Compiler Commands Reference¶

Complete command reference for NPL, MAC, and NORD-500 Assembler

Version: 1.1
Date: October 18, 2025
Source: Official manuals and source code analysis

Table of Contents¶

NPL Compiler Commands
MAC Assembler Commands
NORD-500 Assembler Commands
NRL Linker Commands
BRF-EDITOR Commands
Quick Reference Tables

NPL Compiler Commands¶

Starting the NPL Compiler¶

@NPL [source-file][:NPL] [,list-file] [,list-file]

Parameters: - source-file - Input NPL source file - :NPL - Optional extension (default) - list-file - Optional listing output

Examples:

@NPL HELLO:NPL              # Compile HELLO:NPL to HELLO:MAC
@NPL MYPROG,LIST,LIST       # Compile with listing to LIST:LIST
@NPL SOURCE:NPL             # Simple compilation

NPL Compiler Directives (Inside Source)¶

These directives appear inside NPL source files:

@DEV - Device/File Specification (Batch Mode)¶

Syntax:

@DEV device-name,line-count,line-count

Purpose: Redirect output to different device/file (used in master source files for batch compilation)

Example:

@DEV ABSTR,1,1     % Output to ABSTR:MAC

Note: Used in SINTRAN master source files when compiling multiple modules from one source.

MAC Assembler Commands¶

Starting the MAC Assembler¶

@MAC [source-file][:MAC]

Interactive Mode:

@MAC
*[commands]
*EXIT

Examples:

@MAC HELLO:MAC              # Assemble HELLO:MAC to HELLO:BRF
@MAC MYPROG                 # Assemble MYPROG:MAC

MAC Assembler Directives¶

All MAC directives start with ) and appear in MAC source files.

)FILL - Fill Memory¶

Syntax:

)FILL [count]

Purpose: Reserve space, fill to boundary

Examples:

)FILL          % Fill to next location
)FILL 10       % Reserve 10 words
RBUS           % Reserve bus word (same as )FILL)

)KILL - Remove Symbols¶

Syntax:

)KILL symbol1 symbol2 ...
)KILL symbol1,symbol2,...

Purpose: Remove symbols from symbol table (clean up after use)

Examples:

)KILL TEMP1 TEMP2      % Remove TEMP1 and TEMP2
)KILL L1,L2,L3         % Remove multiple labels
)KILL BRG L2           % Clean up temporary symbols

Common Pattern:

L2=*
    LDA I (HSTAT
    ...
)KILL L2               % Remove after use

)ZERO - Zero Fill¶

Syntax:

)ZERO count

Purpose: Fill with zero values

Example:

)ZERO 100      % Reserve 100 words of zeros

)PCL - Set Location Counter (Print Control Line)¶

Syntax:

)PCL octal-address

Purpose: Set assembly location counter

Example:

)PCL 1000      % Set location to octal 1000

)LINE - Include Source Line¶

Syntax:

)LINE

Purpose: Include a line in the listing (for debugging/documentation)

Example:

)LINE          % This line will appear in listing

)9SLPL - Set Listing Options (9-track Symbolic List Print Line)¶

Syntax:

)9SLPL

Purpose: Control listing format for symbolic output

Example:

)9SLPL         % Enable symbolic listing

)9ASSM - Assemble with Options¶

Syntax:

)9ASSM line-count,list-file,output-file

Purpose: Assemble with specific options

Example:

)9ASSM 100,LIST-FILE,(OTS-CRS-BRF-1)IDB-VIA-MONC-OPR

)9TSS - TSS System Directive¶

Syntax:

)9TSS

Purpose: Indicate TSS (Timesharing System) compatibility mode

Example:

)9TSS          % TSS mode

Conditional Assembly¶

Quote Blocks - Conditional Code¶

Syntax:

" condition
    [code if true]
"

Purpose: Conditional assembly based on symbol definition

Example:

" ND100         % If ND100 is defined
    LDA 100
" ND500         % If ND500 is defined  
    LDWB R1,100
"               % End conditional

NORD-500 Assembler Commands¶

Starting the NORD-500 Assembler¶

The NORD-500 Assembler is a cross-assembler that runs on the NORD-100 CPU under SINTRAN III and produces NRF (NORD Relocatable Format) object files for the NORD-500 CPU.

