From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED, HTML_FONT_LOW_CONTRAST,HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI, T_SCC_BODY_TEXT_LINE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 17020 invoked from network); 7 Jun 2023 15:58:15 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (2600:3c01:e000:146::1) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 7 Jun 2023 15:58:15 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3882E425B2; Thu, 8 Jun 2023 01:58:09 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-qv1-xf35.google.com (mail-qv1-xf35.google.com [IPv6:2607:f8b0:4864:20::f35]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id C73A7425B1 for ; Thu, 8 Jun 2023 01:57:57 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-qv1-xf35.google.com with SMTP id 6a1803df08f44-62b69b95a33so10319176d6.0 for ; Wed, 07 Jun 2023 08:57:57 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=ccc.com; s=google; t=1686153476; x=1688745476; h=cc:to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references :mime-version:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id:reply-to; bh=4DBfPo4b1SnT92p/N0dN2kERhgw8opp+zrCmQkNs6NY=; b=KbMr2v7532O85KprOZNDE8jAn8NtmRuRokkFCTFhJrfdbRWdjzOhZc3z6GGQQ/6puO 2mWv5CR2gal5Wtcdn1bNIbvudou3lwpHBy84nPCN9DaIZH8zoG248AOtuA15gYeuCpYb XTkNbPzB9eXVwI/gkrkG1AwtaDXXLOTFMUWcA= X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20221208; t=1686153476; x=1688745476; h=cc:to:subject:message-id:date:from:in-reply-to:references :mime-version:x-gm-message-state:from:to:cc:subject:date:message-id :reply-to; bh=4DBfPo4b1SnT92p/N0dN2kERhgw8opp+zrCmQkNs6NY=; b=gPaXzFhgB5Xr19vlaoC3/0WTl8w0aKD7NZEluUaTpDogCRWkYNZrAjYdUpT2zKCi+a tgGo/tFI/14oHv8tKL/vEhW2xSEmgiev7iE4l1CXpCCeQLW/ahAVrTN/4R3JopRyPqQB usxeBGupBtXQjM2UzYFOjSxN1JNYvjM1soOl3AHnN7/aXZgpgXDKqtk71A6cMNodHXoh z4/LZS8FG2TNQaLrKer+Fu9K68N3I8nb5JNwMzUvx0c1sOA0DObIc448tGf+2yI1AbmQ E7GeSn8xWibreAsgzM29KcD6dUEWUX5hQbXjtgCB/Uojim2zginVrIABkBCF0WBttBo/ 3tog== X-Gm-Message-State: AC+VfDxjSj/cpDfaqK2IC6Z5Lcr6JFGv8Svgz9urKzcsZLwG0TBZrRxM mcbcRphh987Un6JyJ2uPDFu23zpxE/eaZZWC/CZK0vZQB47DS02Tjnk= X-Google-Smtp-Source: ACHHUZ7LEZAS4C110qX2vfWDuGiTcHK8uU92B9YaHYUfCmrDMqYPFCvWv2Cji2zEkOAXsetN9spQZ5SuYAO/qE5v9Ow= X-Received: by 2002:a05:6214:2606:b0:626:1984:2461 with SMTP id gu6-20020a056214260600b0062619842461mr5226897qvb.28.1686153476176; Wed, 07 Jun 2023 08:57:56 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: <1e651370-3ada-e211-c277-409d6563500d@f4grx.net> In-Reply-To: <1e651370-3ada-e211-c277-409d6563500d@f4grx.net> From: Clem Cole Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2023 11:57:30 -0400 Message-ID: To: Sebastien F4GRX Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000fc102d05fd8c32eb" Message-ID-Hash: C6UNFDNYAHJKLX6QUHB3YZIP2TMMIRGY X-Message-ID-Hash: C6UNFDNYAHJKLX6QUHB3YZIP2TMMIRGY X-MailFrom: clemc@ccc.com X-Mailman-Rule-Misses: dmarc-mitigation; no-senders; approved; emergency; loop; banned-address; member-moderation; nonmember-moderation; administrivia; implicit-dest; max-recipients; max-size; news-moderation; no-subject; digests; suspicious-header CC: tuhs@tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 3.3.6b1 Precedence: list Subject: [TUHS] Re: Software written in B List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list Archived-At: List-Archive: List-Help: List-Owner: List-Post: List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: --000000000000fc102d05fd8c32eb Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I recall a couple of editors and some tools were kicking around written in B. I would check the GCOS archives, as I believe that for a long time, B was a popular systems programming language for that OS target. B might have been moved to Multics, but I have no memory of seeing it. IIRC, most system programming there was on in its powerful PL/1 dialect or a Fortran/often with a preprocessor like MORTRAN or RatFor, which I did see. Interestingly, I also have no memory of a B implementation for the PDP-10, which like GE/Honeywell systems, was 36-bit, word addressed. I used BLISS and SAIL on those, if not the assembler. FWIW: Besides C, B also begat two other languages Eh and Zed, both at Waterloo, Eh I believe, was what the original Thoth system was written, although it might have had some utilities in B; you have to ask someone like Mike Malcom. Since many/most of the 1970s mini's and later micro's, ISAs were byte addressed, the word nature of B (and the fact that the source to Ritchie C compiler came with UNIX), is probably what caused it to have a more limited life. =E1=90=A7 On Wed, Jun 7, 2023 at 6:14=E2=80=AFAM Sebastien F4GRX wr= ote: > Hello everyone, > > this is my first post on this list. > > > After looking at the archives for this mailing list, I have seen that > the B language has been discussed several times already. > > After viewing Ken Thompson's interview by Brian Kernighan at VCF East > 2019, I became interested in the B language, as it seemed full-featured > for system programming, close to C, and simple enough to write a parser > for it without a code generation tool. > > So for fun and self-education, I am now writing a (or yet another) B > compiler, in C, after reading Jack Crenshaw's "Let's build a compiler" > documentation ( https://compilers.iecc.com/crenshaw/ ) > > Here it is: https://git.sr.ht/~f4grx/bpars > > It is now starting to generate code for the 68hc11 8-bit platform. It > can also generate C code. > > > I have written some test programs, found some B examples, but I thought > it would be great to use my compiler with actual B software. > > Of course, B was a "transition" language, that did not have a continued > use as soon as it evolved into C. so if any software remains, it will be > quite hard to find. > > And here is my question, is any of you aware of original B source code > archives? or are in touch with people that would know? > > > In particular, I read on this document written by Dennis Ritchie: > https://www.bell-labs.com/usr/dmr/www/chist.html > > > After the TMG version of B was working, Thompson rewrote B in itself > (a bootstrapping step). > > > I have also read that the YACC tool was initially written in B. > > There might be other historical B sources that I am not aware of. > > > Do you know if any of this code has survived to this day? Where could I > find more information about this? > > > Thank you very much, > > Sebastien Lorquet (F4GRX) > > --000000000000fc102d05fd8c32eb Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I recall a couple of editors and some tools were kickin= g around written in B.=C2=A0 I would check the GCOS archives, as I believe = that for a long time, B was=C2=A0a popular systems programming language for= that OS target.=C2=A0 B might have been moved to Multics, but I have no me= mory of seeing it.=C2=A0 =C2=A0IIRC, most system programming there was on i= n=C2=A0its=C2=A0powerful PL/1 dialect or a Fortran/often with a preprocesso= r like MORTRAN or RatFor, which I did see.=C2=A0

