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Programming Languages Documentation

This folder contains developer guides for all NORD/SINTRAN programming languages, organized by purpose.

📂 Organization

System/ - System Programming Languages

Low-level languages for operating system development, device drivers, and system utilities.

Language Purpose Guide
NPL NORD Programming Language - OS development NPL-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md
MAC Macro Assembler - Low-level programming MAC-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md
NORD-500 Assembler ND-500 assembly language NORD-500-ASSEMBLER-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md

Application/ - Application Programming Languages

High-level languages for business, scientific, and general-purpose application development.

Language Purpose Guide
C General-purpose programming C-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md
PLANC Structured programming (PLAN-oriented) PLANC-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md
PASCAL Structured programming, education PASCAL-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md
FORTRAN Scientific and numerical computing FORTRAN-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md
COBOL Business applications COBOL-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md
BASIC Interactive programming, learning BASIC-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md

🎯 Choosing a Language

System Programming

Choose NPL or MAC when: - Writing device drivers - Developing OS components - Need direct hardware access - Require maximum performance - Working with SINTRAN internals

Choose NORD-500 Assembler when: - Programming the ND-500 coprocessor - Need 32-bit operations - Implementing specialized algorithms - Working with ND-500 domains

Application Development

Choose C when: - Need portability - Writing system utilities - Require pointer manipulation - Want modern programming constructs

Choose PLANC when: - Structured business logic - Need strong typing - Want readable, maintainable code - Working with modules

Choose PASCAL when: - Educational projects - Structured algorithms - Type-safe development - Academic computing

Choose FORTRAN when: - Scientific computing - Numerical analysis - Matrix operations - Engineering applications

Choose COBOL when: - Business data processing - File management systems - Record-oriented applications - Legacy system maintenance

Choose BASIC when: - Quick prototyping - Interactive applications - Learning programming - Simple calculations

📚 Reference Manuals

All developer guides are based on complete reference manuals located in ../../Reference-Manuals/:

System Languages

  • NPL: ND-60.047.03 NORD PL User's Guide.md
  • MAC: ND-60.096.01 MAC Interactive Assembly and Debugging System User's Guide.md
  • NORD-500 Asm: ND-60.113.02 EN Assembler Reference Manual.md

Application Languages

  • C: ND-60.214.01 CC-100 and CC-500 C-Compiler User Manual.md
  • PLANC: ND-60.117.5 EN PLANC Reference Manual.md
  • PASCAL: ND-60.124.05 ND-PASCAL User's Guide.md
  • FORTRAN: ND-60.145.7A EN ND FORTRAN Reference Manual.md
  • COBOL: ND-60.144.3 EN COBOL Reference Manual.md
  • BASIC: ND-60.071.01D NORD-10 BASIC Compiler Reference Manual.md

🔄 Development Workflow

After choosing your language, follow the complete development workflow:

  1. Write - Use QED or PED editor (../Editors/)
  2. Compile - Follow language-specific compilation (../Workflow/COMPILER-COMMANDS-REFERENCE.md)
  3. Link - Create executable programs (../Workflow/LINKING-GUIDE.md)
  4. Run - Execute and debug your program
  5. Automate - Use MODE scripts (../Workflow/SCRIPT-GUIDE.md)

📖 Documentation Structure

Each language guide follows a consistent structure:

  • Overview - Language purpose and characteristics
  • Quick Start - First program and basic concepts
  • Core Concepts - Language-specific features
  • Compilation - How to compile and run
  • Advanced Topics - Expert-level features
  • Examples - Practical code samples
  • Reference - Links to complete manuals

🔗 Related Documentation

Last Updated: October 18, 2025
Total Languages: 9 (3 system + 6 application)
Documentation Status: ✅ Complete structure, guides in progress