EUR-Lex - 31977D0615 - EN

It is therefore necessary to carry out a study with a view to analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach and examining its feasibility. The study will initially be centred on applications in the fields of telecommunications and data transmission.

Minicomputers will be increasingly used in telecommunications. It is equipment in this sector which the manufacturers of peri-formatic equipment consulted by the Commission generally feel will benefit from such an approach (as compared, for example, with office calculators).

Data transmission is one of the most promising and faster-growing sectors of the electronics market. Since it plays an important part in a wide range of applications from process control to scientific and business-oriented data collection systems, most manufacturers of peri-informatic equipment are going to be involved in it.

If the portable products resulting from the projects are a commercial success, the funds given to industry for their realization will be reimbursed to the Community according to a formula to be defined within the general context of the administration of projects and of the medium-term programme.

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECTS

1. Study of a software writing language

This language and the compilers required for use on various types of equipment are a prerequisite for the realization of all the portable products forming the subject of these projects.

The development of this language must therefore be regarded as a matter of utmost priority.

The study is designed to identify the necessary characteristics of the future ESL (European System Language), and also involves tests on existing languages, with a view to determining whether one of these may be speedily adopted for wider use and further development. The choice of language will be made on the basis of very strict criteria which, apart from those resulting from the study, will consist at least of the following: - compilers of the chosen language must exist on different types of equipment,

• the compilers must be able efficiently to generate object programs of the "system" type,

• the cost of developing new versions of compilers for other types of equipment must be low,

• portable products that have given proof of their efficiency and portability must exist in the chosen language.

This study and the selection procedure will take approximately nine months.

The anticipated results are as follows: (a) definition of the future characteristics of ESL;

(b) if an existing language is capable of meeting future development requirements, identification of the characteristics requiring modification or further development.

The subsequent phases of the project, scheduled for 1978, will hinge on the results of the study phase and will require a decision in the context of the multiannual programme.

1. Study on conversion tools

In the medium and long term the portable products whose development forms the objective of these proposals will reduce incompatibilities between different types of equipment and make for portability of new applications. However, there is a large body of existing computer applications which the user must nowadays convert whenever he changes over to another type of equipment.

This means that the project for the development of conversion tools is designed to meet a need which is now felt by any user wishing to change over to a different computer, and therefore has a high degree of urgency.

If conversion is to be carried out in the way most advantageous to the user both technically and financially, a certain number of tools such as COBOL and FORTRAN translators, translators for assembler languages, translators for control languages, file converters, etc. must be available.

The first phase will consist of an investigation of requirements and a review of the tools already available or under development at national or company level ; it will be followed by the preparation of specifications for the conversion tools and facilities for which Community development support will be desirable. These tools and facilities should be as widely applicable as possible.

The second phase will be concerned with the development of the tools considered necessary, and will require a decision in the context of the multiannual programme.

1. Study on the feasibility of developing a common software interface for minicomputers

The proposed study aims to analyze the feasibility conditions of a common nucleus for an operating system of minicomputers i.e. an advanced common software interface.

This choice is justified by the fact that a growing number of the basic functions of primitive software are performed by hardware, and this trend may well become more widespread in the near future given the rapid progress of technology.

Particular attention will be paid to the compatibility and/or portability level of software in a distributed intelligence environment. The study will thus be mainly orientated toward data-transmission applications ; nevertheless, possibilities of extension to other applications will be borne in mind and the relevant conditions indicated.

The study will cover the following points: (a) analysis of the latest concepts applied to the architecture of systems using minicomputers and micro-processors and estimates of their trends over the forecast lifespan of the software product;

(b) evaluation of the basic performances and requirements of an operating system, with particular emphasis on the more specific elements required by its implementation in a distributed intelligence environment;

(c) examination of the optimum implementation level of the software interface, taking into account the results of phases (a) and (b) as well as interaction with standard data-exchange protocols, interface with public networks and multilayer (upward-downward) compatibility;

(d) examination of interaction between hardware, software and network characteristics and consideration of a common programming language and certain subsystems;

(e) detailed identification of the economic risks and advantages of a common software interface and of the market conditions and sectors in which this would be beneficial. The identification will include estimates of cost and time requirements and state the specific hypotheses on which these are based.