                         IMP Core Environment Standard

                         Section 10: Enquiry Functions

    *       long real function CPU TIME

               Returns the number of seconds of Central Processing Unit time
            used so far by the present program, offset by an arbitrary value
            X>=0 which will be the same for all invocations of CPU TIME
            during the execution of a program.  The offset X might for
            example represent the CPU time between the initiation of a job
            or process and the invocation of the current program.
            Successive calls on CPU TIME through the execution of a program
            will always return results equal to or larger than their
            predecessors.  Where the host operating system does not support
            the retrieval of this information, CPU TIME will return a value
            of zero.  Note that the times returned by CPU TIME may or may
            not include processing performed by the operating system and
            charged for some reason to the present program, but that where
            the host operating system provides access to CPU TIME including
            and excluding system overhead, the preferred result is that
            excluding system overhead.

    *       string(255) function DATE

               This function returns the current date in the host operating
            system's textual representation.  Programs should make no
            assumption about the length or internal structure of this
            string.  Where the host operating system does not support the
            retrieval of this information, DATE will return the null string.

    *       string(255) function TIME

               This function returns the current time of day in the host
            operating system's textual representation.  Programs should make
            no assumption about the length or internal structure of this
            string.  Where the host operating system does not support the
            retrieval of this information, TIME will return the null string.