Inter= estingly, I also have no=C2=A0memory of a B implementation for the PDP-10, = which=C2=A0like GE/Honeywell systems, was 36-bit, word addressed. I used BL= ISS and SAIL on those, if not the assembler.

FWIW: B= esides C, B also begat two other languages Eh and Zed, both at Waterloo,=C2= =A0 Eh I believe, was what the original Thoth system was written, although = it might have had some utilities in B; you have to ask someone like Mike Ma= lcom.=C2=A0 Since many/most of the 1970s mini's and later micro's, = ISAs were byte addressed, the word nature of B (and the fact that the sourc= e to Ritchie C compiler came with UNIX), is probably what caused it to have= a more limited life.
3D""=E1=90=A7

On Wed, Jun 7, 2023 at = 6:14=E2=80=AFAM Sebastien F4GRX <f4gr= x@f4grx.net> wrote:
Hello everyone,

this is my first post on this list.


After looking at the archives for this mailing list, I have seen that
the B language has been discussed several times already.

After viewing Ken Thompson's interview by Brian Kernighan at VCF East <= br> 2019, I became interested in the B language, as it seemed full-featured for system programming, close to C, and simple enough to write a parser for it without a code generation tool.

So for fun and self-education, I am now writing a (or yet another) B
compiler, in C, after reading Jack Crenshaw's "Let's build a c= ompiler"
documentation ( https://compilers.iecc.com/crenshaw/ )

Here it is: https://git.sr.ht/~f4grx/bpars

It is now starting to generate code for the 68hc11 8-bit platform. It
can also generate C code.


I have written some test programs, found some B examples, but I thought it would be great to use my compiler with actual B software.

Of course, B was a "transition" language, that did not have a con= tinued
use as soon as it evolved into C. so if any software remains, it will be quite hard to find.

And here is my question, is any of you aware of original B source code
archives? or are in touch with people that would know?


In particular, I read on this document written by Dennis Ritchie:
https://www.bell-labs.com/usr/dmr/www/chist.html=

=C2=A0> After the TMG version of B was working, Thompson rewrote B in it= self
(a bootstrapping step).


I have also read that the YACC tool was initially written in B.

There might be other historical B sources that I am not aware of.


Do you know if any of this code has survived to this day? Where could I find more information about this?


Thank you very much,

Sebastien Lorquet (F4GRX)

--000000000000fc102d05fd8c32eb--