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From: fish@ihu1g.UUCP (Bob Fishell)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: No luck on UNIX PL/I
Message-ID: <167@ihu1g.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Jan-84 10:55:33 EST
Article-I.D.: ihu1g.167
Posted: Thu Jan 26 10:55:33 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jan-84 01:04:23 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 17

A lot of net.lang readers have asked that I forward any info I might get on
a PL/I compiler to run under UNIX/{VAX;PDP-11;etc.}.  Sorry folks, I've had
no luck, but I won't give up hope.

I think the problem might be that UNIX runs on a lot of different computers.
'C' would have to be available on all of them, and FORTRANosaurus is probably
available,  but PL/I is pretty tough to do on some machines.  I think it's
partially because of the interface with the operating system (ALLOCATE-FREE;
DCL smoosh FILE RECORD INPUT SEQUENTIAL;etc.), things that might not make
sense in a UNIX environment.  There are some limited subsets of PL/I (like
PL/M) that might do, but I guess nobody's thought to develop a PL/something
compiler for UNIX.  I think you could build a PL/I to 'C' trans-compiler
(yes, I did just make that up) if you really wanted to, but I don't think
I'd like to try.  I'll keep my ears open, though.


                           Bob Fishell