6/12/72 BC (VI)
NAME bc -- B interpreter
SYNOPSIS bc [ -c ] sfile .b ... ofile ...
1 1
DESCRIPTION bc is the UNIX B interpreter. It accepts three
types of arguments:
Arguments whose names end with ".b" are assumed
to be B source programs; they are compiled, and
the object program is left on the file sfile .o
1
(i.e. the file whose name is that of the source
with ".o" substituted for ".b").
Other arguments (except for "-c") are assumed to
be either loader flag arguments, or B-compatible
object programs, typically produced by an earlier
bc run, or perhaps libraries of B-compatible rou-
tines. These programs, together with the results
of any compilations specified, are loaded (in the
order given) to produce an executable program
with name a.out.
The "-c" argument suppresses the loading phase,
as does any syntax error in any of the routines
being compiled.
The language itself is described in [1].
The future of B is uncertain. The language has
been totally eclipsed by the newer, more power-
ful, more compact, and faster language C.
FILES file.b input file
a.out loaded output
b.tmp1 temporary (deleted)
b.tmp2 temporary (deleted)
/usr/lang/bdir/b[ca] translator
/usr/lang/bdir/brt[12] runtime initialization
/usr/lib/libb.a builtin functions, etc.
/usr/lang/bdir/bilib.a interpreter library
SEE ALSO [1] K. Thompson; MM-72-1271-1; Users' Reference
to B.
cc(I)
DIAGNOSTICS see [1].
BUGS Certain external initializations are illegal.
(In particular: strings and addresses of exter-
nals.)
OWNER ken, dmr