Preface

The TOPS-20 User's Guide describes the functions that you can perform with the TOPS-20 operating system. This manual is the first document of two TOPS-20 user-oriented manuals. The audience for the TOPS-20 User's Guide ranges from the entry level first-time user to the experienced higher level language programmer.

Descriptions of how to use the system, obtain system information, enter programs, run programs, and modify programs have been excerpted from Getting Started with TOPS-20 and incorporated into the TOPS-20 User's Guide. This information is not designated with change bars in the TOPS-20 User's Guide. Only new TOPS-20 operating system features are highlighted with change bars.

Once you learn about the functions described in the TOPS-20 User's Guide, you can refer to the second and more advanced manual, the TOPS-20 Commands Reference Manual, for complete descriptions of all of the TOPS-20 commands and how to use them.

The following suggests a list of chapters to read according to the level of information you need to do your job.

• If you are a first time user, such as a librarian, clerk, or data entry person, read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 8, 10.
• If you are a system administrator, or a new operator, read Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7.
• If you are a programmer, read Chapter 9.

Following is a list of manuals referenced in this manual:

• TOPS-20 Commands Reference Manual
• TOPS-20 User Utilities Guide
• TOPS-20 Tape Processing Manual
• TOPS-20 System Manager's Guide
• EDIT User's Guide
• EDIT Reference Manual
• TV Editor Manual
• EDT-20 Primer
• TOPS-10/TOPS-20 Batch Reference Manual
• TOPS-10/TOPS-20 DECmail/MS Manual

Conventions Used in This Manual

Underlined text

indicates what the user types in command examples.

^letter

means press the keys labeled CTRL and the specified letter simultaneously, for example ^C.

Ellipsis ...

means that items in a command line can be optionally repeated.

<RET>

is implied in command examples.

<ESC>

indicates when you should press the ESCape (or ALTmode) key.