Building an APL2 X-Windows interface for VM and AIX with a general APL2-to-C interface

ABSTRACT

This paper describes APL2/X, an interface between X-Windows and APL2, designed and built at the IBM Cambridge Scientific Center. It currently runs under VM/CMS and AIX. The APL2/X VM version of the interface uses the APL2 associated processor 11 to communicate with X. The APL2/X AIX version uses a new auxiliary processor, AP144, to achieve the same functionality.APL2/X enables all of the X-Windows Xlib calls and data-structures for use from the APL2 environment. In so doing, it enables APL2 to make use of a true windowing environment. Several APL2 sample programs using the interface have been coded to illustrate and validate the interface.The basic X-Windows Xlib is actually a large application written in C. APL2/X has therefore been built upon, as well as heavily influenced, a general APL2-to-C interface that runs on various platforms: APL2 under VM/CMS and MVS/TSO, APL2 for the RISC System/6000™ under AIX, and APL2/PC under PC/DOS.

REFERENCES

• 1: Oliver Jones, Introduction to the X Window system, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1989
• 2: William A. Rutiser, Object-oriented programming of X Window System graphical user interfaces, ACM SIGAPL APL Quote Quad, v.20 n.4, p.331-341, July 1990
• 3: IBM 7~ansmission Control Program/lnternet Protocol fi)r VM: Programmer's Manual Appendix A, IBM Corp, GC09-1206-03, (1988).
• 4: IBM 7'ransmission Control Program/ lnternet Protocol for MVS: Programmer's Reference, IBM Corp, SC09-1261, (1989).
• 5: An Interface between APL2 and X-Windows, IBM Licensed Material for TCP/IP Version 2.0 for VM (5735-FAL).
• 6: IBM AIX X-Windows, Programmer's Referefzce, IBM Corp, SC23-2118-0, (1988).
• 7: APL2 Programming: System Services Reference, Chapter 23, p. 233, IBM Corp, STI20-9218-2 (1987).
• 8: ibid, p. 233.
• 9: ~h~d, p. 242.
• 10: ibid, p. 238.
• 11: APL2 Programming: APL2 for the IBM PC, User's Guide, Version 1.02, chap. 8, especially pp. 36I)-361, IBM Corp, SC33-0600-2 (1990)
• 12: AP(.2 Programming: System Services Reference, Op. Cir., p. 23R.
• 13: William A. Rutiser, Op Cit, p. 335.
• 14: A Pl.2 Programming." Processor Interface Reference, p. 13-14, 15if, IBM Corp, SIt20-9234-0 (19.87).
• 15: A PL2 fi~r the IBM l'C, User's Guide Op Cit, pages 360-361.
• 16: ()liver Jones: Op Cit, chap. 2.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: APL

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques

          Nouns: X-Window
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: C

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Languages