-11. They provide precise means to tailor
BLlSS-32 programs to the special capabilities of the
VAX-11 and VAX/VMS environment:
• LINKAGES declarations allow definition of specialized calling sequences for time critical or unusual
applications.
Options allow for
use of
CALLS/CALLG/RET or JSB/BSB/RSB type call and
return instructions, for passing parameters in VAX11 general registers or in parameter blocks, for
controlling the preservation and use of registers by
a routine, and for the sharing of registers across a
set of routines as high speed common storage.
Built-in linkage declarations for BLISS and
FORTRAN fully support the VAX-11 calling sequence conventions.
• PSECT declarations allow use of link-time program
sections for efficient use of the virtual address
space. By default generated code sections are position independent.
• BUILTIN declarations allow use of VAX-11 machinespecific functions for access to VAX-11 features not
otherwise provided by the BLlSS-32 language. Machine specific functions generally correspond to
VAX-11 instructions such as: ADAWI, BISPSW,
CRC, HALT, INDEX, MTPR, PROBER, RMQUE, etc.
Over 50 such functions are provided.
• ENABLE declarations, together with SIGNAL, SIGNAL-STOP, and SETUNWIND functions, allow use
of the VAX/VMS condition handling and error message reporting mechanisms.
The BLlSS-32 compiler performs global and local optimization to produce efficient and compact generated
code. Each routine definition is treated as a complete
unit in compiling the code for that routine. While industry terminology varies, the following generally
characterizes the optimizations employed; common
subexpression elimination, removing loop invariants,
constant folding, block register allocation, peephole
replacement, test instruction elimination, jump vs.
branch instruction resolution, branch chaining, and
cross-jumping.
The BLlSS-32 compiler optionally produces a listing
file that shows the source text compiled and the generated code in a format that closely resembles a VAX11 MACRO assembly listing. Multiple listing options
allow selective inclusion or exclusion or source generated code, use of source names in the listing in place
of machine register names (where feasible), macro

expansion and tracing information, and use of names
from library files.

MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIRED:
Any valid VAX/VMS operating system configuration.
BLlSS-32 compiler performance varies with the virtual
memory working set allowed for it. In typical largescale compilation of complex programs, a working set
allocation of over 300 pages (150K bytes) may be desirable for efficient system utilization. Thus, a system
configuration of at least 512K bytes of memory is recommended.

OPTIONAL HARDWARE:
None
PREREQUISITE SOFTWARE:
VAX/VMS operating system, Version 1.0 or later
OPTIONAL SOFTWARE:
None
TRAINING CREDITS:
None
SUPPORT CATEGORY:
A - Software Support will be provided as stated in
the Software Support Categories Addendum to this
SPD.
UPDATE POLICY:
Software Updates, if any, released by DIGITAL during
the one (1) year period following installation, will be
provided to the customer for a media charge
(includes no installation). After the first year, updates,
if any, will be made available according to then prevailing DIGITAL policies.
ORDERING INFORMATION:
All binary licensed software, including any subsequent updates, is furnished under the licensing provisions of DIGITAL's Standard Terms and Conditions of
Sale, which provide in part that the software and any
part thereof may be used on only the single CPU on
which the software is first installed, and may be copied, in whole or in part (with the proper inclusion of
the 'DIGITAL copyright notice and any DIGITAL
proprietary notices on the software) only for use on
such CPU. All source licensed software is furnished
only under the terms and conditions of a separate
Software Program Sources Agreement between Purchaser and DIGITAL.
Standard options with no support services are only
available after the purchase of one supported license.
When a software license is ordered without support
services, the category of support applicable to such
software is Category C.
A single-use license only (DZ) option is a license to
copy the software previously obtained under license,
and use such software in accordance with DIGITAL's
Standard Terms and Conditions of Sale. The category
of support applicable to such copied software is Category C.
This software is available on the floppy diskette medium only.

VAX-11 BLlSS-32 Implementation Language, Version 1.0

SPD 25.12.0

-3-

Standard Options
QE106 -A- Single-use license, binaries, documentation, support services (media: Y)
QE106 -C- Single-use
license, binaries,
documentation, no support services
(media: Y)
QE106 -D- Single-use license only, no binaries, no
documentation, no support services
(media: Z)

ADDITIONAL SERVICES:
None

ADDENDUM
SOFTWARE SUPPORT CATEGORIES
Each software product (hereinafter 'SOFTWARE') with a designated Support Category A or B in the applicable Software Product
Description (SPD) existing at the time of order will be the current release at the time of delivery and will conform to the SPD.
DIGITAL's sole obligation shall be to correct defects (nonconformance of the SOFTWARE to the SPD) as described below. Any
SOFTWARE with a designated Support Category C will be furnished on an 'as is' basis.
For SOFTWARE with a designated Support Category A or B, DIGITAL will provide the services set forth below without additional
charge.
CATEGORY A
1. Upon notification by customer to the nearest DIGITAL office that the computer system, including all required prerequisite
hardware and software, is ready for the installation of the SOFTWARE, DIGITAL will install such SOFTWARE in any location
within the contiguous forty-eight (48) United States, the District of Columbia, or a country in which DIGITAL or a subsidiary
of DIGITAL has a software service facility. The notification must be received by DIGITAL and the system must be ready for
installation within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the SOFTWARE to customer or DIGITAL will have no obligation to
install. Installation will consist of: (1) verification that all components of the SOFTWARE have been received by customer, (2)
loading the SOFTWARE, and (3) executing a DIGITAL sample procedure.
2. During the ninety (90) day period after installation, if the customer encounters a problem with the current unaltered release
of the SOFTWARE which DIGITAL determines to be a defect in the SOFTWARE, DIGITAL will provide the following remedial
service (on site where necessary): (1) if the SOFTWARE is inoperable, apply a temporary correction (TC) or make a
reasonable attempt to develop an emergency by-pass, and (2) assist the customer to prepare a Software Performance
Report (SPR) and submit it to DIGITAL.
3. During the one (1) year period following installation, if the customer encounters a problem with the SOFTWARE which his
diagnosis indicates is caused by a SOFTWARE defect, the customer may submit an SPR to DIGITAL. DIGITAL will respond
to problems reported in SPRs which are caused by defects in the current unaltered release of the SOFTWARE via the
Maintenance Periodical for the SOFTWARE, which reports SPRs received, code corrections, temporary corrections, generally
useful emergency by-passes and/or notice of the availability of corrected code. Software Updates, if any, released by
DIGITAL during the one (1) year period, will be provided to the customer on DIGITAL's standard distribution media as
specified in the applicable SPD. The customer will be charged only for the media on which such updates are provided,
unless otherwise stated in the applicable SPD, at DIGITAL's then current media prices.
CATEGORY B
During the one (1) year period following delivery, the services provided to the customer will be the same as set forth in 3 above.
CATEGORY C
SOFTWARE is provided on an 'as is' basis. Any software services, if available, will be provided at the then current charges.
DIGIT AL shall have the right to make additional charges for any additional effort required to provide services resulting from
customer use of other than current unaltered release of the SOFTWARE operated in accordance with the SPD.