CAN/CSA-ISO/IEC 11756-96 (R2000)

Introduction

Part 1: MUMPS Language Specification

Part 1 consists of two sections that describe the MUMPS language.
Section 1 describes the metalanguage used in the remainder of Part 1 for the static syntax.
Section 2 describes the static syntax and overall semantics of the language. The distinction between static and dynamic syntax is as follows. The static syntax describes the sequence of characters in a routine as it appears on a tape in routine interchange or on a listing. The dynamic syntax describes the sequence of characters that would be encountered by an interpreter during execution of the routine. (There is no requirement that MUMPS actually be interpreted). The dynamic syntax takes into account transfers of control and values produced by indirection. 

Part 2: MUMPS Portability Requirements

Part 2 highlights, for the benefit of implementors and applic ation programmers, aspects of the language that must be accorded special attention if MUMPS program transferability (i.e., portability of source code between various MUMPS implementations) is to be achieved. It provides a specification of limits that must be observed by both implementors and programmers if portability is not to be ruled out. To this end, implementors must meet or exceed these limits, treating them as a minimum requirement. Any implementor who provides difinitions in currently undefined areas must take into account that this action risks jeopardizing the upward compatibility of the implementation, upon subsequent revision of the MUMPS Language Spe cification. Application programmers striving to develop portable programs must take into account the danger of employing unilateral extensions to the language made available by the implementor.

The following definitions apply to the use of the terms explicit limit and implicit limit within this document. An explicit limit is one which applies directly to a referenced language construct. Implicit limits on language constructs are second- order effects resulting from explicit limits on other language constructs. For example, the explicit command line length restriction places an implicit limit on the length of any const ruct which must be expressed entirely within a single command line.