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Conference turris::languages

Title:Languages
Notice:Speaking In Tongues
Moderator:TLE::TOKLAS::FELDMAN
Created:Sat Jan 25 1986
Last Modified:Wed May 21 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:394
Total number of notes:2683

113.0. "What Is Object Of Function Assignment Called?" by KIRK::NORTON (Charles McKinley Norton | Baseway) Fri Oct 17 1986 11:57

Hi!

I posted a similar note to this in PASCAL notes. I received a good
answer in terms of Pascal. Is there a universal term (at least to VAX
HLL languages) for the status, as used in the following:

status := func_call(p1, p2);

Thanks.

CAEM/CIM Product Development | MLO5-2/E50 Pole 36A | 223-3590
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113.1WAGMLOKAI::MACKa(2bFri Oct 17 1986 16:0425
Speaking off the top of my head after a brief research:
    
    All the system manuals seem to refer to it as a "cond_value", or
    "condition value", so presumably this is the "dictionary" term for it.
    
    However, in STARLET, the prefix used is STS$, and *in a single
    paragraph*, STARLET refers to them as failure codes, status codes, and
    error codes.  All the coding samples I have ever seen in a VMS document
    have always used a variable called "status" (although the data type
    used in Ada is COND_VALUE_TYPE). 
    
    It would seem that the best way to be consistent with VMS is to
    have all your documentation refer to it as a condition value, and
    have all your code call it a status. :-)  
    
    Addressing your original question, language-oriented terms for this
    kind of information are usually closer to the signalling mechanism than
    the return mechanism (e.g. VAXCONDITION for PL/1, "exception" for Ada,
    etc.).  A number of languages have a mechanism for getting the RMS
    STATUS, so STATUS seems natural.  On the other hand, the VMS documen-
    tation term for it is "condition value". 
    
    So is this for your documentation or your code?
    
    							Ralph
113.2Need For DocumentsKIRK::NORTONCharles McKinley Norton | BasewayFri Oct 17 1986 17:5310
RE:  < Note 113.1 by MLOKAI::MACK "a(2b" >

Since BASEWAY "supports" calls from five languages, I am trying
to find a "generic" name for one of our writers.

This is an excellent answer, because it keeps consistent
with VMS documentation.

tnx
cmn
113.3Guide to Writing Modular Procedures [Chapter 2]BLITZN::PALOComputer-friendly livewareTue Oct 21 1986 21:123
    
    Completion Status or Routine Value if the routine does not return
    a condition value.