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From: RDK%vm.temple.edu@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Robert Keiser)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.pascal
Subject: Re: Standard Pascal
Message-ID: <20239@adm.BRL.MIL>
Date: 13 Jul 89 18:09:49 GMT
Sender: news@adm.BRL.MIL
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ok, I've been watching the current disscusion about read/write vs. get/put
and I have a question.  But first, let me tell you where I'm coming from.
I've worked on a Cyber using U. of M. Pascal and on pc's using Turbo.  On
the Cyber's, to get interactive I/O to work correctly required you to first
declare the file input to be interactive (by placing a '/' after the filename
on the program statement (i.e. PROGRAM HELLO (INPUT/,OUTPUT);).  The slash
tells Pascal not to do the initial GET on input.  Then to read anything, you
first would have to issue a blank readln followed by your read.  The code
would look something like this:
              .
              .
              .
     WRITELN('WHAT IS YOUR NAME');
     READLN; (* FORCE A GET *)
     I := 1;
     WHILE NOT EOLN DO
      BEGIN
       READ(NAME[I]);
       I := I + 1;
     END;
        .
        .
        .
Sorry about all caps but the Cyber doesn't have upper/lower case (normally)
and I wanted to be realistic.  Anyway, the question, what would the same code
look like in say VAX Pascal or MS Pascal?  I mean, it would seem that to
follow the way Pascal is supposed to work with the "look ahead" buffer it would
require something special to avoid the above example.  (unless, of course, I
am completely missing something).  For those of you who would wonder why I
would read in a string like this, its because Cyber's Pascal also didn't have
String capabilities.  It was pretty close to the original that Wirth created.

As far as the I/O being one of Pascal's strengths, try explaining the above
example to a beginner.  I've tried, the response is usually a quizzical look
and a shaking head.

Robert Keiser