Guide to Writing a Command Language Interpreter

This guide provides comprehensive instructions for system programmers to create and maintain non-standard Command Language Interpreters (CLIs) on the IAS operating system. It details the Timesharing Control Services (TCS), which are a set of macros and subroutines used for task monitoring, subtask management, inter-task communication, and handling terminal events like 'Ctrl/C'. The manual covers:

• CLI Requirements: Guidelines for installing and allocating tasks as CLIs.
• Subtask Management: Using the RUN$T, ABRT$T, and SPND$T macros to manage hierarchical task structures.
• Inter-task Communication: Mechanisms for sending and receiving messages between related tasks using the SEND$T and RCV$T macros.
• Event Handling: Detailed descriptions of TCS macros for managing system events and terminal interrupts.
• Macro Reference: A comprehensive reference section for all TCS macros, including functional descriptions, parameter definitions, and error codes.