SNO(I)                                                     SNO(I)



NAME
       sno  Snobol interpreter

SYNOPSIS
       sno [ file ]

DESCRIPTION
       Sno is a Snobol III (with slight differences) compiler and
       interpreter.  Sno obtains input from the concatenation  of
       file  and  the standard input.  All input through a state-
       ment containing the label `end' is considered program  and
       is compiled.  The rest is available to `syspit'.

       Sno differs from Snobol III in the following ways.

       There are no unanchored searches.  To get the same effect:

               a ** b          unanchored search for b
               a *x* b = x c   unanchored assignment

       There is no back referencing.

               x = "abc"
               a *x* x         is an unanchored search for `abc'

       Function declaration is different.  The function  declara-
       tion  is  done  at  compile  time  by the use of the label
       `define'.  Thus there is no ability to define functions at
       run  time  and  the use of the name `define' is preempted.
       There is also no provision for automatic  variables  other
       than the parameters.  For example:

       define     f( )

       or

       define     f(a,b,c)

       All  labels  except `define' (even `end') must have a non-
       empty statement.

       If `start' is a label in the  program,  program  execution
       will start there.  If not, execution begins with the first
       executable  statement.   `define'  is  not  an  executable
       statement.

       There are no builtin functions.

       Parentheses  for arithmetic are not needed.  Normal prece-
       dence applies.  Because of this, the arithmetic  operators
       `/' and `*' must be set off by space.

       The right side of assignments must be non-empty.

       Either ' or " may be used for literal quotes.

       The pseudo-variable `sysppt' is not available.

SEE ALSO
       Snobol III manual.  (JACM; Vol. 11 No. 1; Jan 1964; pp 21)



                              2/9/73                       SNO(I)