🚀 go-pugleaf

>   PUNCH - Punch a card .... where does it punch it TO?? :-)

A good use of PUNCH is to embed linkage editor control statements in
an object "deck".  For example, we've used PUNCH in numerous assembler
source programs to define an alias, or to force SSI information.

In other words, PUNCH can be used to implement a self-specification of
linkedit options.  Now, if only you could do the same for assembly
options.  The assembler should have permitted you to embed the
specification of options like RENT in the source code a long time ago
(a la C #pragma or PL/1 *PROCESS).  Requirements, anyone?

>   OPSYN - "Equate operation code" - I have NO idea.

I've seen at least one software vendor use this in an intriguing macro
technique that takes standard IBM control block defining macros and
generates tables of control block offsets from them.  It does this
by OPSYN'ing the DC and DS instructions.

>   MHELP - "Trace macro flow" - Interesting.  How does it work?

Cruftily.  The Assembler F assembly-time options are much easier to use
 - they don't require re-editing the source and they provide far better
output for macro diagnosis.  MHELP is an outstanding example of
second-system elephantiasis.  Every actually TRY to debug a macro in
Assembler H?

 - SEB