08/02/84  gcos_syspunch, gspn

Syntax as a command:  gspn path


Function:  The gcos_syspunch command converts a GCOS standard system
format file containing BCD and binary card images to a format suitable
for punching using the Multics dpunch command with the -raw argument.
This command is called automatically by the GCOS environment simulator
to convert any punch files produced by the job, unless the -hold
argument is given on the gcos command line.  It can also be called by
the user to convert any GCOS card image file for dpunching.


Arguments:
path
   is the pathname of the card image file to be converted.


Notes:  The output is written into a segment in the working directory
whose entryname consists of the entryname portion of path plus the
suffix raw.  If this segment already exists, it will be overwritten
with no warning.

The star convention is not implemented in this command.

The conversion produces a 960-bit string for each input card image.
Each 12-bit string represents one of the 80 card columns, with a 1-bit
indicating that a hole should be punched in the corresponding row and
column.  This conversion is such that, when the output file is punched
using the dpunch -raw command, the result is valid GCOS BCD or binary
cards containing the same information that was in the records of the
input file.


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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved