Electric was a very peculiar system in use at RAL. In its first version
its files were accessed remotely (from MSSL terminals) with a curious one-way line-editor
(one could edit a file in the forward direction only, one had to close and restart to
go back to earlier lines). Later files were kept on the MSSL PDP, and sent via a RJE link.
The files were full JCL jobs, inclusive of Job Control cards, the full Fortran source, and
eventually data.
A peculiarity was that all files were double. The primary file could make parametric
references, and a secondary control file defined combinations of possible parameter
values. Thus one could invoke a job with a particular parameter set, and alter the
program behaviour.
sax.iasf-milano.inaf.it/~lucio/WWW/Opinions/electric.html
:: original creation 1998 ott 02 14:19:04 CEST ::
last edit 1998 Oct 02 14:19:04 CEST