TAL Programmer's Guide

Glossary
096254 Tandem Computers Incorporated Glossary–9
named data block. A BLOCK declaration that specifies a data-block identifier. The
global data declared within the BLOCK declaration is accessible to all compilation
units in the program. Contrast with “private data block.”
network. Two or more nodes linked together for intersystem communication.
node. A computer system connected to one or more computer systems in a network.
NonStop SQL. A relational database management system that provides efficient online
access to large distributed databases.
NOT. A Boolean operator that tests a condition for the false state and that performs
Boolean negation.
object file. A file, generated by a compiler or binder, that contains machine instructions
and other information needed to construct the executable code spaces and initial data
for a process. The file can be a complete program ready for execution, or it can be
incomplete and require binding with other object files before execution.
offset. Represents, when used in place of an index, the distance in bytes of an item
from either the location of a direct variable or the location of the pointer of an indirect
variable, not from the location of the data to which the pointer points. Contrast with
“index.”
operand. A value that appears in an expression. An operand can be a constant, a
variable identifier, a LITERAL identifier, or a function invocation.
operator. A symbol—such as an arithmetic or conditional operator—that performs a
specific operation on operands.
OR. A Boolean operator that produces a true state if either adjacent condition is true.
output listing. See “compiler listing.”
page. See “memory page.”
PARAM command. A TACL command that lets you associate an ASCII value with a
parameter name.
parameter. An argument that can be passed between procedures or subprocedures.
parameter mask. A means by which the compiler keeps track of which actual
parameters are passed by a procedure to an EXTENSIBLE or VARIABLE procedure.
parameter pair. Two parameters connected by a colon that together describe a single
data type to some languages.
PIN. A process identification number; an unsigned integer that identifies a process in a
processor module.
pointer. A variable that contains the address of another variable. Pointers include:
Simple pointers and structure pointers that you declare and manage
Implicit pointers (pointers the compiler provides and manages when you declare
indirect arrays and indirect structures)
See also “extended pointer” and “standard pointer.”