20 May
2024
20 May
'24
11:40 p.m.
On 2024-05-19 20:58, Rob Pike wrote:
The Cornell PL/I compiler, PL/C, ran on the IBM 360 so
of course used
batch input. It tried automatically to keep things running after a
parsing error by inserting some token - semicolon, parenthesis, whatever
seemed best - and continuing to parse, in order to maximize the amount
of input that could be parsed before giving up. At least, that's what I
took the motivation to be. It rarely succeeded in fixing the actual
problem, despite PL/I being plastered with semicolons, but it did tend
to ferret out more errors per run. I found the tactic helpful.
-rob
Possibly way off topic but Toronto allowed anyone to run PL/C decks for
free, which I often did. One day, they decided to allow all of the card
to be read as text and my card numbers generated all sorts of errors.
(At least easily fixed by a visit the card punch.)
S.