Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Hotz, R. L..
HAL/S is a programming language developed to satisfy the flight software requirements for the space shuttle program. The user's guide explains pertinent language operating procedures and described the various HAL/S facilities for manipulating integer, scalar, vector, and matrix data types.
This programming language was developed for the flight software of the NASA space shuttle program. HAL/S is intended to satisfy virtually all of the flight software requirements of the space shuttle. To achieve this, HAL/s incorporates a wide range of features, including applications-oriented data types and organizations, real time control mechanisms, and constructs for systems programming tasks. As the name indicates, HAL/S is a dialect of the original HAL language previously developed. Changes have been incorporated to simplify syntax, curb excessive generality, or facilitate flight code emission.
The structure and symbology of the HAL/S programming language are described; this language is to be used among the flight software for the space shuttle project. The data declaration, input/output statements, and replace statements are also discussed.
A three phase language compiler is described which produces IBM 360/370 compatible object modules and a set of simulation tables to aid in run time verification. A link edit step augments the standard OS linkage editor. A comprehensive run time system and library provide the HAL/S operating environment, error handling, a pseudo real time executive, and an extensive set of mathematical, conversion, I/O, and diagnostic routines. The specifications of the information flow and content for this system are also considered.
This is a reference document to be used in the process of getting HAL/S programs compiled and debugged on the IBM 360 computer. Topics from the operating system communication to interpretation of debugging aids are discussed. Features of HAL programming system that have specific system/360 dependencies are presented.