Hi,

I am looking for a manual for the DEC RT-11 version of VLISP-11.

No luck using the usual search engines I am afraid.

The plan is to develop an Eliza chatbot program for a museum to run as a demonstration with their PDP-11/34 computer. I have found plenty of sources for Eliza-like Lisp programs - but (true to form) none of them run on VLISP-11...

Before I go through the source MACRO-11 code and generate my own documentation - I was just wondering if anyone already had a copy?

Cheers,

Dave

Hello,

Common LISP is available for a wide Range of Computers, and
Computer Systems.

Why do you not buy a cheap, and old Laptop - like VOSTROC AMD64.
It comes with a 120 GigaByte Hard-Disk, where you can install the
Windows 10 Operating System (which can be Download for free at
the Microsoft WebSites with a valid Key for the Software.

So, you have an acceptable Computer (Laptop) for the Museum, and
a modern, and easy to use/handle Operating System, where You can
install Common Lisp.

You can use then CLISP on Terminal/Console or with eMACS-Editor,
which can format Your Code to the Guidelines from the Community.

And: You can put the Laptop on different Places, on different Days.
So, you are flexible.

This is my advice, but if have an other User have other Ideas, then
drop a Message, and bring me to other Results.

Cheers, Jens

--
Diese E-Mail wurde von Avast-Antivirussoftware auf Viren geprüft.
www.avast.com

David Roberts <daver21145@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am looking for a manual for the DEC RT-11 version of VLISP-11.

Maybe here: https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/LISP/vlisp/

In particular (long line):
https://web.archive.org/web/20181025135752/http://www.ai.univ-paris8.fr/~hw/monCoursIndex.html

Ok, in French and not about the RT-11 version, but at least VLISP-11.

Here is the list of functions from the above (again, long line):

https://web.archive.org/web/20160326051306/http://www.ai.univ-paris8.fr/~hw/lisp/Apartfn.pdf

--
Nils M Holm < n m h @ t 3 x . o r g > http://t3x.org

Jens Kallup <paule32.jk@gmail.com> writes:

> Hello,
>
> Common LISP is available for a wide Range of Computers, and
> Computer Systems.
>
> Why do you not buy a cheap, and old Laptop - like VOSTROC AMD64.
> It comes with a 120 GigaByte Hard-Disk, where you can install the
> Windows 10 Operating System (which can be Download for free at
> the Microsoft WebSites with a valid Key for the Software.
>
> So, you have an acceptable Computer (Laptop) for the Museum, and
> a modern, and easy to use/handle Operating System, where You can
> install Common Lisp.
>
> You can use then CLISP on Terminal/Console or with eMACS-Editor,
> which can format Your Code to the Guidelines from the Community.
>
> And: You can put the Laptop on different Places, on different Days.
> So, you are flexible.
>
> This is my advice, but if have an other User have other Ideas, then
> drop a Message, and bring me to other Results.
>
> Cheers, Jens

Jeez... this is wrong on so many levels.

Hi Jens,

Thank you for your suggestion.

Unfortunately your proposed solution doesn't meet my primary requirement of running on resurrected DEC PDP-11/34 hardware with the RT-11 Operating System as a demonstration for a museum.

I already have Lisp running on my VAX and iMac if I want to use it myself.

Dave

Hi Nils,

The URL you provided (https://www.softwarepreservation.org/projects/LISP/vlisp/) was the one that I acquired the source code from in the first instance. I have also read the two documents you linked to. They are the closest I have come to the documentation - but there are a few differences. Also, my German is better than my French - but the language of the code is the code!

The documentation for the VLISP-11 I am particularly interested in relates to the following:

==============================================================
110617 VLISP-11 Version: March 1984
Submitted by: Paul Mennen, Palo Alto, CA
Operating System: RT-11 V4 or later, TSX-PLUS Source Language:
MACRO-11 Memory Required: 16KW to 30KW Keywords: Floating Point
Routines, LISP, Language Interpreters, Utilities - RT-11
Abstract: VLISP-11 is a complete LISP programming environment
which will run on any model PDP-11 or LSI-11. The VLISP
interpreter is written in MACRO assembly language and
implements 160 LISP functions including several I/O
functions providing access to the RT-11 file structure.
The rest of the package is written in VLISP and includes
a pretty-printer (with parenthesis matching and
commenting facilities), a save utility, a list oriented
editor, a debugger, a file transfer utility, and an
infinite precision floating point package. Additional
versions are included which utilize the EIS or EIS/FIS
instructions.
Documentation available in hardcopy only.
Media (Service Charge Code): User's Manual (EB), Three RX01 Diskettes
(KC) Format: RT-11, 600' Magnetic Tape (MA) Format: RT-11

==============================================================
I have (however) started to document the language facilities of the source code I have obtained, and will compare my list to the documentation that is available. I am just hoping (fingers crossed) that someone out there has an old dusty paper copy of the original documentation somewhere available...

Regards,

Dave

On 10/8/23 12:08, David Roberts wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am looking for a manual for the DEC RT-11 version of VLISP-11.
>
> No luck using the usual search engines I am afraid.
>
> The plan is to develop an Eliza chatbot program for a museum to run as a demonstration with their PDP-11/34 computer. I have found plenty of sources for Eliza-like Lisp programs - but (true to form) none of them run on VLISP-11...
>
> Before I go through the source MACRO-11 code and generate my own documentation - I was just wondering if anyone already had a copy?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Dave

Hi,

In case you didn't find the actual manual information, this appears to
be it:

https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/decus/110617.html

Cheers,

Peri

Hi Peri,

I am afraid that link just contains the text I previously posted, including the sentence "Documentation available in hardcopy only. ".

Dave