@NORD-500-ASSEMBLER [source-file][:SYMB] [,list-file][:LST] [,object-file][:NRF]

Alternative command names:

@N500ASM
@ND500ASM

Parameters: - source-file - Input NORD-500 assembly source file (default extension: :SYMB or :ASM) - list-file - Optional assembly listing output (default extension: :LST) - object-file - Output NRF object file (default extension: :NRF)

Examples:

@NORD-500-ASSEMBLER PROGRAM:SYMB
@N500ASM PROGRAM:SYMB,PROGRAM:LST,PROGRAM:NRF
@ND500ASM MODULE1:ASM

NORD-500 Assembler Commands (Interactive)¶

ASSEMBLE - Assemble Source File¶

Syntax:

ASSEMBLE filename[:SYMB]

Purpose: Assemble a NORD-500 source file

Example:

ASSEMBLE PROGRAM:SYMB
ASSEMBLE MODULE1:ASM

LIST / NO-LIST - Control Listing Output¶

Syntax:

LIST
NO-LIST

Purpose: Enable or disable assembly listing generation

Example:

LIST                    % Generate listing
NO-LIST                 % Skip listing (faster)

LINES - Set Lines Per Page¶

Syntax:

LINES line-count

Purpose: Set number of lines per page in listing

Example:

LINES 60               % 60 lines per page
LINES 66               % Standard page size

EXIT - Exit Assembler¶

Syntax:

EXIT

Purpose: Exit the NORD-500 assembler

NORD-500 Source Directives¶

These directives appear inside NORD-500 assembly source files. See NORD-500-ASSEMBLER-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md for complete directive reference.

$MACRO / $ENDMACRO - Define Macro¶

Syntax:

$MACRO macro-name [parameter, ...]
    [macro body]
$ENDMACRO

Purpose: Define reusable code macro

Example:

$MACRO PUSH reg
    W1 SUB 4
    reg DATA IND(W1)
$ENDMACRO

$IF / $ELSIF / $ELSE / $ENDIF - Conditional Assembly¶

Syntax:

$IF expression
    [code if true]
$ELSIF expression
    [code if elsif true]
$ELSE
    [code if false]
$ENDIF

Purpose: Conditional assembly based on expressions

Example:

$IF DEBUG
    W1 := 1               % Debug mode
$ELSE
    W1 := 0               % Production mode
$ENDIF

$INCLUDE - Include Source File¶

Syntax:

$INCLUDE filename

Purpose: Insert contents of another file

Example:

$INCLUDE DEFINES:SYMB
$INCLUDE MACROS:SYMB

$LIST / $NOLIST - Control Listing¶

Syntax:

$LIST
$NOLIST

Purpose: Control listing output within source

Example:

$NOLIST               % Don't list following code
$INCLUDE STDMACROS:SYMB
$LIST                 % Resume listing

$TITLE - Set Listing Title¶

Syntax:

$TITLE "title-string"

Purpose: Set title for listing page headers

Example:

$TITLE "NORD-500 Main Program - Version 1.0"

$EJECT - Page Break¶

Syntax:

$EJECT

Purpose: Force new page in listing

Example:

$EJECT                % Start new page
% New section begins here

NORD-500 Module Structure Directives¶

MODULE / ENDMODULE - Define Module¶

Syntax:

MODULE [module-name [',' priority [',' language-code]]]
    [module code]
ENDMODULE [module-name]

Purpose: Delimit an assembly program module

Example:

MODULE MYPROG, 100, 0     % Priority 100, language 0 (assembly)
    [code]
ENDMODULE MYPROG

ROUTINE / ENDROUTINE - Define Routine¶

Syntax:

ROUTINE entry-point [, entry-point ...]
    [routine code]
ENDROUTINE

Purpose: Define a subroutine with entry points

Example:

ROUTINE MY_SUB, ALT_ENTRY
    [subroutine code]
    RET
ENDROUTINE

IMPORT-P / IMPORT-D - Import Symbols¶

Syntax:

IMPORT-P symbol [, symbol ...]    % Import program addresses
IMPORT-D symbol [, symbol ...]    % Import data addresses

Purpose: Import external program or data symbols

Example:

IMPORT-P EXT_ROUTINE, HELPER_FUNC
IMPORT-D GLOBAL_VAR, SHARED_DATA

EXPORT - Export Symbols¶

Syntax:

EXPORT symbol [, symbol ...]

