The Heap

This is the first paid subscription issue of 'The Heap', the newsletter for the Languages and Tools SIG (LTSIG) within DECUS. The issue includes:

• Editor's Notes: An introduction from John R. Barr regarding the new subscription model, calls for article submissions, and future plans for the newsletter.
• Bits and Pieces: Updates on Modula-2 research, announcements for the 1983 Fall DECUS Symposium, and information on ANSI standards working groups.
• SIG Roles: Job descriptions and biographical sketches for various committee coordinators.
• Conference Reports: A report by Kathy Hornbach on the Softfair Conference, covering software development tools, techniques, and environments.
• Technical Articles:
  • Excerpts from the Lear Siegler Software Development Environment Plan.
  • Reports from the 1983 Spring DECUS Symposium, including the VAX Languages Environment, ADA Language System (ALS), PASCAL for RSX, PDP-11 FORTRAN-77 debugging, and using resident libraries.
  • A guide on tailoring the EDT editor for structured language programmers.
  • An overview of the Artificial Intelligence Technology Center and related projects like OPS5 and Common Lisp.

The newsletter aims to serve as a hub for communication, standardizing tools, and sharing technical insights among the DEC user community.