ACC - An Intuition Front End For A68K ===================================== Using The Skeleton Routine ( acc executable ) ============================================= 1/ Click on ACC ( executable ) 2/ Select Load from Project menu. 3/ 2 Example source routines can be found in the directory: A68K/Examples/ 4/ Load one of these examples ( double click on one ). 5/ When load window closes, select Assemble from the Program menu. 6/ Once assembly is complete, select Run from the Program Menu. 7/ Have a play. Note that the example Rays_Sprite.s can only be quit by pressing BOTH mouse buttons at the same time. General Notes. ============== The idea behind this project is to supply the user with a work enviroment that will allow developing, assembling and testing of a program with the minimum amount of effort and little knowledge of the tools being used. The enviroment will eventually consist of an intuition text editor from which A68K ( and then Blink ) can be called upon to assemble a program. It will be possible to assemble to memory ( ram: ) and run the program, a calling CLI will be provided, without leaving the program. All Options must be selectable from menu's in a similar fashion to Devpac and Argasm. Keyboard short-cuts could also be provided for the more frequently used options. At present only a very basic routine is supplied, all this does is allow the user to load a file ( infact the file is not loaded, just copied into ram and named source.s ). No text is displayed as yet, though I have given some thought to this matter ( see MyMore elsewhere on this disc ). Once a program is loaded it can be assembled. Selecting this option at present causes a script file, in ram:, to be executed that assembles and links the source file and saves the executable code in ram: with the name: source. To finish off, the program can also be run, a default con: window is provided in case the program requires one. The program is useable in its present state, but is miles away from what I see as a usable version. Below is a list of points I have thought of that need to be considerd: 1/ Selecting load should load a file into the text editor. 2/ Once loaded, options similar to Genam2's should be available ie. Block marking, copying, deleting, saving and inserting 3/ Options for A68K should be selectable from a window similar to Devpacs assemble window, as should those for Blink. 4/ When the assemble option is selected the option settings should be used to create the appropriate script file in ram: that will invoke A68K and Blink accordingly. 5/ The RUN menu option should allow execution of the last assembled file, regardless of whether it was assembled in memory or not. 6/ It should be possible to alter the size of the workspace used by the text editor. 7/ It should be possible to add paths to the include search list. 8/ An option should be made available to produce a listing file which could then be loaded into a seperate window for viewing while still allowing alterations to be made to the source presently held in the text editor. This would speed up development no end. 9/ Consideration should be given to an optional pre-scan that would replace any INCBIN's with appropriate source to allow the program to assemble correctly. As far as I am aware there is no equivalent directive available to A68K. 10/ Selecting the ABOUT option would open a window containing the names of everyone involved in the project ( in alphabetical order ). If you do not want to be involved with the coding, but would like to be involved in the project in general then you may consider taking on one of the following: 1/ A document that summarises the use of A68K and Blink ( I will provide the originals ). 2/ Converting some of your source so that it will assemble using A68K. 3/ Writting a short introductory tutorial that would demonstrate how to enter, assemble and run a program using ACC. 4/ To beta test things through-out development to find any bugs and also to suggest any areas for improvment. Hopefully, the end result will be a disc consisting of A68K, Blink and ACC in a work enviroment along with example source, an easy to follow manual and a first time tutorial. I am at present trying to find out from Commodore UK about the use of include files that could be put on the disc as well. When all this is done, the disc will be released into the PD by sending copies to various PD libraries ( help also required here ! ). If you would like to help then write to me. If you specify a particular area you would like to work on it would make life easier, if not I am sure I will find something for you to do. It will be important for everyone involved in writing ACC to keep in touch, either directly or through me, so that all the seperate modules interface correctly. I would like to be involved in writing the text editor. At present it is much to big a project for me to write alone ( I doubt I would make a good job of it anyway ). Lastly, my thanks to Steve Marshall for his guidance on using the ARP library. It is Steve's subroutines I have used in the skeleton routine to operate the file requester. Mark. PS. Going back to beta testing, the skeleton routine hangs up when LOAD is selected if the program is run from the WorkBench. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last minute note, those nasty men at Commodore have said that I would be ( and I am ) breaking copyright by issuing include files, even though they are ones I've written myself ( rs directive not recognised by A68K ). I personaly think this is a load of bull****, but to keep them happy I am looking at a way of using the .fd files supplied on the Extras disc that comes with every Amiga. I have the 1.3 Extras, so if someone would be so kind as to supply 1.2 Extras I can make sure the conversion works on both. Cheers, Mark.