Commodore Free 25/Commodore_Free_Issue_25_2008_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/t.p environment

Text File | 2023-02-26 | 13KB | 463 lines

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Creating a Commodore 8-bit Machine
Code programming environment for
Windows
By Paul 'Trooper'Green
----------
Windows
This document is for a Windows prog-
ramming environment, as I know nothing
about Linux or Mac environments I would
urge readers to send in setups for
these machines to address the balance.

DOWNLOAD
First you will need to download all
these files, & save them on your
machine. When you choose to save them
save them to your C:\ Drive, the root
of your hard disk (you can always move
the downloads later) mainly because
they are easier to find, work with &
we will all have the files in the same
place so we both know where to find
them.

C64asmv
First you will need c64asmv1.1a this
is a windows dos program, the program
converts the .txt files (or .src or
.asm) files into a .prg (or .p00) or
the actual executable files so;
download the application from
http://tothb.ehc.hu/software/
 index.html#c64asm

& save it your machine.

Emulator
You'll also need an emulator (as
getting things on a real C64 is a bit
hard, although it can be done but for
this example we will use emulation) I
use WinVice (but there are other
emulators such as CCS & HOX) for
this document we will assume you are
going to use Winvice. First download
the  application from
http://www.viceteam.org/#download

& choose the link that says.. Binary
for MS-Windows 32bit
 (Pentium-optimized):
WinVICE-2.0.zip.

EDITOR
The you need an editor, you could use
notepad.exe from windows, but there is
a free text editor (as you don't want
the files being saved with any
unnecessary characters, notepad has
been known to add strange characters'
to plain text files) called Crimson
Editor. You can download the latest
version from their website
http://www.crimsoneditor.com/

(look under the contents bar, there is
a download (2nd down), from there, you
want to get the Crimson Editor 3.70
Release (Sep. 22, 2004, 1224KB)
from either of the links then save the
executable to your hard disk.

Ok, as was previously stated, we'll
assume you have saved the files to
"C:\" for everything as it makes life
easier to follow.

The c64asm1a.zip file you've downloaded
I want you to unpack/un-archarchive
this file so you end up with a folder
in your C:\ Drive that is called
c64asm1a & contains all the files from
the within the .zip file.

Then double click & install the
Crimson Editor, you will receive an
'error message' on the first running
the application, but it explains that
when you do run it...when that has
run, just close it for now...

The WinVICE-2.0.zip you've downloaded
you need to unpack/unarcharchive so
you end up with a folder in your C:\
Drive which is called WinVICE-2.0 &
contains all the files from the .zip
file (you will notice within that
folder, depending on how you choose to
unpack It, you might have a WinVICE-2.0
folder in there too, now this is your
call, I go into that folder, & move
everything inside that to the one
above, just seems to be a bit tidier)

Right, when you have got Winvice
installed/unpacked you can then run
the application. It doesn't create a
shortcut as there is no install, but
you will find a file called x64.exe,
located within the Winvice folder,
that is the application to double-
click to get the emulator running.
Once the Emulator is running standard
PRG & d64 files, will work with
using windows drag & drop, but you
won't be able to play them as you
haven't got a joystick plugged in
(technically). Go to it's settings &
change anything you need to do, the
main one is SettingsJoystick Settings,
and you can setup a key map or choose
a preset (or if you have one, use your
own joystick in the machine)...

Also for your ease, is to create a
folder in the root of C:\ called
"Source"... then if you look at the
picture you will see my setup & how
I have my area laid out for ease.

New we need to get Crismon editor to
Communicate with C64ASM, the thing to
remember is C64asm is a DOS program,
so any files need to be 8 chars & an
extension, for example you could call
something source1.src, then any
changes could become source2.src, etc,
etc.

Ok, first we need the Crimson Spec
Files.zip download this file from here
http://www.slor.net/a8/6502spec.zip
and save it to you desktop (if you
wish to keep hold of this file in-case
you do a re-install then save it
elsewhere like on the root of your c:\
drive) & when you have saved the
file you need to unzip it & you'll
end up with two files called.

6502.key
6502.spc

these are just pure text files, but
with the extension so crimson will
understand them as configuration or
syntax files.

OK, so where do these files go? If
you've installed Crimson into it's
default location then you will find a
folder called "C:\Program
Files\Crimson Editor" within that
folder there is a folder called 'spec'
copy & paste (or cut & paste, it's
your call) the two files into that
folder....Then you can close that
folder & open up Crimson Editor.
Then it is time to set up Crimson.

In the menus, go to 'Tools' & the
Conf. User Tools

this will open up the preferences

Click on Syntax Type (as shown in the
example), then scroll down to the
first 'Empty' location & click on
it.

