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PL1TAX |
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| Overview | Outline overview of PL1TAX functions and capabilities. |
| Tutorial | Tutorial walk through of the PL1TAX language. |
| Tutorial | Tutorial walk through of the 2200 System. |
| Tutorial | Tutorial walk through of the 2200 System Editor - @ED |
| Examples | Sample programs demonstrating functions and capabilities of the PL1TAX. |
| Documentation | The complete PL1TAX language documentation. |
| Challenge | Take the PL1TAX challenge! |
What is PL1TAX?
PL1TAX is a programming language used primarily to process flat files to produce cross-tabulations. PL1TAX can also be used to print, report, copy, extract, and/or reformat flat files. PL1TAX reads a single input file, and processes records subject to user commands. PL1TAX is structured in such a way that the user issues NO file OPENS, CLOSES, READS, READ NEXT, or AT END logic. Thus the user only specifies how to process each record.
What are the cross-tabulations that PL1TAX produces?
Cross-tabulations are tables produced by reading an input flat file and crossing the given values of a stub variable, and the given values of a spread variable. Cross-tabulations may consist of 1, 2, or 3 stub variables, and 0 or 1 spread variables, stub being the vertical, and spread being the horizontal axis of a cross-tabulation. A cross-tabulation structure:
Spread_variable Stub_variable TOTAL
value_1
value_2
...
TOTAL 99999
999
999
...
value_1 999
999
999
...
value_2 999
999
999
...
...
How does a PL1TAX program produce the cross-tabulations?
The user uses an editor to create a PL1TAX source program. The source syntax consists of statements that define the input file, the variables location in the file, processes done on the variables, and a definition of the cross-tabulation table(s) contents, that is the stub and spread definitions.
SEX AGE TOTAL 00-20 21-65 66-99 TOTAL 1000 102 550 348 M 592 64 320 208 F 408 38 230 140
How does PL1TAX work?
PL1TAX is really a pre-processor that takes source, written in the pseudo language PL1TAX, and produces a target source of pure PL/1 language. That target source is then compiled, linked and executed to produce the desired result.
@add pl1tax (translates the following program into a proper PL/1 program) ... pl1tax source @add pl1taxgo (compiles, links, and executes PL/1 program)