(PYVMS LOGO)

Welcome


Welcome to PYVMS - the Python programming language running on the OpenVMS operating system.

For information about Python, please refer to its homepage at: http://www.python.org/

Information about the OpenVMS operating system can be found at: http://www.openvms.digital.com/


Please note:
This text is/was originally written in HTML format so it can be viewed with a browser. The '.HTML' files are also converted by a tool named HTML2RNO to '.RNO' files.

Those are then processed by the RUNOFF text-formatter (which comes with the OpenVMS operating system) to produce '.MEM' or '.LNI' files which can be printed. So, some things may look strange when this documentation is viewed with a browser or read as a text file, but now you know why.


PYVMS has been configured with as much builtin modules as possible. Here is a list as of 27-APR-1998:

>>> print sys.builtin_module_names
('__builtin__', '__main__', 'array', 'audioop', 'binascii', 'cPickle', 'cStringIO', 'cmath', 'errno', 'imageop', 'imp', 'marshal', 'math', 'md5', 'new', 'operator', 'parser', 'pcre', 'posix', 'pyvms', 'regex', 'rgbimg', 'rotor', 'select', 'signal', 'socket', 'soundex', 'strop', 'struct', 'sys', 'time', 'timing', 'vms_jpidef', 'vms_kgbdef', 'vms_lbr', 'vms_lib', 'vms_lnmdef', 'vms_quidef', 'vms_sys')

Please note:
None of the nonVMS-related modules have been thoroughly tested - some even contain compiler warnings!


PYVMS consists of the following elements:

  • the original Python distribution stored in the directory tree [PYTHON.PYTHON-1_5_1...]
  • some files that have been changed for OpenVMS
    e.g. [.MODULES]TIMEMODULE.C
  • files that implement the interfaces to OpenVMS routines (e.g. VMS_LIB.C). Look under 'Modules' in the table of contents.
  • additional files that implement / provide enhanced functionality that is not available on (some versions of) OpenVMS (e.g. utime() )
  • a number of data files that describe VMS version-related information, item codes, bitmasks and constants (VMSD*.DAT)
  • command procedures to ease translation (e. g. VMSDEF related data files) and compilation
  • examples and documentation
I have tried to keep the original directory tree unchanged as much as possible. Additional files are located in the [.VMS...] sub-tree.

No changes have been sent back to have them included into the original source.

Version numbers / file names

This release of Python (Version 1.5.1) on OpenVMS (sub-version V001) provides the following files:
pyvms1.5.1-v001.readme
Short text file to get started. This is for people who do not have access to the full documentation, yet.
pyvms1.5.1-v001src.zip
The PYVMS distribution with all files. It is explained in the documentation on the page 'building PYVMS'. This is a binary file!
pyvms1.5.1-v001doc.tlb
This is an OpenVMS text library containing the PYVMS documentation for line printer (and printers understanding ANSI format) output. This is a binary file and you need access to an OpenVMS system to extract the contents from this text library! Read 'pyvms1.5.1-v001.readme' how to get started - it includes instructions how to convert the docu to file pyvms1.5.1-v001doc.txt for reading with a text editor.
pyvms1.5.1-v001doc.txt
The PYVMS documentation in simple text form for reading with a text editor - primary for those people who don't have access to an OpenVMS system to handle the '.TLB' files, but want to read / print the docu from a different operating system.

The individual pages are separated by FormFeed characters. Maximum page size is 66 lines, but there are no empty filler lines before a FormFeed character.

---
The filenames are created from the following elements:
pyvms
'Python on OpenVMS'
1.5.1
The port is based on Python Version 1.5.1.
v001
OpenVMS port - version 1. It will be incremented for each new release. If the Python version increments (e.g. to 1.5.2) then the OpenVMS port version will reset to 1 again.

I had made previews available. The first one got the version 'V001P1'.

doc / src
doc = this file contains pre-build documentation.
src = distribution containing source code including documentation. (Docu is in HTML format. You must first build Python and can then convert the HTML to other formats - see the page 'building PYVMS'.)

There are currently (07-JUN-1998) no pre-compiled distributions available.


As of 25-JUL-1998 'PYVMS' is still a 'hobby' project of mine (Uwe Zessin) which I do for my own pleasure in my spare time.
@@ to be enhanced
25-JUL-1998 ZE.