Purpose: Make symbols accessible to other modules

Example:

EXPORT MY_FUNC, SHARED_VAR

MAIN - Specify Main Entry Point¶

Syntax:

MAIN entry-label

Purpose: Specify the main program entry point

Example:

MAIN START_PROGRAM

NORD-500 Loader Commands¶

The NORD-500 loader links NRF files into executable programs.

@NORD-500-LOADER

Interactive Commands:

LOAD - Load NRF File¶

Syntax:

LOAD filename[:NRF]

Purpose: Load NORD-500 relocatable object file

Example:

LOAD PROGRAM:NRF
LOAD MODULE1:NRF

LIBRARY - Load Library¶

Syntax:

LIBRARY library-name[:NRF]

Purpose: Load NORD-500 library for conditional linking

Example:

LIBRARY N500LIB:NRF
LIBRARY MATHLIB:NRF

PSEG - Specify Program Segment Output¶

Syntax:

PSEG filename[:PSEG]

Purpose: Specify program segment output file

Example:

PSEG PROGRAM:PSEG

DSEG - Specify Data Segment Output¶

Syntax:

DSEG filename[:DSEG]

Purpose: Specify data segment output file

Example:

DSEG PROGRAM:DSEG

LINK - Specify Link Information Output¶

Syntax:

LINK filename[:LINK]

Purpose: Specify link information file

Example:

LINK PROGRAM:LINK

MAP - Generate Memory Map¶

Syntax:

MAP

Purpose: Generate and display memory map of linked program

Example:

MAP                    % Show memory layout

EXIT - Exit Loader¶

Syntax:

EXIT

Purpose: Exit the NORD-500 loader

NRL Linker Commands¶

Starting NRL¶

@NRL

NRL Commands (Interactive)¶

IMAGE - Specify Target CPU¶

Syntax:

*IMAGE cpu-type

Parameters: - 100 - ND-100 target - 500 - ND-500 target

Example:

*IMAGE 100

PROG-FILE - Specify Output File¶

Syntax:

*PROG-FILE "filename"

Purpose: Specify name of output executable

Example:

*PROG-FILE "HELLO"
*PROG-FILE "MYPROG"

LOAD - Load Object File¶

Syntax:

*LOAD filename

Purpose: Load BRF (object) file into link

Examples:

*LOAD HELLO           % Load HELLO:BRF
*LOAD CC-2HEADER      % Load C runtime header
*LOAD MYPROG          % Load MYPROG:BRF

START - Set Entry Point¶

Syntax:

*START symbol
*START address

Purpose: Specify program entry point

Example:

*START MAIN           % Start at MAIN symbol
*START 0              % Start at address 0

MAP - Generate Memory Map¶

Syntax:

*MAP

Purpose: Display memory allocation map

Example:

*MAP                  % Show memory layout

EXIT - Exit Linker¶

Syntax:

*EXIT

Purpose: Exit NRL and write output file

Example:

*EXIT                 % Save and exit

NRL Output Messages¶

FREE: 000706-177777 ....        # Free memory range
FREE DATA AREA: 000202-177777   # Free data area

BRF-EDITOR Commands¶

Starting BRF-EDITOR¶

@BRF-EDITOR

BRF-EDITOR Commands (Interactive)¶

RENAME-SYMBOL - Rename Symbol¶

Syntax:

RENAME-SYMBOL old-name new-name

Purpose: Rename a symbol in BRF file

Example:

RENAME-SYMBOL RI1F RIDB1F
RENAME-SYMBOL RINF RIDBNF

Common Use: Avoid symbol conflicts when linking multiple modules

CHANGE-FILE - Select File¶

Syntax:

CHANGE-FILE filename

Purpose: Select which BRF file to edit

Example:

CHANGE-FILE (OTS-CRS-BRF-1)IDB-VIA-MONC-OPR

MAKE-LIBRARY-UNITS - Create Library¶

Syntax:

