The C "command file control program" appears to be the "EX - execute command file" utility ported from 6502 BCPL, p70 of https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21166p3 of the ARM system user guide says "The system documentation is as follows: [...] C reference manual".
I believe that a C compier was planned for the launch of the ARM Eval System, but never made it. There are clues it was planned ...
The press release states "a comprehensive kit of software including five high level languages, a powerful Assembler ..." but there were only four included: BASIC, LISP, Fortran 77 and Prolog.
The "ARM system user guide" on p2 lists "C" as the seventh disc (there are only six) and on p3 mentions the "C reference manual".
The Acorn drawing office index for the AES also mention a “C DISC” and “C DISC LABEL”. Unlike the other discs and labels, they have no associated AMR (Advance Manufacturing Release) number.
This suggests that C may have been intended as the missing fifth high-level language.
And https://mdfs.net/Archive/BBCMicro/2007/09/25/210512.htm confirms again there was no C compiler supplied with the AES.
Statistics: Posted by acheton1984 — Sun Feb 15, 2026 11:36 am