Modula-2 and Oberon-2 Compiler for HP OpenVMS Alpha and VAX

The programming languages Modula-2 and Oberon-2

Modula-2

The Modula-2 language reference

Oberon-2

The Oberon language reference

The Oberon-2 language reference

All above mentioned books are also available in German.

• Programming in Oberon (2004) - A derivative of Programming in Modula-2 (1982) - N. Wirth [PDF (334 KB)]
• Algorithms and Data Structures (1985) (Oberon version: August 2004) - N. Wirth [PDF (1'241 KB)]
• Niklaus Wirth: Compiler Construction. Addison-Wesley, 1996. [PDF file (6.2 MB)]

Modula-2 and Oberon-2 Compiler for OpenVMS

These products were developed and are maintained by ModulaWare

Modula-2 and Oberon-2 native-code compiler for HP Alpha and VAX under the OpenVMS operating system

• MaX V5.05 32 bit and 64 bit native code Modula-2 compiler for HP OpenVMS Alpha version 6.2 to 8.3
• MaX V4.18 32 bit native code Modula-2 compiler for HP OpenVMS Alpha
• MVR V4.16 32 bit native code Modula-2 compiler for HP OpenVMS VAX
• A2O V3.00 64 bit native code Oberon-2 compiler for HP OpenVMS Alpha

Common features of MaX/MVR/A2O:

• complies with OpenVMS procedure calling conventions
• generates position independent, reentrant, native-code
• is Y2K-compliant
• supports VAX floating point types and arithmetic: F, D, and G_FLOATING, plus H_FLOATING on VAX; LONGREAL is D_FLOATING (or T_FLOATING on Alpha with /IEEE)
• supports VAX complex types (and complex arithmetic in Modula-2): F, D, and G_COMPLEX, plus H_COMPLEX on VAX; LONGCOMPLEX is D_COMPLEX (or T_COMPLEX on Alpha with /IEEE)
• fully supports OpenVMS multi-process, symbolic run-time debugger, e.g.: step, step/into, watch and break point, examine simple and structured variables (record, array, and pointer-types), screen-mode, etc.
• ISO Modula-2 library modules
• representation of floating point literals and constant expressions of any floating point type (and complex type in Modula-2)
• allows structured function results, i.e.: function return type can be of basic-, array- and record-type
• sets with up-to 128 elements, which allows SET OF CHAR [CHR(0)..CHR(127)]
• packed and aligned record fields (/packed_records)
• uses static link chain technique to access outer-scope local variables in nested procedures (provides for programming of exception handlers)
• detection of tangling pointers (standard in Oberon-2, /optimize=(clearstack) in Modula-2); clears local variables declared in procedures and in dynamic modules in the procedure/module-body entry code. Global (statically allocated) variables are cleared by a OpenVMS linker directive. The heap is cleared by run-time system in Oberon-2 and in Modula-2; the heap can be cleared by a customized ALLOCATE. So any unitialized pointer access will produce an access-violation exception
• allows to call foreign procedures and functions via foreign definition modules
• supports OpenVMS exception handling (ESTABLISH)
• features coroutines for multi-programming (with very fast context-switch and secure stack-overflow check on Alpha)
• comes with VMS, RMS, MTH, RTL, DPML, OTS, LIB, STR, PPL, OSF/Motif, DecWindows/X11 foreign language interface modules [provided as is/unsupported]
• allows programming of asynchronous system traps (AST)
• built-in system function REGISTER in Modula-2 and GETREG/PUTREG in Oberon-2
• built-in cross-reference (/cross_reference)
• built-in disassembler (/machine_code)
• includes make-tool
• supports language sensitive editor (LSE)
• features persistent objects (Oberon-2 only)
• includes source code analyser (Oberon-2 only)
• distribution kit includes source code of many examples and library modules
• simple installation procedure; complete library is compiled at installation time
• additionally on Alpha:
  • 32 bit and 64 bit pointers to access very large memory (VLM) in Oberon-2 and Modula-2 (V5)
    For details about VLM see the virtual region programming example and the Digital Technical Journal:
    
