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System software: an introduction to systems programming
Beck L., Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1985. Type: Book (9789780201109504)
Date Reviewed: Feb 1 1986

This text is built around a SIC (Simplified Instruction Computer) with five 24-bit registers (one accumulator, one index register, a PC, status register, and linkage register), three addressing types (simple, indirect, immediate), and an instruction set with 59 instructions, which is on the lean side. Despite its dependency on this SIC, this text is nicely organized in terms of three central topics: assembly language (Chapters 2, 3, 4), compilers (Chapter 5), and operating systems (Chapter 6). It also has a final chapter, Chapter 7, on DBMs, editors, and debuggers.

The author makes his presentation of algorithms readable by using a PASCAL-like pseudocode. A strong, very attractive feature of this book is its pursuit of key algorithms used to develop each type of system software. For example, pseudocoded algorithms are given for a two-pass assembler, two-pass linking loader, one-pass macroprocessor, and dispatcher. SIC assembly language programs are used to illustrate chapter ideas. These SIC programs tend to be unhelpful, especially in Chapter 6, where a currently used systems programming language such as MODULA-2 or C would have strengthened the presentation.

Chapter 2 through 5 are the strongest, better written ones. Chapter 6 is too short and too dependent on Deitel [1] to be useful. The author gives a muddled presentation of the idea of a process, which is identified with a task and with a program in execution. In the next edition of this book. perhaps the analysis of the term process given by Yuen [2] should be taken into account. Chapter 6 concludes with a good selection of case studies, including the UCSD p-system, which is interesting.

In addition to the SIC, this text airs the features of the VAX-11, System/370, and Cyber systems. Most chapters include treatments of various aspects of these systems, which greatly strengthen this presentation. It has a total of 197 chapter exercises, which are both varied and worthwhile. The author concludes with three very detailed appendices (mostly on the SIC system). Finally, this book is appropriate for a lower level survey course on systems software, but not as a graduate level text as suggested by the author in the Preface. There is a SIC simulator “which can be run on almost any computing system” available from the publisher. This simulator should add to the usefulness of this text.

Reviewer:  J. F. Peters Review #: CR109472
1) Deitel, H. M.An introduction to operating systems, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1984.
2) Yuen, C. K.On programs, tasks and processes, ACM SIGOPS 19, 3 (July 1985), 7–8.
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Systems Programs And Utilities (D.4.9 )
 
 
Macro And Assembly Languages (D.3.2 ... )
 
 
General (D.4.0 )
 
 
Processors (D.3.4 )
 
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