GCOS/355SIM appears to be corrupting the input deck

[canthony]

Create 355sim.deck with the following content:

$      SNUMB   0001T
$      IDENT
$      355MAP  NDECK,COPY
       ABS
       TTL     TEST PROGRAM
       DCARD   3,*
       PMC     ON
       SYSTM
       ORG     1024
START  LDA     TEMP-*
       STA     NUMBER-*
       STOP
TEMP   BSS     1
NUMBER BSS     1
       END     START
***EOF

Submit the deck with the command:

gcos 355sim.deck

Examine the job output:

pr 355sim.deck

Note that lines 4,5 and 6 have acquired leading asterisks:

                                      3        DCARD   3,*
                                      4 *      PMC     ON
                                      5 *      SYSTM
                                      6 *      ORG     1024
       00000  0 07 003        3       7 START  LDA     TEMP-*

A leading asterisk is used to a indicate a 355sim control card; because of the asterisks, the following messages are generated:

*      PMC     ON
*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*
*<*>*<*>* ILLEGAL BCD CARD *<*>*<*>*
*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*

*      SYSTM
*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*
*<*>*<*>* ILLEGAL BCD CARD *<*>*<*>*
*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*

*      ORG     1024
*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*
*<*>*<*>* ILLEGAL BCD CARD *<*>*<*>*
*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*

From the 355sim manual:

ILLEGAL BCD CARD
     This message indicates that an illegal * control card or patch card has been encountered. ...

Where did the asterisks come from?

[canthony]

The example code in the Datanet 355 Simulator Reference Manual (pg 5-7, Example 2) is incorrect. The CLEAR, TRACE and DUMP cards are shown with a leading "*"; the asterisk should not be there. The example deck should be:

$      SNUMB   0001T
$      IDENT
$      355MAP  NDECK,COPY
       ABS
       TTL     TEST PROGRAM
       DCARD   3,*
       PMC     ON
       SYSTM
       ORG     1024
START  LDA     TEMP-*
       STA     NUMBER-*
       STOP
TEMP   BSS     1
NUMBER BSS     1
       END     START
***EOF

Hmm. I note that the code formatter removed the asterisks in the original bug report; making this report particularly confusing.

Read the DCARD documentation in the 355MAP manual for an explanation of why the example code was wrong and where the asterisks came from.