STRIP, a modified TRAC implementation for the PDP-8/1

STRIP is a small modified TRAC version implemented for use on a PDP/8 computer with 8K of core memory only and a Teletype. This publication has been initiated by the lecture "The Programming Language TRAC and its Implementation", presented at IBM Germany Computer Science Seminar, Stuttgart, Sept. 1971, by Prof. Dr. W.L. van der Poel, University of Technology, Delft. An other base of this report has been the publication "TRAC, A Procedure-Describing Language for the Reactive Typewriter" in Communications of the ACM, Volume 9/Number 3/ March 1966, by C.N. MOOERS. The implementation and some STRIP applications have been supported by useful discussions with my colleagues D. Bartel, H.W. Homrighausen, Dr. Th. Meis, H. Peters, and S. Rafflenbeul. The interpretive and machine- independent language TRAC (Text Reckoning And Compiling) is very compact and concise and therefore well-suited for small computers, too. The development of TRAC began in 1960. The language was written as the basis of a software package for the reactive typewriter. "In the TRAC language, one can write procedures for accepting, naming and storing any character string from the reactive typewriter; for modifying any string in any way; for treating any string at any time as an executableprocedure, or as a name, or as text; and for printing out any string", (see C.N. MOOERS). Iterative and recursive programs can be written in a short form. All of input is treated as a character string and at first there is no difference in text strings and functions. During input every character is put into the working area in ASCII-Code