Abstract: A solution to the problem of undesired serialization of bus controlled instrument measurement delays for multiple instances of programmatically controlled measurement processes is to configure the bus operations and the control programs to allow the issuance of a command within the context of a first collection of such instruments, without having to wait for the corresponding data before issuing commands within the context of a second collection. This is done by instructing the equipment in the collection to signal that they have data instead of the more customary immediately issued "@ address talk", which is then followed by the delay needed by the equipment to make the measurement. Instead, the "have data" signals are associated with the devices that originated them and then the bus instructions that request the data are issued. In conjunction with this, the usual bus I/O commands in the controlling programs may be replaced with calls to a library that operates in just this fashion.

Abstract: A method of extending a hierarchial programming language that retains compatibility with programs written for the original language. This method also allows a language to be defined that permits common commands to be abbreviated into shorter forms, providing a more user friendly system, while still permitting the longer form of a command to perform the intended way. The method also allows such a language to be restructured and extended by inserting a new level into the parse tree of the language. The method comprises inserting a default node into the parse tree of the language at the point where the extension, or the shortened command form, occurs. When the disclosed language parser method interprets the tree, the default node will be treated as if the mnemonic of the default node were actually in the command being parsed at the position where the default node appears in the tree. The disclosed method of processing the new parse tree also allows multiple commands per line, as required by existing standards.