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Wang VS
This was a very Unique OS, I have seen nothing similar to it at all.
What follows are some notes I remember about it. I used this OS for over 18 years, but my memory is a bit fuzzy.
- Only 2 type of files, Indexed (ISAM) and Consecutive (Text).
- Record Sizes can be set as Fixed or Variable Length.
- Consecutive could be looked at as UNIX Byte Streams, but not really.
- A Flag could be set to allow the File to be compressed or uncompressed.
- Backups were performed to 9 tack reel tapes. Also the multiple CRC Errors on restore will give you a good reason to drink :)
- Disk Drives were call Volumes.
- Only 1 "Directory Level". On the VS these were called "Libraries".
- Max Library and File Name Size was 8 characters.
- No lowercase characters.
- There is no concept of a "Command Line", all activates where accomplished via TUI Screens.
- No such things as "file extensions".
- Instead of saying "I deleted a file", one would say "I scratched a file". That was very common usage for people and customers using the VS.
- Users did not have what one would call a home directory.
- If I remember correctly, you set Volume/Library/File Access based upon user ID (it has been a while).
- Development tools were quite good, you had 2 full screen editors, "EDIT" an "ADEPT", plus a number of code generation tools.
- Creating TUI screens were trivial, easier than anything I have seen since. TUI Screen Creation on the VS puts UNIX curses to shame. Also, the screen generators on SAP where terrible when compared to what the VS had.
- The Terminals you connected to the VS were not dumb but I think an 8 bit tiny computer.
- When Microsoft Windows came out, Wang created an GUI Application you could use to connect to the VS from your PC.
- There was a database system called "PACE", with PACE you could create a very complex business application within 2 days. The tools were very smart, I have seen nothing as powerful or easy since. It is too bad PACE was not ported to other Systems.
- These were pre-internet systems, but could be networked using WSN (Wang System Numbers).
- Kind of odd, but you could execute Wang WP on the VS.
Supported languages:
- COBOL
- FORTRON
- PL/1
- C
- assembler, rather similar to IBM Mainframe assembler.
- Procedure Language, a very powerful scripting language.
- There were others that I have since forgotten about.
SHA512 for "Wang VS Procedure Language Examples"
Wang VS Procedure Language Examples
Workaround for Download Failures
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$Id: wangvs.gmi,v 2.5 2023/11/13 16:33:36 jmccue Exp $