Document revision date: 30 March 2001

Contents

Preface
Preface	Preface
Chapter 1
1	Introduction to Modular Procedures
1.1	Why Bother with Modular Procedures?
1.2	Invoking a Modular Procedure
1.3	Using Procedure Libraries
1.4	Existing System Procedures
1.5	Using Translated Images (Alpha Only)
Chapter 2
2	Designing Modular Procedures
2.1	Organizing New Applications
2.1.1	Organizing Files and Modules
2.1.2	Organizing Procedures into Modules
2.2	Defining a Modular Procedure Interface
2.2.1	Explicit Arguments
2.2.2	Implicit Arguments
2.2.2.1	Implicit Arguments Allocated by the Calling Program
2.2.2.2	Implicit Arguments Allocated by the Called Procedure
2.2.3	How to Avoid Using Implicit Arguments
2.2.3.1	Combining Procedures
2.2.3.2	User-Action Routine
2.2.3.3	Designating Responsibility to the Calling Program
2.2.4	Order of Arguments
2.2.5	Using Optional Arguments
2.3	JSB Entry Points (VAX Only)
2.4	Using System Resources
2.4.1	Choosing a Storage Type
2.4.1.1	Stack Storage
2.4.1.2	Heap Storage
2.4.1.3	Static Storage
2.4.1.4	Avoiding Use of Static Storage
2.4.1.5	Summary of Storage Use by Language
2.4.2	Using Event Flags
2.4.3	Using Logical Unit Numbers
2.5	Using Input/Output
2.5.1	Terminal Input/Output
2.5.2	File Input/Output
2.6	Documenting Modules
2.6.1	Writing a Module Preface
2.6.2	Writing a Procedure Description
2.7	Planning for Signaling and Condition Handling
2.7.1	Guidelines for Signaling Error Conditions
2.7.2	Guidelines for Returning Condition Values
2.7.3	When to Signal or Return Condition Values
Chapter 3
3	Coding Modular Procedures
3.1	Coding Guidelines
3.1.1	Adhering to the Naming Conventions
3.1.1.1	Facility Naming Conventions (Recommended)
3.1.1.2	Procedure Naming Conventions (Recommended)
3.1.1.3	File Naming Conventions (Recommended)
3.1.1.4	Module Naming Conventions (Required)
3.1.1.5	PSECT Naming Conventions (Required)
3.1.1.6	Lock Resource Naming Conventions (Recommended)
3.1.1.7	Global Variable Naming Conventions (Recommended)
3.1.1.8	Status Code and Condition Value Naming Conventions (Required)
3.1.2	Using Common Source Files (Recommended)
3.1.3	Using OpenVMS System Services
3.1.4	Invoking Optional User-Action Routines
3.1.4.1	Bound Procedure Value (VAX Only)
3.2	Initializing Modular Procedures
3.2.1	Initializing Storage
3.2.2	Testing and Setting a First-Time Flag
3.2.3	Using LIB$INITIALIZE
3.3	Writing AST-Reentrant Code
3.3.1	What Is an AST?
3.3.2	AST Reentrancy Versus Full Reentrancy
3.3.3	Writing AST-Reentrant Modular Procedures
3.3.4	How to Eliminate Race Conditions During Concurrent Access
3.3.4.1	Performing All Accesses in One Instruction
3.3.4.2	Using Test and Set Instructions
3.3.4.3	Keeping a Call-in-Progress Count
3.3.4.4	Disabling AST Interrupts
3.3.5	Performing Input/Output at AST Level
3.3.6	Condition Handling at AST Level
Chapter 4
4	Testing Modular Procedures
4.1	Unit Testing
4.1.1	Black Box Testing
4.1.2	White Box Testing
4.2	Language-Independence Testing
4.3	Integration Testing
4.3.1	All-at-Once Approach to Integration Testing
4.3.2	Incremental Approach to Integration Testing
4.4	Testing for Reentrancy
4.4.1	Checking for AST Reentrancy
4.4.1.1	Using the Debugger to Check for AST Reentrancy
4.4.1.2	Using Desk Checking to Check for AST Reentrancy
4.4.2	Checking for Full Reentrancy
4.5	Performance Analysis
4.5.1	SHOW Entry Point
4.5.2	STAT Entry Point
4.6	Monitoring Procedures in the Run-Time Library

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