Towards the Development of Machine-Independent Systems Programming Languages,

A machine and operating system independent systems implementation language is highly desirable. Although a perfectly independent language can probably not be achieved, languages which are more independent than those currently used for systems programming can be developed. One such language, a PLI derivative being implemented at Brown University, uses a macro-like feature to achieve a high degree of machine and operating system independence. This facility, the Conventions statement, enables knowledgeable users to provide the compiler with alternative implementations of procedure call, entry, and exit. The ways in which this facility can be used are described, as well as high level features which can be used to make Conventions statements more expressive. The degree to which the Conventions statement reduces the machine and operating system dependence of programs written in LSD is also explained. Author