My favourite use of Assembler was an E15 sort exit. I developed it to enable access to CA-Datacom database tables. It was originally written for a VSE shop and it proved to be so useful (and fast), I maintained the code when I worked in MVS shops. It was enhanced over the years to be condensed down to a single macro with parameters to define the table name and optional key. For those familiar with Datacom, there are two simple fast retrieval commands, GETPS (get physical) and GETIT (get in key sequence).
My final version used a parameter that enabled a single exit to cover any table required, the parameter defined LRECL, Key name, table name. I don't think an exit like this could be developed in COBOL without jumping through hoops to perform the parsing required. A classic example of how to process large tables in batch. On Wed, Sep 6, 2023 at 5:30 PM Bernd Oppolzer <bernd.oppol...@t-online.de> wrote: > Thanks a lot, > > it would be always better to give even a very small ASSEMBLER program a > test run > instead of simply posting it to a public web site. > I will fix this on Wikipedia as soon as I can. > > I'm not sure if ASSEMBLER should be used by humans :-) given this episode. > In fact, it was used in the past (heavily), because in the 1950s and > 1960s, it was the only language we had. > And it is still used on Mainframes (some say: Mainframe Assembler is the > only usable Assembler, all others are not) > and as long as we have large code bases in Assembler, there is no other > way than supporting it > (and we have large code bases, this is what John Ehrman once told me ... > most customers who still have that > don't want to talk about it). > > Anyway: the reasons to learn it (like: to understand the code produced > by other language translators better etc. > and to understand language translators, BTW) are very valid, and that's > what Ray Mullins (liebe Grüße) > tells in his papers, too, if I understand him right. > > Another fun story: > > Once a co-worker of mine (at the large insurance company mentioned > earlier) had a problem with IBM software, > and while communicating with IBM, he posted a bit of ASSEMBLER code > showing the error, and the answer of > IBM support was "Customer should not use ASSEMBLER" :-) > > Kind regards > Bernd > > > Am 06.09.2023 um 05:44 schrieb Tom Brennan: > > Your sample assembled fine but abended 0C1. I made some minor mods. > > Hope you don't mind my pretend German in the comments :) > > > > The biggest problem is trying to use R15 as a base. That gets messed > > up by OPEN. The other problem is LA instead of L when loading R13 for > > the return. I mix those up a lot myself. > > > > https://www.mildredbrennan.com/mvs/hello.png > > > > P.S. My wife and I were in München last May. Beautiful city and it > > was fun trying to understand the language based on a high-school class. > > > > > > > > On 9/5/2023 6:19 PM, Bernd Oppolzer wrote: > >> FWIW: > >> > >> ChatGPT could have used this ASSEMBLER program, which I posted some > >> years ago > >> to German Wikpedia ... this does not do the addition of two integers, > >> but instead it > >> is a simple Hello World program. In contrast to the program provided > >> by ChatGPT, > >> it has no errors (I hope) and it will work. > >> > >> > https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Hallo-Welt-Programmen/Assembler#IBM-Mainframe-ASSEMBLER > >> > >> > >> Kind regards > >> > >> Bernd > >> > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > -- Wayne V. Bickerdike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
