pTAL Reference Manual (G06.24+, H06.09+, J06.03+)

1 Introduction to pTAL
pTAL is based on the HP Transaction Application Language (TAL). You can compile pTAL source
code with either the pTAL or EpTAL compiler.
Topics:
• pTAL and TAL Compatibility (page 30)
• EpTAL, pTAL, and TAL Compilers (page 30)
• pTAL Applications (page 31)
• pTAL Features (page 32)
• System Services (page 34)
• System Procedures (page 34)
• pTAL and the CRE (page 34)
pTAL and TAL Compatibility
The pTAL language is a superset of the TAL language except that TAL supports constructs that
depend on characteristics of the underlying TNS architecture, while pTAL (with a few exceptions)
does not depend on the underlying TNS/R architecture or TNS/E architecture. For example, pTAL
code cannot:
• Access a caller’s stack marker
• Use CODE statements to execute instructions
• Build parameter masks for calls to VARIABLE and EXTENSIBLE procedures
• Embed SQL statements
Also, TAL code cannot use 64-bit addressing functionality added to TNS/E pTAL starting with SPR
T0561H01^AAP . For more information, see “64-bit Addressing Functionality” (page 531).
Because pTAL uses few machine-dependent constructs, it works efficiently with the system hardware
to provide optimal object program performance and is more portable than TAL.
Most pTAL and TAL declarations and executable statements have the same syntax and semantics.
Minor semantic differences might affect your programs; for these differences, you must change
your source code.
To accommodate migration from TAL to pTAL, pTAL retains some of TAL’s operability.
For information about pTAL and TAL differences, see:
• pTAL Conversion Guide
• pTAL Guidelines for TAL Programmers
EpTAL, pTAL, and TAL Compilers
NOTE: This topic includes only enough information about the TAL compiler to compare it to the
EpTAL and pTAL compilers. For complete information about the TAL compiler, see:
• TAL Reference Manual
• TAL Programmer’s Guide
• TAL Programmer’s Guide Data Alignment Addendum
You can compile pTAL source programs using either the pTAL compiler or the EpTAL compiler.
30 Introduction to pTAL