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An operating system for interactive terminals
Author(s) -
Wiseman N. E.,
Robinson P.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
software: practice and experience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1097-024X
pISSN - 0038-0644
DOI - 10.1002/spe.4380070409
Subject(s) - computer science , flexibility (engineering) , workstation , variety (cybernetics) , operating system , simplicity , computer multitasking , embedded system , philosophy , statistics , mathematics , epistemology , artificial intelligence
Conventional operating systems have for many‐years used the ideas of standard stream interfaces to peripherals. Multi‐tasking has been used in order to give an efficient response while maintaining simplicity and flexibility for the user. This paper describes an extension to an operating system which makes similar facilities available for the control of interactive workstations, and also provides a command dispatcher which enables the straightforward implementation of arbitrary user‐defined command languages. The current system has been written in BCPL to run on a PDP 11/45 handling a Vector General display, but the design is suitable for use with a variety of terminals, computers and languages.