"File types"

[Chuck Guzis]

On 8/28/2006 at 8:14 PM Allison wrote:


>And even CP/M apps were somewhat sensitized... Ever type A:ASM FOO.ASM and
>wonder why you got a disk specification error?

Yeah, but ASM was just trying to get away with using a single FCB to
specify all three files.  So you get A:ASM FOO.AAZ or some such to do what
you want.  ASM is an aberration.

That's another thing--command syntax that's definitely from the mini/micro
convention.  Up until CP/M, I'd always done something like  ASM IN=FOO
OBJECT=FOO2 LIST=FOO3

I really DON'T like switch-type command-line structure.

OT tidbit:  With CDC 6000 FORTRAN  the idea was that the compiler would
read the first statement of the inpjut then determine what needed to be
done.    Most newbies were puzzled by it being called RUN.  But you could
stack COMPASS assembly or FORTRAN source in your input deck and simply say
"RUN."   AFAIK, it was never extended to other languages, but it was pretty
neat.

Cheers,
Chuck