Rob Jarratt writes:
Many moons ago I taught myself Algol 68 using ALGOL
68C on a DECSYSTEM-20.
I would love to find a copy of this to install on SIMH if at all possible.
I have a vague recollection that it may have been on a DECUS tape, so I am
wondering if anyone has any such thing in their archives?
A lot of academic-type work related to Algol is frequently remembered or cited in academic
literature but many of them were branches that never made it into DEC or DECUS
collections.
Algol-related DECUS PDP-10 library entries include:
SAIL/FAIL, Version: 18, August 1976 10-86 Author: Dan Swinehart, Robert Sproul. et al.
Revised by: Les Earnest. Stanford University, Stanford. CA Source Language: FAIL Memory
Required: 50K of user core Special Hardware Required: 4-Series or later monitor Keywords:
ALGOL; SAIL;FAIL; Programming-Language Abstract: SAIL is a high-level programming language
for the PDP-I0computer.
ALGOLW, Version: 2, December 1973 10-133 Author: Michael Green Submitted by: W. D. Wagers,
Digital Equipment Corp.. Maynard. MARevised by: W. D. Wagers Source Language: META 2
Keywords: ALGOL Abstract: This is the W subset of ALGOL. ALGOLW is a blockstructured
language suitable for scientific applications. Its specificationsare written by computer
scientists. ALGOLW is easy to use and thenintime package is efficient. DEC-20 Review Note:
See 20-35
SYNTAX, Version: 2, December 1973 10-185 Author: Michael Green Submitted by: W. D. Wagers.
Digital Equipment C0rp.. Maynard, MA Revised by: Michael Green Source Language: ALGOLW
(DECUS No. 10-133) Keywords: Syntax:Utility?Programming; Grammar Abstract: SYNTAX is
useful in defining programming languages. Itanalyzes the grammar of a language and
determines if it is a simpleprecedence grammar. It lists the productions and symbols of
the grammarand any identical right parts and any symbol pairs with multiple relations.It
then lists the precedence matrix and produces a binary copy.DEC-20 Review Note: See 20-6].
N0 Documentation Available. Media (Service Charge Code): DECtape (HA). 600' Magtape
(MA) ororder 10-LIB-2 META2, Version: 2, December 1973 10-186 Author: Michael Green.
Digital Equipment C0rp.. Maynard. MASubmitted by: W. D. Wagers Revised by: Michael Green
Source Language: META2 Keywords: META2; Compiler-Writer Abstract: META2 is a compiler
writer. It was used to write ALGOLW(DECKS No. 10-133) but is sufficiently general purpose
to write otherlanguages for the DECsystem-IO. The compiler is defined by a series
ofspecifications input to META2. META2 is written in itself. and is easilymodified. DEC-20
Review Note: See 20-62
GNOSIS: A System for Computer Aided In- 10-211 struction, Version: 2, June 1978 Author:
Jacob Palme and Dr. Walter Manet. Research Inst. of NationalDefense. Sweden. and Old
Dominion University, Virginia. Source Language: ALGOL Memory Required: 32 + 22P Storage
Other Software Required: ALGOL, 6.03 (KL + VM) Keywords: GNOSIS; CAI; instruction;
Teaching; Education; Computer; Learning: School;Pedagogy: Pedagogics; ALGOL: SIMULA
Abstract: Though compatability has been preserved with the first releaseof GNOSIS. Release
2 represents not merely a software update, but acomplete re-authoring of GNOSIS from
beginning to end. GNOSIS provides a CAI authoring language which makes itrelatively easy
for any teacher with a basic understanding of ?pro-grammed? textbooks to develop
computerized tutorials for his students.Although material already written in such a format
can be transformedvirtually as~is by GNOSIS into a form suitable for computer delivery,
theteacher would normally be writing his own ?script?. This script. because itsimulates
the dialogue one might overhear if that teacher were tutoring astudent in private, can be
made to ?come to life" on a computer terminalby the addition of a few simple GNOSIS
command words. Thecomputer-driven tutorial is, in reality. a compiled version of the
ALGOLprogram GNOSIS writes in response to the script prepared by the teacher.In fact.
