(PYVMS LOGO)

Welcome


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

This is the 'GENeral MANual'.

It contains all sorts of information. Other documentation is in the 'REFerence MANual' and the 'Getting Started Guide'.


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 13-FEB-1999:

>>> 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_dcdef', 'vms_dmtdef', 'vms_dvidef', 'vms_fabdef', 'vms_fscndef', 'vms_initdef', 'vms_jpidef', 'vms_kgbdef', 'vms_lbr', 'vms_lib', 'vms_lnmdef', 'vms_mntdef', 'vms_namdef', 'vms_prcdef', 'vms_prvdef', 'vms_pscandef', 'vms_quidef', 'vms_rabdef', 'vms_sjcdef', 'vms_statedef', 'vms_sys', 'vms_trmdef', 'vms_uaidef', 'vms_xaballdef', 'vms_xabfhcdef', 'vms_xabitmdef', 'vms_xabkeydef', 'vms_xabprodef'' 'vms_xabrdtdef')

Please note:
None of the nonVMS-related modules have been thoroughly tested.


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 REFMAN '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 V008) provides the following files:
pyvms1_5_1-v008src.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-v008doc.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!
---
The filenames are created from the following elements:
pyvms
'Python on OpenVMS'
1.5.1 / 1_5_1
The port is based on Python Version 1.5.1.
v008
OpenVMS port - version 8. 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'. This stopped with P7, because that idea mutated somewhat - the next version is V008.

doc / src / OBJ_arch
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'.)
OBJ_arch = This file contains precompiled objects.
arch can be 'ALPHA' or 'VAX'.

As of 27-MAR-1999 'PYVMS' is still a 'hobby' project of mine (Uwe Zessin) which I do for my own pleasure in my spare time.
@@ to be enhanced
27-MAR-1999 ZE.