MAKE-LIBRARY-UNITS filename

Purpose: Convert BRF to library format

Example:

MAKE-LIBRARY-UNITS (OTS-CRS-BRF-1)IDB-VIA-MONC-OPR

Use Case: Create reusable library from object files

EXIT - Exit BRF-EDITOR¶

Syntax:

EXIT

Purpose: Save changes and exit

Example:

EXIT              % Save and quit

Quick Reference Tables¶

NPL Compiler Quick Reference¶

Command	Purpose	Example
`@NPL file:NPL`	Compile NPL to MAC	`@NPL HELLO:NPL`
`@NPL file,list,list`	Compile with listing	`@NPL PROG,OUT,OUT`

MAC Assembler Quick Reference¶

Directive	Purpose	Example
`)FILL`	Reserve space	`)FILL 10`
`)KILL`	Remove symbols	`)KILL TEMP`
`)ZERO`	Zero fill	`)ZERO 100`
`)PCL`	Set location	`)PCL 1000`
`)LINE`	Include line	`)LINE`
`)9SLPL`	Listing options	`)9SLPL`
`)9ASSM`	Assemble options	`)9ASSM 100,LIST,OUT`
`)9TSS`	TSS mode	`)9TSS`
`"`	Conditional block	`" ND100` ... `"`
`RBUS`	Reserve bus word	`RBUS`

NRL Linker Quick Reference¶

Command	Purpose	Example
`*IMAGE`	Set target CPU	`*IMAGE 100`
`*PROG-FILE`	Output filename	`*PROG-FILE "HELLO"`
`*LOAD`	Load object file	`*LOAD HELLO`
`*START`	Set entry point	`*START MAIN`
`*MAP`	Show memory map	`*MAP`
`*EXIT`	Save and exit	`*EXIT`

BRF-EDITOR Quick Reference¶

Command	Purpose	Example
`RENAME-SYMBOL`	Rename symbol	`RENAME-SYMBOL OLD NEW`
`CHANGE-FILE`	Select file	`CHANGE-FILE file`
`MAKE-LIBRARY-UNITS`	Create library	`MAKE-LIBRARY-UNITS file`
`EXIT`	Save and exit	`EXIT`

Common Command Sequences¶

Build NPL Program¶

@NPL HELLO:NPL              # 1. Compile
@MAC HELLO:MAC              # 2. Assemble
@NRL                        # 3. Link
*IMAGE 100
*PROG-FILE "HELLO"
*LOAD HELLO
*EXIT
@HELLO                      # 4. Run

Build C Program¶

@CC-100 HELLO:C             # 1. Compile C to BRF
@NRL                        # 2. Link with runtime
*IMAGE 100
*PROG-FILE "HELLO"
*LOAD CC-2HEADER            # C runtime header
*LOAD HELLO                 # Your program
*LOAD CC-2BANK              # C library
*LOAD CC-2TRAILER           # C runtime trailer
*EXIT
@HELLO                      # 3. Run

Build NORD-500 Program¶

@NORD-500-ASSEMBLER PROGRAM:SYMB  # 1. Assemble to NRF
@NORD-500-LOADER                  # 2. Link
LOAD PROGRAM:NRF
PSEG PROGRAM:PSEG
DSEG PROGRAM:DSEG
LINK PROGRAM:LINK
MAP
EXIT
# 3. Load and run on NORD-500 CPU

Build Multi-Module NORD-500 Program¶

@N500ASM MODULE1:SYMB       # 1. Assemble module 1
@N500ASM MODULE2:SYMB       # 2. Assemble module 2
@N500ASM MODULE3:SYMB       # 3. Assemble module 3
@NORD-500-LOADER            # 4. Link all modules
LOAD MODULE1:NRF
LOAD MODULE2:NRF
LOAD MODULE3:NRF
LIBRARY N500LIB:NRF         # Include library
PSEG PROJECT:PSEG
DSEG PROJECT:DSEG
LINK PROJECT:LINK
MAP
EXIT

