From: lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com (lwin) Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: AS/400 op codes Date: 13 Aug 1999 02:57:26 GMT Organization: The PACSIBM SIG BBS Lines: 16 Message-ID: <7p01im$b2g@netaxs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: bbs.cpcn.com Originator: root@bbs.cpcn.com Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news-xfer.newsread.com!netaxs.com!newsread.com!netaxs.newsread.com!bbs.cpcn.com!root I always wondered what the "assembler language" for the AS/400 looked like. Unlike S/390, the AS/400 doesn't allow normal users to access its low level. The AS/400 does support packed decimal (COMP-3) as a valid data type, but unlike S/390, I don't know if it that is the optimum data type for arithmetic in business applications. The manual implies that binary is best. (Well actually that's fastest in S/390 too, but business applications lose time doing the convert-to-binary and then back again. Maybe the AS/400 secret "LIC" assembler language is really Autocoder and they don't want anyone to know that. (After all, RPG was originally developed for the 1401, and hey, they gotta milk that investment.) ###### From: "Chris Ward" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: AS/400 op codes Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 09:35:10 -0400 Organization: IDT (Best News In The World) Message-ID: <7p16vk$8ht@nnrp4.farm.idt.net> References: <7p01im$b2g@netaxs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: ppp-7.ts-1-bay.hob.idt.net X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Lines: 15 Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!diablo.dera.gov.uk!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.idt.net!nntp.farm.idt.net!news The AS/400 assembly language was changed several years ago when it went to the "power" platform as used by the RS/6000 and the Macintosh. lwin wrote in message news:7p01im$b2g@netaxs.com... > I always wondered what the "assembler language" for the AS/400 looked > like. > > Unlike S/390, the AS/400 doesn't allow normal users to access > its low level. ###### From: Kevin Schoedel Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: AS/400 op codes Date: 13 Aug 1999 14:58:32 GMT Organization: IGS - Information Gateway Services Lines: 18 Message-ID: <7p1bqo$s2b$1@news.igs.net> References: <7p01im$b2g@netaxs.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: diamond.archelon.com X-Trace: news.igs.net 934556312 28747 198.62.112.8 (13 Aug 1999 14:58:32 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@igs.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 13 Aug 1999 14:58:32 GMT X-Newsreader: trn 4.0-test70 (17 January 1999) Originator: kevin@archelon.com (Kevin Schoedel) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!feed2.news.luth.se!luth.se!news-peer-europe.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!hermes.visi.com!news-out.visi.com!newspump.sol.net!news.execpc.com!newspeer.sol.net!wn3feed!worldnet.att.net!206.191.82.231!rockie.attcanada.net!newsfeed.attcanada.net!216.58.1.11!nntp.igs.net!news.igs.net!not-for-mail In article <7p01im$b2g@netaxs.com>, lwin wrote: >I always wondered what the "assembler language" for the AS/400 looked >like. > >Unlike S/390, the AS/400 doesn't allow normal users to access >its low level. The low level varies (or has varied) from model to model. IBM wanted the flexibility to use different implementations of the high-level AS/400 architecture. John Levine's linker book (http://www.iecc.com/linker/) says that the AS/400 code is translated to the low-level architecture at load time. I believe that at least some current models are POWER or PowerPC based. -- Kevin Schoedel schoedel@kw.igs.net ###### Reply-To: "Andrew McLaren" From: "Andrew McLaren" Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers References: <7p01im$b2g@netaxs.com> Subject: Re: AS/400 op codes Lines: 31 X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Message-ID: Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 13:07:08 +1000 NNTP-Posting-Host: 139.134.109.246 X-Trace: newsfeeds.bigpond.com 934600136 139.134.109.246 (Sat, 14 Aug 1999 13:08:56 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 13:08:56 EST Organization: Telstra BigPond Internet Services (http://www.bigpond.com) Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!news.maxwell.syr.edu!intgwpad.nntp.telstra.net!newsfeeds.bigpond.com!not-for-mail lwin wrote in message <7p01im$b2g@netaxs.com>... >I always wondered what the "assembler language" for the AS/400 looked >like. There is a good discussion of AS/400 low-level internals in Soltis, F "Inside the AS/400", Duke Press, Colorado 1996 ISBN 1-882419-13-8. Frank Soltis was one of the chief architects of the AS/400 at IBM and this book is probably the most public and accessible description of AS/400 architecture. It would be of interest to any keen student of computer architecture, even if you hate the AS/400 at a high-level perspective. Basically there are two sets of machine instructions - the older IMPI and the newer PowerPC architectures. The PowerPC instruction set is similar but not identical to the "other" PowerPC chips eg 604 etc. I'm not trying to defend IBM's strategy - but keeping users away from really low-level machine aspects isn't sheer bloody-mindedness on IBM's part: it was an explicit design goal. It was thought that this would make the machine easier for business users, who were focussed on solving busines not techical problems. I don't think anyone would try to implement systems programming in Autocoder or RPG :-) Although of course, the languages are derivitiave of the old wiring boards - now *THAT'S* low level :-)) Cheers Andrew