11S056 PORTACALC XL: Floppy Version Version: August 1983, V5.4
Submitted by: Glenn C. Everhart, Ph.D., RCA Corporation, Mt. Holly, NJ
Operating System: IAS, RSX-11D, RSX-11M, RSX-11M-PLUS Source
Language: FORTRAN 77, FORTRAN IV-PLUS, MACRO-11 Memory Required: 70KW
Keywords: Business Applications, PortaCalc, Spreadsheet
Abstract: This version of PORTACALC is a variant of the standard
PORTACALC package for memory-mapping PDP-11's. It
differs from the standard VAX or PDP-11 version in that
it's data is kept in a virtual array, and hence the
package can handle larger spreadsheets on a PDP-11 with
no special functions beyond memory mapping support. The
current versions support a 60 by 64 sheet, but the size
can be modified by changing the SVKLUGPRM.FTN file's
PARAMETER statements which define physical sheet sizes.
. Only VT100 support is provided (though other
terminals can be added relatively easily using the
standard version's routines). Actually, there is a
modified copy of UVT52.FTN which may be used in place of
UVT100.FTN and which will give VT52 support. It may work
satisfactorily, but is less well tested than the VT52
support on the normal PORTACALC because it cannot access
the FVLD array, hence may insert a few extraneous x
characters.
. Matrix algebra and solution finding for general
equation systems is not included.
. No use is made of supervisor mode, I/D space, or
other bells and whistles available through RSX-11M-PLUS
on the larger PDP-11's. This version should run on any
RSX-11M or RSX-11M-PLUS (or 11D/IAS system) with a very
reasonable spreadsheet size.
Restrictions: The VAX version of PORTACALC (DECUS No. 11-SP-47)
supports matrix math and iterative equation solving (the
kind of thing TK!Solver(tm) does) as well as traditional
spreadsheet operations. This version does not, mainly
because the math routines were not converted to access
the virtual arrays. This could be added, but care will be
needed to guard against running out of address space.
For the present, however, PORTACALC XL is just a good 3D
spreadsheet, not a numerical analyzer as well. Terminal
control routines, other than VT100, access the FVLD
array which is now a virtual array. These have not been
converted, so the only terminals supported are the VT100
and VT52 in this XL version of PORTACALC.
Media (Service Charge Code): Two RX02 Diskettes (LB) Format: FILES-11
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Tim Shoppa
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Created: December 26, 1998