Preface

The VOS PL/I Subroutines Manual (R005) documents the operating system subroutines. It explains what each subroutine does and shows how to call each subroutine from a VOS PL/I program.

The subroutines described in this manual include neither device-related nor transaction-processing subroutines. You can find documentation on the device-related operating system service subroutines in the VOS Communications Software manuals, and documentation on transaction-processing subroutines in the VOS Transaction Processing Facility Reference manuals.

This manual is intended for systems and application programmers developing applications using the operating system subroutine interface.

Before using this subroutines manual, you should be familiar with the VOS PL/I Language Manual 

Manual Version

This manual is a revision. For information on which release of the software this manual documents, see the Notice page.

Change bars, which appear in the margin, note the specific changes to text since the previous publication of this manual.

The following subroutines are new for this release:

s$decipher_block_dea
s$decipher_block_tdea
s$decipher_string_cbc
s$decipher_string_cfb1
s$decipher_string_cfb8
s$decipher_string_cfb64
s$decipher_string_ecb
s$decipher_string_ofb1
s$decipher_string_ofb8
s$decipher_string_ofb64
s$decipher_string_tcbc
s$decipher_string_tcbci
s$decipher_string_tcfb1
s$decipher_string_tcfb1p
s$decipher_string_tcfb8
s$decipher_string_tcfb8p
s$decipher_string_tcfb64
s$decipher_string_tcfb64p
s$decipher_string_tecb
s$decipher_string_tofb1
s$decipher_string_tofb8
s$decipher_string_tofb64
s$decipher_string_tofbi
s$encipher_block_dea
s$encipher_block_tdea
s$encipher_string_cbc
s$encipher_string_cfb1
s$encipher_string_cfb8
s$encipher_string_cfb64
s$encipher_string_ecb
s$encipher_string_ofb1
s$encipher_string_ofb8
s$encipher_string_ofb64
s$encipher_string_tcbc
s$encipher_string_tcbci
s$encipher_string_tcfb1
s$encipher_string_tcfb1p
s$encipher_string_tcfb8
s$encipher_string_tcfb8p
s$encipher_string_tcfb64
s$encipher_string_tcfb64p
s$encipher_string_tecb
s$encipher_string_tofb1
s$encipher_string_tofb8
s$encipher_string_tofb64
s$encipher_string_tofbi
s$get_dea_key_schedule
s$get_tdea_key_schedule

The following subroutine descriptions have been updated to reflect new or modified functionality or to correct mistakes in the previous revision of the manual (with changes marked with change bars).

s$get_module_usage
s$seq_write
s$seq_write_partial

Manual Organization

The manual has three chapters and two appendixes.

Chapter 1 gives general information about using the subroutines. You will find the general information you need to use the operating system service subroutines in a VOS PL/I program. The chapter includes a list of the data types of the subroutine arguments, the conventions and rules that govern the declarations of the subroutine parameters, and the method for calling the subroutines from programs written in VOS PL/I.

Chapter 2 classifies all of the subroutines into functional categories and describes the purpose of each subroutine.

Chapter 3 is a reference guide to the subroutines, explaining each subroutine in detail. The subroutines are presented in alphabetical order.

Appendix A contains a table of the VOS internal character code set.

Appendix B lists all of the subroutines that are not described in this manual. It also indicates where you can find a description of each.

Related Manuals

Refer to the following Stratus manuals for related documentation.

  • Introduction to VOS 
  • VOS Reference Manual 
  • VOS Commands Reference Manual 
  • VOS PL/I Language Manual 
  • VOS PL/I Transaction Processing Facility Reference Manual 
  • VOS Transaction Processing Facility Guide 
  • VOS System Administration: Administering and Customizing a System 
  • VOS System Administration: Registration and Security 
  • VOS System Administration: Disk and Tape Administration 
  • VOS System Administration: Administering the Spooler Facility 
  • VOS System Administration: Configuring a System 

Notation Conventions

This manual uses the following notation conventions.

  • Monospace represents text that would appear on your display screen (such as commands, subroutines, code fragments, and names of files and directories). For example:

The subroutine returns the length of the selected record in record_length.

  • Monospace italic represents terms that are to be replaced by literal values. In the following example, the user must replace the monospace-italic term with a literal value.

The value of buffer_length must not be greater than N, the length of record_buffer.

  • Italics introduces or defines new terms. For example:

One jiffy is 1/65,536 of a second.

  • Boldface emphasizes words in text. For example:

All unused switches are reserved for future use and must be set to 0.

Format for Subroutines

Stratus manuals use the following format conventions for documenting subroutines. Note that the subroutine descriptions do not necessarily include each of the following sections.

subroutine_name
The name of the subroutine is at the top of the first page of the subroutine description.

Purpose
Explains briefly what the subroutine does.

Usage
Shows how to declare the variables passed as arguments to the subroutine, declare the subroutine entry in a program, and call the subroutine.

Arguments
Describes the subroutine arguments.

Explanation
Provides information about how to use the subroutine.

Error Codes
Explains some error codes that the subroutine can return.

Examples
Illustrates uses of the subroutine or provides sample input to and output from the subroutine.

Related Information
Refers you to other subroutines and commands similar to or useful with this subroutine.

Online Documentation

The VOS StrataDOC Web site is an online-documentation service provided by Stratus. It enables Stratus customers to view, search, download, print, and comment on VOS technical manuals via a common Web browser. It also provides the latest updates and corrections available for the VOS document set.

You can access the VOS StrataDOC Web site at http://stratadoc.stratus.com. A copy of the VOS StrataDOC CD-ROM is included with this release. You can also order additional copies from Stratus.

This manual is available on the VOS StrataDOC Web site.

For information about ordering the VOS StrataDOC CD-ROM, see the next section, "Ordering Manuals."

Ordering Manuals

You can order manuals in the following ways.

  • If your system is connected to the Remote Service Network (RSN™), issue the maint_request command at the system prompt. Complete the on-screen form with all of the information necessary to process your manual order.
  • Customers in North America can call the Stratus Customer Assistance Center (CAC) at (800) 221-6588 or (800) 828-8513, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All other customers can contact their nearest Stratus sales office, CAC office, or distributor; see http://www.stratus.com/support/cac/index.htm for CAC phone numbers outside the U.S.

Manual orders will be forwarded to Order Administration.

Commenting on This Manual

You can comment on this manual by using the command comment_on_manual. To use the comment_on_manual command, your system must be connected to the RSN. Alternatively, you can email comments on this manual to comments@stratus.com.

The comment_on_manual command is documented in the manual VOS System Administration: Administering and Customizing a System  and the VOS Commands Reference Manual  There are two ways you can use this command to send your comments.

  • If your comments are brief, type comment_on_manual, press or , and complete the data-entry form that appears on your screen. When you have completed the form, press .
  • If your comments are lengthy, save them in a file before you issue the command. Type comment_on_manual followed by -form, then press or . Enter this manual's part number, R005, then enter the name of your comments file in the -comments_path field. Press the key that performs the CYCLE function to change the value of -use_form to no and then press .

Note: If comment_on_manual does not accept the part number of this manual (which may occur if the manual is not yet registered in the manual_info.table file), you can use the mail request of the maint_request command to send your comments.

Your comments (along with your name) are sent to Stratus over the RSN.

Stratus welcomes any corrections and suggestions for improving this manual.