Sorry, after I hit Send I realized that I added a phrase about the I/O facilities in the wrong place. My middle two paragraphs should have read like this:
"Or, how about space-switching examples where PT/PTI can be or should be used? Or the correct way to use TRAP2/4 or the COMPARE/LOAD-and-TRAP instructions without an ESPIE/ESTAE exit? I.E., how to correctly set the TRAP block address, how to retrieve the TRAP block data after a TRAP exception has been raised, etc. Or for that matter, examples of how to use the machine-level I/O facilities. I have often thought it was a mistaken design by IBM that prohibits non-authorized programmers from exploiting multiple address spaces and instruction-level space-switching facilities." Mea Culpa. Peter -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Assembler List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Farley, Peter x23353 Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 5:13 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Redesigning the Principles of Operation Manual Melvyn, I don't agree with most of your desires for PoOP except for expanding the use of hylerlinks in the PDF, but I would like the PoOP (or at least SOME publically available IBM-produced documentation) to contain any examples at all of space-switching code that actually uses the space-switching instructions in space-switching mode. E.G., BSG has no example of use. It is also the only instruction that seems to have been targeted at a particular "control program" (in this case CICS). OK, so CICS uses it. Now how does a non-CICS "control program" use it? Or, how about space-switching examples where PT/PTI can be or should be used? Or the correct way to use TRAP2/4 or the COMPARE/LOAD-and-TRAP instructions without an ESPIE/ESTAE exit? I.E., how to correctly set the TRAP block address, how to retrieve the TRAP block data after a TRAP exception has been raised, etc. I have often thought it was a mistaken design by IBM that prohibits non-authorized programmers from exploiting multiple address spaces and instruction-level space-switching facilities. Or for that matter, the machine-level I/O facilities. At the very least tested and working server program(s) and client program(s) should be provided. If unavailable authorization is needed to actually run the examples, at least an ordinary programmer can read the examples to see how these instructions are successfully used. Peter -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Assembler List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Melvyn Maltz Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 5:04 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Redesigning the Principles of Operation Manual One can see why the Principles of Operation manual (PoP) was designed in its present format...to save paper. There is now no need to design this manual in a form that was suitable 30 years ago. Now that I've restarted teaching Assembler I realise that the PoP neither serves the professional learning new instructions or techniques nor the student learning for the first time. The suggestions below have been compiled by myself and contacts and are not in any priority order. I offer these in order to stimulate discussion. I know IBM monitor this forum as I see names that I know. IBM can join in as well. 1) Instruction descriptions Every instruction must be individually described. No more bunching. 2) Two Manuals ---PoP1 describes formats and techniques ---PoP2 describes instructions and examples Hyperlinks to similar instructions and examples. 3) Classification The current classification is inadequate, ie. CVD isn't a decimal instruction...there are many others. If you have to classify, then here is a suggestion... 1) Boolean...AND/OR/XOR 2) Branch....BRANCH and PROGRAM 3) Compare...COMPARE and TEST a) Binary b) Floating point c) Decimal 4) Conversion...CONVERT/TRANSLATE/UNPACK/EDIT/PACK a) Character/Binary/Decimal b) Floating point 5) Cryptography...COMPRESSION/CIPHER/PERFORM 6) I/O...CHANNEL 7) Maths a) Binary b) Floating point c) Decimal 8) Move...PAGE/MOVE/LOAD/STORE/INSERT 9) Trace..TRACE 10) Transaction..TRANSACTION 11) Trap...TRAP 12) Others 4) An iPoP app that can display an individual instruction with multiple cross-references for local use. 5) A Web app to do the same, but has the advantage of being international and collective. "People who looked up LG also looked up LLGF" Let the discourse begin. This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. 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