[COFF] machine code translation, as mental architecture models

[Paul Winalski]

On Sat, Jul 13, 2024 at 2:50 PM John Levine <johnl at taugh.com> wrote:

> The more relevant question is how they used the macros. If the macros
> were used consistently for semantically higher level things, the
> translator can use the semantics of the macros when translating.
>
> There is an assembly macro for each of the user-mode VMS system services
These are wrappers around the RTL subroutines.  So, for example, the $QIO
(queue I/O) macro is a wrapper around a call to the SYS$QIO runtime library
routine.  There is a similar set of macros for the RMS (record management
services--the VMS file I/O system) data structures and routines.

The VAX MACRO compiler could perhaps use the semantics of the macros when
translating, but it doesn't.  It has to support semantics-free macro
expansion since users can write their own macros, so there is little point
in building semantic knowledge into the translator.

-Paul W.
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