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STRING         - 1 bytes integer 0 to 255, EG STRING(2) x; is a 2 byte ascii string
INT            - 2 bytes, 0 to 65,535 or -32,768 to + 32,767. This can also be a string EG: INT twochars := "CH";
INT(32)        - 4 bytes
UNSIGNED(1~15) - n bits, 0 thru (2**n - 1)
UNSIGNED(16)   - 0 to 65,535, or -32,768 to +32,767. This is your standard address
FIXED          - 8 bytes, for FIXED(0) or FIXED(*) the range is -9 kazillion to +9 kazillion
REAL           - 4 bytes, precise to 9 digits
REAL(64)       - 8 bytes, precise to 17 digits

INT(16)   is the same as INT
INT(64)   is the same as FIXED(0)
REAL(32)  is the same as REAL

Examples:
LITERAL double_word = (4 * 8);
INT    (double_word) num; ! num is a INT(32)
INT       x := 4                  ! x is decimal 4
INT       x := %177               ! x is Octal 177
INT       x := %B01010            ! x is Binary 01010
INT       x := %B0000000000000010 ! x is 2;
INT       x := %B1111111111111110 ! x is -2 (using twos compliment);
INT       x := %H1A               ! x is Hex 1A
FIXED(3)  x := 0.642F;            ! x is 642000, the  3 shifts the decimal right
FIXED(-3) x := 642945F;           ! x is 642000, the -3 shifts the decimal left
FIXED(*)  x := 123                ! x is stored, not scaled

BLOCK  x                       ; ! Declare Global Variables
     INT        flag    := TRUE;
     INT(32)    index   := 22  ;
END BLOCK                      ;
BLOCK PRIVATE                  ; ! Declare Local Variables
     INT        myflag  := TRUE;
     INT(32)    myindex := 22  ;
END BLOCK                      ;

PROC paragraph_x   ; FORWARD   ; ! Declares that paragraph_x will be out of compile sequence
PROC called_program; EXTERNAL  ; ! Declares that a paragraph can be found in a called program
PROC paragraph_x (param)       ;
BEGIN
     INT param;
END;

PROC paragraphs_nested (param) ;
BEGIN
  ENTRY entry_point              ; ! Declares a programs entry point
  some code
  SUBPROC entry_subroutine(x)    ; ! Declares a subroutine with a PROC
     BEGIN
     some code  
     END;
  entry_point:
     some more code
END;

PROC myproc;
BEGIN !Local data declarations
   SUBPROC some_sub (param); !Declare subprocedure 
      INT param; 
      ENTRY sub_entry;         ! Declare entry-point identifier
      INT var;                 ! Some code here 
   sub_entry:                  ! Apply entry-point
      var := var - param;      ! identifier to statement 
      some code         ;      ! Tal can get ugly very quickly
   END;                        ! End subprocedure 
   some code 
   !Local statements
   CALL sub_entry (1); !Call entry-point SUB_ENTRY 
   END;

PROC xx(v1,v2,v3);
BEGIN...END;
...CALL xx(v1, !nothing!, v3) ! Comments help document ommited variables

DEFINETOG omit                !
some code
?IF omit
some code
?ENDIF omit

Sample compile statement: suppress octal code after each line, suppress all but header information, compile for syntax only
   and puts the errors in a file called xxx, and sets the omit toggle on
TAL/in myprogram/;nocode, suppress, syntax, errorfile xxx,settog omit,

Operators:
  x  := 2     ! move 2 to a number
  x ':=' 'AB' ! move characters to a string
  x := @var   ! x is the address of var
  .x          ! convert x from a INT to the word address of another variable
  <<          ! Signed Left shift
  '<<'        ! Unsigned Left shift
  + - *       ! Signed operators for add, subtract and multiply
  '+' '-' '*' ! Unsigned operators for add, subtract and multiply
  = <= >=     ! comparisons
  '=' '<='    ! comparisons (unsigned)
  <>          ! Not equal

According to the manual, you can do math on a string variable. EG: STRING x; x ':=' 'A"; x := x * 2; Go figure?

It was nice hanging with you guys.
Goodbye for now: Jeff, Jennifer and Glen.
We took Jennifer to the airport.
She went to Vegas and we went to the Moon Township. We never got a good chance to take her to Mars.  (I'm serious)
While at the airport, Jen got into a little bit of trouble. It was her first time flying alone. She misplaced her ticket and her birth certificate down some place.
A nice couple saw that she was in trouble and offered their help.
In the end, the security office had her documents, and Jennifer and the couple flew off too Vegas.
The couple was from...you guessed it, Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh people are the best!

I was standing outside, talking to my buddy as he loaded up his car with the last of his belongings from his cubical.
We shared a smoke, and I watched him drive off for the last time.
Standing alone, I felt a cold breeze at my back.
In less than five minutes, the sky turned into an orchestra of thunder and lightening. The streets flowed with mud.
When I left work soon afterwards, it was still pouring outside.
I looked at the parking lot and I realized that out of the hundreds of people I work with, I was the last person to leave. 
I have five weeks and three days left on my contract. This past year has been full of magic.

A fellow contractor got the axe yesterday. I'm going to miss him a lot.
It's pretty common for us contractors to come and go.
It can happen at any time and as a general rule it should be expected.
For me, contracting makes the most efficient use of the time we have here; if there's work, I work. If there is nothing to do, I play.
It's not like my fellow contractor did anything wrong. It's always difficult to say goodbye. But we'll bump into each other again.
We picked a high paying profession.
We knew we'd be travelling a lot. We knew we'd be changing contracts every year. There's always the chance that when we come in, all of the security codes will be changed, and we'll be out of work.
We knew we'd be giving up our rights of employment and we signed them away.
While the road, I've lost loved ones, forgotten what it is like to have a home, and I can't say for sure who I've become. Last year I lost my fortune.
I could never do this alone.
To contract nationally, you have to give up a normal livestyle.
It's an exchange. You trade familiarity for a broad spectrum of knowledge and experience.
And I've got to say, I've met some GREAT People along the way.

My Cubical Area - To some it may sound strange to actually enjoy their job, but me, I love mine. There is a feel of comradery here. There is humor, excitement, and a feeling of importance I get when I'm working in my cube.
Contractors generally don't get much attention on the job. We usually sit, read, code, test and document. Our contacts exist in the form of emails, instant messages, and word documents. But this contract is so very different. I actually understand most of the system at this point. That is because, to the people, I'm not just a body, I am a real, live person. And these people, no matter how far they get promoted, they know the system's nuts and bolts.
Today, an analyst pulled up a program by its number, moved through the code, and called it up by its server name (not so cryptic). There are over a thousand programs in the system I work with, and he had this one memorized. Many of those who worked on this system have been promoted levels beyond programming.
I will miss this place and these times.
From Becky, Jennifer and myself, I'd like to express a special appreciation to Jeff, Lonnie, Georgia, Cynthia, Cindy, Arden, Rob, Scott, Dave, the people at Ericsson, and all of the people that we've met in Pennsylvannia so far. Pennsylvannia is beautiful by itself. Add you guys to it, and it is my heaven. Too bad it all has to end.