GNOSIS can be designed in such a way that any of the facilities ofALGOL can be exploited
anywhere in the lesson. The fact that GNOSIS has been designed to function as a
reachingrather than as a testing system is reflected in program logic at all levels.
Inaccord with this design philosophy. GNOSIS tempers negative andpositive feedback
according to physchological context, simulates a correctresponse (and the comment which
would have accompanied it) when allelse fails, encourages student control through skipping
and backsteppingfacilities. and generates teacher reports which are geared to
lessonimprovement. Note: The documentation that is on magnetic media is not as
up-to-dateas what is available in hardcopy. However. the machine readable versionwill
suffice. DEC-20 Review Note: See 20-74
SIMULA for DECsystem-10 KA/Kl/KL and 10-223 DECsystem-20, Version: 4A (310), August 1978
Author: Swedish National Defense Research Institute. SwedenSubmitted by: H. David Todd.
Wesleyan University. Middletown. CTRevised by: Lars Enderin. Swedish National Defense
Research lnst.. and Wayne M. Brehaut. Acadia University. Wolfville. N.S. Canada BOP 1X0
Operating System: TOPS-l0 V5.00 upwards: TOPS-20 VIB upwardsMemory Required: (for Kl/KL.
DEC-20) 25K, (for KA) 32K to use. 64Kto build Keywords: SIMULA: ALGOL;
Programming-Language: Util-ity; SAFEIO; SIMDBM Abstract: SIMULA is a general-purpose
high-level programming languagecomparable in power to PL/l or ALGOL 68. SIMULA is based
onALGOL 60 with the addition of record-oriented dynamic memoryallocation. reference
(pointer) structures. sets and queues. test-andcharacter handling. sequential and direct
access input-output. quasi-parallel sequencing (coroutines) and process (event) oriented
simulationcapabilities. Well adapted to structured programming methodology.SIMULA will
often considerably reduce programming time compared to conventional languages like
FORTRAN, COBOL or PL./l. SIMULA on the DECsystem-10 contains two major additions to the
SIMULAlanguage: a system for separately compiled program modules in SIMULA.FORTRAN or
MACRO-10 and a powerful on-line debugging system,SIMDDT. SIMULA compiles at half the speed
of the DECsysteni-l0ALGOL compiler. The CPU time when running SIMULA programs isabout the
same as for ALGOL. faster for input-output and text stringhandling. slower for
stack-oriented memory allocation. This package also contains SAFEIO (V. August l978) which
is apackage to enable safe question-and-answer dialogue with a conversationterminal. Also
contained is SIMDBM (V.l. January l978) which is a data basehandling system based on the
ideas in the CODASYL DBTG proposal,but written entirely in SIMULA for the use by SIMULA
programs. Nobuilt-in facilities exist for privacy constraints or for solving
multiterminalaccess conflicts. 0 Documentation for SAFEIO and SIMDBM are on magneticmedia.
I KA-l0 users. the manuals listed also apply to the KA version ofSIMULA. The only
difference is that on the KA-l0 the precision of longarithmetic is 54 bits. compared to 62
bits on the KI-10; consequently. page89 of part ll of the revised handbook. lines 6-8.
should read: ?Thefractional part has a range in magnitude of 1/, to (l-2?)-52) with a
precisionof approximately 16 decimal digits.? Order 10-223B for Part l of the Language
Handbook: Manual (ED), alsoon tape. Order l0~223C for Part ll of the Language Handbook:
Manual (ED). also on tape. Order l0-223D for Part [ll of the Language Handbook: Manual
(EC). alsoon tape. Order l0?223E for the Implementation Guide: Manual (EA), also on
tape.Order l0-2232 for the SIMDBM and SAFIO write-up: Write-Up (AA).also on tape.
Restrictions: A TOPS-20 version is contained but is insufficiently tested.users are warned
it may not work at all. Only those prepared to attemptcorrection of any errors on their
own should use the tape. Note: One copy of l0-223E will be shipped automatically with all
magtape requests. DEC-20 Review Note: See 20-78. Ordering Information: Order l0-223 for
2400' Magtape (PA) Documentation an magnetic media. Media (Service Charge Code): See
Ordering Information listed above. ororder 10-LIB-5