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=-1.1 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_SIGNED,DKIM_VALID, DKIM_VALID_AU,HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 1691 invoked from network); 22 May 2020 21:53:18 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 22 May 2020 21:53:18 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 1632A9C83F; Sat, 23 May 2020 07:53:14 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 75FB99C194; Sat, 23 May 2020 07:52:48 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=pass (1024-bit key; unprotected) header.d=ccc.com header.i=@ccc.com header.b="THrZ+RfK"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 4C16F9C194; Sat, 23 May 2020 07:52:45 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-qk1-f182.google.com (mail-qk1-f182.google.com [209.85.222.182]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id AB83C9C187 for ; Sat, 23 May 2020 07:52:44 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-qk1-f182.google.com with SMTP id z80so12291938qka.0 for ; Fri, 22 May 2020 14:52:44 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=ccc.com; s=google; h=mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc; bh=oJjMMy0s/S6hgNSMd/MgS5nR5NjzkS6MarakDerbh1w=; b=THrZ+RfK7Ofm9tz62OcB0+WNs/jVx8nmRvu7zyveRj6OqS5AJQASD9QL9SC6H2JmJf Y7aCV2W+2DN0xUnfZ41u+wScoIPsZhpoB/jF6LOhwrtkzYZvhqc6nbbr05qgpK3ARMYL fYa7XjZCqGReTe/S+obobZMxJGJY6GtfjI3GM= X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date :message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=oJjMMy0s/S6hgNSMd/MgS5nR5NjzkS6MarakDerbh1w=; b=SWuTKWmcR2BgTYFaPHby0Hw7Gjs7IzWvI1UNYP9Zq+Nv1QvcHOMUABydeFpIKiR3RB L2RQ+xl4eYDAMaXhTg21YWPwRr51kEtH/7j7/eZKEuXPRlzOatIkY5jkCD1uVTsc4hct gvS/OKHkTS9BppgrsSbYLuHg3qC57IXYxlxULp7iNwkFe+wpzjauRY6zRzQ/rB14tjCb sFjparoVmc/QmZtQAb0mKkjxU1wbnOUSBqkoHCNbqLcgfTiwdk3ZEQwtp0w0ubmHkZ4q QB9qIHWxugnfkQkKB9WntQbHO9qnIU/nMAK1FQFtwIIH/8/eKER4ADeVckq810cquRJB Sjiw== X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM532Se/t3yhlWTl7BFrayKQ89wo6s2NjRZ4DMwExvwrAsQQ6E0a6t PunnvBiKnDpY4UF8Lzg9N+E6D+6pNsroHdwAU2lYyw== X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJzMEwXNJM4C/hb8cvBDfEKMyWGaxMBovsYmeLjZWgPw+zTJ/I9lc/kMpu4kgbXG8cJYXDREXFjQ+CM8bycP7eQ= X-Received: by 2002:a05:620a:319:: with SMTP id s25mr16470232qkm.25.1590184363583; Fri, 22 May 2020 14:52:43 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Clem Cole Date: Fri, 22 May 2020 17:52:17 -0400 Message-ID: To: Lawrence Stewart Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000001e9b5905a643a62f" Subject: Re: [TUHS] where did "main" come from? X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Cc: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" --0000000000001e9b5905a643a62f Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable It's interesting, I was thinking about this the other day too. I remember talking about the 'main program' in Fortran when I was learning. I never thought about it when I saw it in C, other than, ok that's how you pass command line args, which I thought was really clean. I remember TOPS and TSS you had to go rummaging around to get to them. As for your BCPL question, START() was way I learned it. I think I first saw it on the 360s or maybe the 1108; but really never did much it until I saw the first Altos. Clem On Fri, May 22, 2020 at 2:53 PM Lawrence Stewart wrote: > C main programs define =E2=80=9Cmain=E2=80=9D. > This also seems to be true of B main programs, according to the > Johnson/Kernighan manual > The 1967 Martin Richards BCPL manual doesn=E2=80=99t explain how programs= get > started > The 1974 update from Martin Richards says there should be an OS addendum > that explains this. > The 1974 University of Essex BCPL manual says to use START > The 1979 Parc Alto BCPL manual uses Main and I think that must be > unchanged from 1972. > The AMSTRAD BCPL guide from 1986 uses start() > > > So who started =E2=80=9Cmain=E2=80=9D and when? I can=E2=80=99t find an = online copy of the Bell > Laboratories BCPL manual (Canaday/Thompson) from 1969 or anything about h= ow > to use BCPL on Multics or CTSS. > > -L > > --0000000000001e9b5905a643a62f Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
It's interesting, I was thinking about this the oth= er day too.=C2=A0 =C2=A0I remember=C2=A0talking about the 'main program= ' in Fortran when I was learning.=C2=A0 I never thought about it when I= saw it in C, other than, ok that's how you pass command line args, whi= ch I thought was really clean.=C2=A0 =C2=A0I remember TOPS and TSS you had = to go rummaging=C2=A0around to get to them.=C2=A0=C2=A0

<= div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif= ">As for your BCPL question, START() was way I learned it.=C2=A0 I think I = first saw it on the 360s or maybe the 1108; but really never did much it un= til I saw the first Altos.=C2=A0

Clem=C2=A0=C2=A0

On Fri, May 22, 2020 at 2:53 PM Lawrence Stewart <stewart@serissa.com> wrote:
C main programs define =E2=80=9Cmain= =E2=80=9D.
This also seems to be true of B main programs, according to the Johnson/Ker= nighan manual
The 1967 Martin Richards BCPL manual doesn=E2=80=99t explain how programs g= et started
The 1974 update from Martin Richards says there should be an OS addendum th= at explains this.
The 1974 University of Essex BCPL manual says to use START
The 1979 Parc Alto BCPL manual uses Main and I think that must be unchanged= from 1972.
The AMSTRAD BCPL guide from 1986 uses start()


So who started =E2=80=9Cmain=E2=80=9D and when?=C2=A0 I can=E2=80=99t find = an online copy of the Bell Laboratories BCPL manual (Canaday/Thompson) from= 1969 or anything about how to use BCPL on Multics or CTSS.

-L

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