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From: =?UTF-8?Q?Arne_Vajh=C3=B8j?= <arne@vajhoej.dk>
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: VMS Pascal article
Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2025 18:53:23 -0500
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On 1/3/2025 4:24 PM, Dan Cross wrote:
> In article <6778415e$0$708$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>,
> Arne Vajhøj  <arne@vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>> On 1/3/2025 1:51 PM, Dan Cross wrote:
>>> In article <vl9aln$o72$1@dont-email.me>, Arne Vajhøj  <arne@vajhoej.dk> wrote:
>>>> On 1/3/2025 1:17 PM, Dan Cross wrote:
>>>>> In article <67781447$0$711$14726298@news.sunsite.dk>,
>>>>>> And also fixed in the description of VARYING further up.
>>>>>
>>>>> You should seriously mention the STRING type, though.
>>>>
>>>> I think VARYING OF CHAR is what is used most in VMS Pascal.
>>>
>>> Weird; I can't imagine why.
>>
>> I never use string (on VMS).
>>
>> $ search sys$common:[syshlp.examples.pascal]*.pas varying
>> $ search sys$common:[syshlp.examples.pascal]*.pas "string("
>>
>> indicate that whoever write VMS Pascal examples also prefer
>> varying of char over string.
>>
>> If I were to guess about why, then I believe it is historic
>> reasons. varying of char has been there since like forever.
>> string was added with ISO Pascal support later.
> 
> I suspect that's close, but ISO Pascal doesn't have a 'VARYING'
> array type, either.

I am saying that VMS Pascal had VARYING before ISO existed. A
VMS specific (or DEC specific??) extension.

> I suspect you're referring to what ISO calls "Extended Pascal"
> (ISO 10206); ISO Pascal (ISO 7185) doesn't support a `String`
> type of either the VSI Pascal form or the Turbo
> Pascal/Delphi/FreePascal form, only manifest string literals and
> `packed array [1..n] of char`.

Yes, 10206.

Arne