Re: New Vax - future directions :-)

[Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

> So I'd say [EMUL/EMULU] definitely have value.  However, it's a fair
> point that it might be hard to get compilers to make use of it.

Perhaps.  But it can be used under the hood by large-number support
routines, either libc "word×word->doubleword" or large integer
arithmetic such as is used by modern crypto.  Even if there are only
two EMULU instructions in an executable, they can still make a
significant difference.

> As is the case for so much of the stuff in the VAX.  It's good for
> people writing in assembler, but difficult to make use of by
> compilers...

Well, modern compilers, because they attempt to be multi-target.  Build
a VAX-target compiler, with no care for non-VAX targets, and it becomes
easier.

>> You don't have any modern language that want to deal with the upper
>> part anyway.

Only antique languages (like Lisp) with bignum support, or fringe
applications like cryptography.

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