    • Extending OpenVMS for 64-bit Addressable Virtual Memory, October 1996, Michael S. Harvey and Leonard S. Szubowicz Abstract, Html, Text, PostScript, Pdf
    • The OpenVMS Mixed Pointer Size Environment, October 1996, by Thomas R. Benson, Karen L. Noel and Richard E. Peterson: Abstract, Html, Text, PostScript, Pdf
    • Adding 64-bit Pointer Support for a 32-bit Run-time Library, October 1996, by Duane A. Smith Abstract, Html, Text, PostScript, Pdf
    • OpenVMS Alpha 64-bit Very Large Memory Design, by Karen L. Noel , and Nitin Y. Karkhanis Abstract, Html, Text, PostScript, Pdf
  • IEEE floating point types and arithmetic: S, T_FLOATING
  • IEEE complex types (and arithmetic in Modula-2): S, T_COMPLEX
  • selectable default floating point type for [LONG]REAL is either VAX- or IEEE-floating (/[NO]IEEE)
  • default floating point type determines the base type for the complex type [LONG]COMPLEX
  • 32 bit and 64 bit integer type and arithmetic
  • Modula-2 additionally: 64 bit cardinal type and arithmetic
  • Oberon-2 additionally: 8 and 16 bit integer data types and arithmetic
  • Oberon-2 and Modula-2 (V5): 64 bit precision for whole number expressions and constant literals
  • built-in instruction scheduler
• ISO Modula-2 language extensions (VAX and Alpha):
  • additional "/" and "REM" integer and cardinal operators
  • complex arithmetic, relational operators and standard functions RE, IM, CMPLX
  • standard functions INT, LFLOAT, MAX, MIN, LENGTH
  • standard functions can also be used in constant expressions within the declaration section, including real arithmetic, complex functions, SYSTEM.MAKEADR, and SYSTEM.CAST
  • record- and array value constructors with BY-count in declaration section and statement part
  • multi-dimensional open arrays
  • empty records
  • module SYSTEM: new address arithmetic functions ADDADR, SUBADR, DIFADR, as well as MAKEADR, ROTATE, SHIFT, type LOC (=BYTE) and constants LOCSPERBYTE, LOCSPERWORD, BITSPERLOC
  • generic real literal type RR: constant real literals and expressions are evaluated with longreal precision and are expression compatible with REAL and LONGREAL
  • generic complex literal type CC: constant complex numbers and expressions are evaluated with longcomplex precision and are expression compatible with COMPLEX and LONGCOMPLEX
  • any predeclared pervasive indentifier, such as for example REAL, LONGREAL, FLOAT, NIL can be redeclared
• additional ISO Modula-2 library modules to support mathematical functions, string conversions, and I/O for all VAX and Alpha floating point types
• additional ISO Modula-2 library modules to support mathematical functions for complex data types
• allows Modula-2 and Oberon-2 modules in the same project:
  • ISO Modula-2 library can be used in Oberon-2
  • common run-time system for Modula-2 and Oberon-2
  • when being called from Oberon-2, Modula-2 ignores Oberon-2's type descriptor for variable procedure parameters of record type and passes NIL vice versa
• Oberon-2 (A2O) also generates 64 bit load files for the AlphaOberon System (AOS)
  

Press releases, data sheets, and implementation notes

OpenVMS Alpha Modula-2 press release: MaX
OpenVMS Alpha Oberon-2 press release: A2O
OpenVMS Alpha & VAX Modula-2 data sheet (22KB html)
OpenVMS Alpha & VAX Oberon-2 data sheet (23KB html)
OpenVMS Alpha Modula-2 & Oberon-2 implementation notes (63KB html) (latest edition 20-Mar-1999)
OpenVMS Alpha Modula-2 & Oberon-2 The Year 10000 problem
OpenVMS Alpha Oberon-2 Compiler 64 bit address extension (A2O V3.0)
OpenVMS Alpha Modula-2 Compiler 64 bit address extension (MaX V5.0)
OpenVMS Alpha Modula-2 Application program migration from 32 bit to 64 bit (MaX V5)
OpenVMS Alpha Modula-2 64 bit Virtual Regions with Modula-2 on OpenVMS Alpha
Test Programs for the ISO Modula-2 Standard I/O Library

Oberon-2 LALR-Syntax
What is a 64 bit Compiler? (latest edition 20-Mar-1999)
Was ist Oberon-2? (a short Oberon-2 language description in German)

Distribution Kit

Software Support

All supported licensees get written software update information, each time a new release is available. A new period for update service starts with day after update service has expired. Minimum duration for update service is 12 months and is invoiced and payable at the beginning of this period.

On request, extended software support and hot-line service can be offered.

Software License

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