(PYVMS LOGO)

Welcome


Welcome to PYVMS - the Python programming language running on the OpenVMS operating system.

This is the 'GENeral MANual'.

It contains all sorts of information. Other documentation is in the 'installation manual' and the 'reference manual'.


For information about Python, please refer to its homepage at: http://www.python.org/

Information about the OpenVMS operating system can be found at: http://www.openvms.digital.com/


Please note:
This text is/was originally written in HTML format so it can be viewed with a browser. The '.HTML' files are also converted by a tool named HTML2RNO to '.RNO' files.

Those are then processed by the RUNOFF text-formatter (which comes with the OpenVMS operating system) to produce '.MEM' or '.LNI' files which can be printed. So, some things may look strange when this documentation is viewed with a browser or read as a text file, but now you know why.


PYVMS has been configured with as much builtin modules as possible. Here is a list as of 08-JUN-1999:

>>> print sys.builtin_module_names
('__builtin__', '__main__', 'array', 'audioop', 'binascii', 'cPickle', 'cStringIO', 'cmath', 'errno', 'imageop', 'imp', 'marshal', 'math', 'md5', 'new', 'operator', 'parser', 'pcre', 'posix', 'pyvms', 'regex', 'rgbimg', 'rotor', 'select', 'sha', 'signal', 'socket', 'soundex', 'strop', 'struct', 'sys', 'time', 'timing', 'vms_brkdef', 'vms_ciadef', 'vms_dcdef', 'vms_dmtdef', 'vms_dvidef', 'vms_fabdef', 'vms_fscndef', 'vms_initdef', 'vms_jpidef', 'vms_kgbdef', 'vms_lbr', 'vms_lckdef', 'vms_lib', 'vms_libdtdef', 'vms_lnmdef', 'vms_mail', 'vms_maildef', 'vms_mntdef', 'vms_namdef', 'vms_ossdef', 'vms_prcdef', 'vms_prvdef', 'vms_pscandef', 'vms_quidef', 'vms_rabdef', 'vms_rsdmdef', 'vms_sjcdef', 'vms_statedef', 'vms_sys', 'vms_trmdef', 'vms_uaidef', 'vms_xaballdef', 'vms_xabfhcdef', 'vms_xabitmdef', 'vms_xabkeydef', 'vms_xabprodef')

Beginning with version 1.5.2-V005 the 'vms_lbr' and the 'vms_mail' modules are no longer enabled by default - see 'configuration: builtin modules' for details.

Please note:
None of the nonVMS-related modules have been thoroughly tested.


PYVMS consists of the following elements:
  • the original Python distribution stored in the directory tree [PYTHON.PYTHON-1_5_2...]
  • some files that have been changed for OpenVMS
    e.g. [.MODULES]TIMEMODULE.C
  • files that implement the interfaces to OpenVMS routines (e.g. VMS_LIB.C). Look under REFMAN 'Modules' in the table of contents.
  • additional files that implement / provide enhanced functionality that is not available on (some versions of) OpenVMS (e.g. utime() )
  • a number of data files that describe VMS version-related information, item codes, bitmasks and constants (VMSD*.DAT)
  • command procedures to ease translation (e. g. VMSDEF related data files) and compilation
  • examples and documentation
I have tried to keep the original directory tree unchanged as much as possible. Additional files are located in the [.VMS...] sub-tree.

No changes have been sent back to have them included into the original source.

Version numbers / file names

The current release of Python on OpenVMS is version 1.5.2-V005. The filenames - PYTHON1_5_2.ZIP, PYVMS1_5_2-V005SRC.ZIP, PYVMS1_5_2-V001U4SRC.ZIP, PYVMS1_5_2-V005DOC.TLB - are laid out as follows:
PYTHON
The Python distribution.
Note that the Python documentation is separate.

PYVMS
'Python on OpenVMS'

1_5_2
The port is based on Python version 1.5.2.

V005
OpenVMS port - version 5. It will be incremented for each new release. If the Python version increments (e.g. to 1.5.3) then the version number of the next OpenVMS port will reset to V001 again.
V001U4
OpenVMS port - a kit that contains updates from version 001 (002 and 003) to 004.

DOC
This file contains pre-build PYVMS documentation.

A documentation kit (the ".TLB" file) is always complete.

SRC
The PYVMS PYVMS source kit. Documentation is embedded in HTML format. You can first build Python and then convert the HTML to other formats - see the page 'installing + building PYVMS' in the 'installation manual'.

OBJ_arch
This file contains precompiled objects.
arch can be 'ALPHA' or 'VAX'.
Download sources are listed in the installation manual.


As of 21-AUG-1999 'PYVMS' is still a 'hobby' project of mine (Uwe Zessin) which I do for my own pleasure in my spare time.


21-AUG-1999 ZE.