C/C++ Programmer's Guide (G06.25+)
Glossary
HP C/C++ Programmer’s Guide for NonStop Systems—429301-008
Glossary-8
pTAL
pTAL. Portable Transaction Application Language. A machine-independent system 
programming language based on Transaction Application Language (TAL). The pTAL 
language excludes architecture-specific TAL constructs and includes new constructs 
that replace the architecture-specific constructs. Contrast with Transaction Application 
Language (TAL).
pTAL compiler. An optimizing TNS/R native-mode compiler for the pTAL language.
range error. A mathematical error that occurs when the result of a mathematical operation 
cannot be represented as a double value. 
reduced instruction-set computing (RISC).  A processor architecture based on a 
relatively small and simple instruction set, a large number of general-purpose registers, 
and an optimized instruction pipeline that supports high-performance instruction 
execution. Contrast with complex instruction-set computing (CISC). See also TNS/R 
and TNS/E.
relative pathname. A pathname that does not begin with a slash (/) character. A relative 
pathname is resolved beginning with the current working directory. Contrast with 
absolute pathname.
RISC. See reduced instruction-set computing (RISC).
RISC instructions. MIPS RISC instructions. See also MIPS RISC instructions.
RISC word. An instruction-set-defined unit of memory. A RISC word is a MIPS RISC word. 
Contrast with TNS word and word. See also Itanium word and MIPS RISC word.
RVU. See release version update (RVU).
release version update (RVU). A collection of compatible revisions of HP NonStop 
operating system software products, identified by an RVU ID, and shipped and 
supported as a unit. An RVU consists of the object modules, supporting files, and 
documentation for the product revisions. An RVU also includes a set of documentation 
for the overall RVU.
saveabend file. A file containing dump information needed by the system debugging tool. 
(In UNIX systems, such files are usually called core files or core dump files.) A 
saveabend file is a special case of a save file. See also save file and process snapshot 
file.
save file. A file created by the debugging subsystem in response to a command from a 
debugger. A save file contains enough information about a running process at a given 
time to restart the process at the same point in its execution. A save file contains an 
image of the process, data for the process, and the status of the process at the time 
the save file was created.
A save file can be created through an Inspect SAVE command at any time. A save file 
called a saveabend file can be created when a process’s SAVEABEND attribute is set 










