> On Mon, 29 Jan 2018 16:35:42 -0500 (EST) > Rich Alderson <s...@alderson.users.panix.com> wrote: > > > From: Clem Cole <cl...@ccc.com> > > Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2018 14:21:36 -0500 > > > My point was less on PL/1 and more to the point that Ken had access > > to BCPL and did not have BLISS. But he still decided to create > > what would become B. > > Ken had no tools for the PDP-7, which was part of a Graphics-1 setup > (with a Type 340 display), not even an assembler. The first thing he > wrote on the GECOS system (not yet shortened to GCOS, since it was a > GE 635) was an assembler, which shared absolutely nothing in terms of > syntax with the DEC assembler for the system. > > Remember that BCPL originated on a PDP-7, and had an 18-bit word as > its only data type. Since Ken had only a cross assembler to start > with, B was the simplest interim solution (a BCPL subset in an > interpreter).
BCPL originated on the IBM 7090 under CTSS. It only supported 36 bit word data types. I am not sure BCPL was ever ported to the PDP-7. Rich -- ========================================================================== Richard Cornwell sky...@sky-visions.com http://sky-visions.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-cornwell-991076107 ========================================================================== _______________________________________________ Simh mailing list Simh@trailing-edge.com http://mailman.trailing-edge.com/mailman/listinfo/simh