Part Numbering
Since the files are organized by DEC part number, a
word about part numbers is probably in order. A DEC part number
might look like any of these:
dec-812-pb
dec-08-d01a-pb
dec-08-d01a-b-pb
ac-6527d-ma
depending on the vintage of the title in question.
The earlier part numbers are the ones which folks are generally familiar with.
These try to encode the name of function of the program into the part number,
with an implicit assumption that the part number identifies a single manual or
chunk of sofware with a known function.
Later on, software began to look different from this model. OS/8, for
instance, encompasses a lot of bits and pieces of diverse function. The
practice of listing in a handbook somewhere the bits and pieces you needed
became cumbersome.
The later part numbering scheme, which almost no-one remembers how to use
properly, is structured in two layers. The bottom layer has a part number
like "ac-6527d-ma", which identifies an artifact, more or less, by how to
find it in a warehouse. (The "ac" identifies it as a document, "6527" says
which one, "d" is a revision code, and "ma" specifies the license and CPU.)
Layered on top of these part numbers, was a code that identified a product
that could be ordered. Thus "qf008" would get you FORTRAN IV, etc.) The
lower level part numbers are merely cited again in every software product
that needed them.
What's been done here, is to organize the DEC software part numbers into
directories based on the program being addressed, using the newer software
product code only if an old-style part number is not available. For example,
directory "dec-08-cdd" contains files for all part numbers associated with
any version of DDT-8.
The directory names generally are the names of the dec part number, with
the version letter removed. These start with "dec-", "maindec-", or "qf".
(Clicking on the link for a directory name will take you to that directory
in the repository.)
In general, the older format media codes which trail the part number have
also been used (to make the software to maintain this list a little simpler).
So, that "-ma" suffix in "ac-6527d-ma" should *not* be included in your
search. (A search for part number ""ac-6527d" will find the file for
maindec-08-dikla-d-d, as it should.)
The part numbers here have been mostly taken (and corrected where necessary)
from these documents:
-
PDP-8 Software Components Catalog Jul79
-
PDP-8 8S 8I 8L System Program Index
-
PDP-8 Software Price List Nov73
-
PDP-08 Maindec Index
-
PDP-12 Software Packages and Services Jun72
-
PDP-12 Software Components Catalog Apr76
- 0255 index 81-05
- 8 deco depo diagchanges
- diag index