Rename Symbols for Library¶

@BRF-EDITOR
RENAME-SYMBOL RI1F RIDB1F
RENAME-SYMBOL RINF RIDBNF
RENAME-SYMBOL WI1F WIDB1F
RENAME-SYMBOL WINF WIDBNF
CHANGE-FILE module:BRF
MAKE-LIBRARY-UNITS module:BRF
EXIT

Command Categories¶

Compilation Phase¶

Tool	Input	Output	Command
NPL	`.NPL`	`.MAC`	`@NPL source:NPL`
CC-100	`.C`	`.BRF`	`@CC-100 source:C`
PLANC	`:SYMB`/`:PLNC`	`.BRF`	`@PLANC-100`

Assembly Phase¶

Tool	Input	Output	Command
MAC	`.MAC`	`.BRF`	`@MAC source:MAC`
NORD-500 ASM	`.SYMB`/`.ASM`	`.NRF`	`@NORD-500-ASSEMBLER source:SYMB`

Linking Phase¶

Tool	Input	Output	Command	Target CPU
NRL	`.BRF`	`.PROG`	`@NRL` + commands	ND-100
NORD-500 Loader	`.NRF`	`.PSEG`/`.DSEG`	`@NORD-500-LOADER` + commands	ND-500

Post-Processing¶

Tool	Input	Output	Command
BRF-EDITOR	`.BRF`	`.BRF`	`@BRF-EDITOR` + commands

Error Messages¶

NPL Compiler Errors¶

END OF COMPILATION - X ERRORS DETECTED

Meaning: X syntax/semantic errors found during compilation

Action: Check listing for error details

MAC Assembler Errors¶

PHASE ERROR

Meaning: Symbol value changed between assembly passes

Action: Check forward references, ensure symbols defined before use

UNDEFINED SYMBOL: symbolname

Meaning: Symbol used but not defined

Action: Define symbol or check spelling

NRL Linker Errors¶

UNDEFINED SYMBOL: symbolname

Meaning: External symbol not found in loaded modules

Action: Load missing module containing symbol

FILE ALREADY EXISTS

Meaning: Output PROG file already exists

Action: Delete old file or use different name

Command-Line Patterns¶

Single-File Build¶

@NPL prog:NPL && @MAC prog:MAC && @NRL

Multi-Module Build¶

@NPL mod1:NPL
@MAC mod1:MAC
@NPL mod2:NPL
@MAC mod2:MAC
@NRL
*LOAD mod1
*LOAD mod2
*PROG-FILE "combined"
*EXIT

Build with Libraries¶

@NRL
*LOAD main
*LOAD mylib
*LOAD systemlib
*PROG-FILE "app"
*EXIT

Special Symbols¶

MAC Assembler Special Symbols¶

Symbol	Meaning	Example
`*`	Location counter	`LABEL=*`
`I`	Indirect addressing	`LDA I (ADDR`
`,X`	Indexed addressing	`LDA ,X OFFSET`
`,0`	Label reference	`JMP ,label`

Documentation References¶

NPL¶

Manual: ND-60.047.03 NORD PL User's Guide
Guide: NPL-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md

MAC¶

Manual: ND-60.096.01 MAC User's Guide
Guide: MAC-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md

NRL¶

Manual: ND-60.066.04 ND Relocating Loader
Guide: LINKING-GUIDE.md

BRF-EDITOR¶

Manual: ND-60.085.01 BRF EDITOR
Guide: See TOOLS-REFERENCE.md

Notes¶

Command Syntax¶

@ - SINTRAN command prefix
* - NRL/interactive tool prompt
: - File extension separator
, - Parameter separator
% - NPL/MAC comment

File Extensions¶

.NPL - NPL source
.MAC - MAC assembly source
.BRF - Binary Relocatable Format (object)
.PROG - Executable program
.C - C source
.PLANC - PLANC source

Case Sensitivity¶

Commands are case-insensitive
Filenames follow SINTRAN conventions
Symbols are case-sensitive in some contexts

Version: 1.0
Last Updated: October 17, 2025
Status: Complete
Source: Official manuals, source code analysis, verified examples

See Also: - QUICK-START-EXAMPLES.md - Working examples - MAC-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md - Complete MAC guide - LINKING-GUIDE.md - Complete linking guide - SINTRAN-DEVELOPER-GUIDE.md - Master guide