Now within the Description type C64
(or whatever you want, but what you
type there, displays on the menu so
something descriptive would be more of
an advantage) then click on the Browse
(the 3 dots) to the right of Lang
Spec, this will open a file browser.
Now we need to look for the 6502.spc
file, click on it & press the open
button, then below is the keywords, do
the same again, but this time you are
looking for the 6502.key & press on
the open button you should end up like
this

DescriptionC64
Lang Spec6502.spc
Keywords6502.key

Now, if you click on the C64 in the
Syntax Type box, which is now there
because you typed it into the
'Description', it will highlight, &
you can now click the up arrow &
move the 'c64' to the top, as it will
be quicker in the menu selection
because it will appear as the first
item in the menu list.

Then you can click Ok, now when you go
back to the menus, you'll see a C64
choice under, Document - Syntax Type,
you then click on C64 (the only thing
I don't personally like about Crimson,
it that the application doesn't
remember what you've clicked on, if
you close it down)

Now if you type any text or syntax
that pertains to the C64, it will
change colour. If for some reason the
text doesn't change colour you've
probably just opened Crimson, & the
editor has forgotten you like the C64
syntax, reslect the c64 from the
syntax list.

So that bit sorts out the Syntax Text.

The next part we will get crimson
editor to communicate with C64asm.

Open up Crimson Editor, & in the
menus go to 'Tools' & the Conf. User
Tools. This will open up the
preferences. The default when the box
opens is 'User Tools' this is ok, as
this is what we want to change..

Click on the first "-Empty-" so it is
highlighted. And then in "Menu Text"
you can type 'Compile with C64Asm'.
Then in the 'Command' box you will
click the three dots & you will be
pointing it to the C64ASM.EXE file,
(where ever you chose to save it &
unzip it.)

Just to the right of 'Argument' there
is an arrow, click this, & choose
'File Name' & then below that, there
is an 'Initial Dir.' You want to click
the arrow to the right of that &
choose 'File Directory'

Below all that, you will have some
tick boxes, Untick the 'Close on exit'
other wise if there is an error during
the compile you won't be able to see
it as the CMD window will close too
quickly.

The 'Save before execute' is your
choice, I have it turned on, as I want
the program to save the file before it
sends it to C64asm, or you'll have to
manually save & then compile your
file.

Also, Hot Key is your Choice! I've got
mine setup up, so I just press CTRL +
ALT + Z, this saves me going into the
menus.

So to set this up, first click on the
box to the right of the wording 'Hot
Key' & actually press the keys you
want for the shortcut.

So, apart from the Location of your
C64ASM which will display a real
directory path in yours, it should
look pretty much like you see in
picture

Then click ok.....

Ok, in theory that has now set up
Crimson to talk to C64ASM. One point
I'll tell you now, with C64ASM being
DOS it doesn't like being stored in a
folder that has spaces in the name or
in the folder before, etc. So it is
best staying in the ROOT of a Hard
Drive normally drive c:\.

So, we should try to do a test compile
ensuring everything is working ok.

Right then you should have a blank
Crimson Editor (if not choose
File/New, so you end up with a Text1.
Then type at the top (or copy &
paste from this document)

* = $2000 <--- copy or type into
Crimson

;^^^- help on this command i.e. * = is
in the C64ASM help file, basically it
means your telling the compiler where
you want the following code to compile
too, $2000 is 8192, so on the C64
you'd type SYS8192 You don't have to
type this into Crimson though this
would be used to RUN the program from
BASIC
Next type the following lines

lda #$00
sta $d020
rts

Right at the moment the source is
called 'Text1' & should have a red
dot by it to say it isn't saved, so
right click on the 'Text1' & choose
'Save As' & save it in the folder
for your source that you created
previously. Call the filename test.src
for now. (again you can call it what
you want, but 8 chars & an extension
is all you can go up to.)

Now the Dot will go green, to say it
has saved. Now either hit the menu
options (under tools) , or if you set
up a shortcut key command press it,
but you want to be trying to compile
the program you've just done. You
should get a Command Box pop up, with
something that looks like...

C64ASM v1.1a - C64 (6510) Assembler
Copyright (c) 1993-2001 by Balint Toth

Assembling TEST.SRC
TEST.PRG created from $2000 to $2005
Press any key to exit

you can now press any key, or hit the
x to close that command prompt, if you
look in your source folder  a file
called TEST.PRG will have been
created. (Now technically without
setting up crimson to auto execute
into WinVice, you can just open up
Winvice & drag & drop the .prg
into Winvice using windows drag &
drop, but & there is always a but,
why? I hear you cry, well try it &
see what happens....

All you will get is...


**** COMMODORE 64 BASIC V2 ****

64K RAM SYSTEM 38911 BASIC BYTES FREE

READY.
LOAD"TEST.PRG",8,1:

SEARCHING FOR TEST.PRG
LOADING
READY.
RUN

READY.


Technically it HAS worked, but the
machine as you will remember uses the
RUN to tell it what to do, & we
didn't tell it in the source. Just
type (in WinVice) SYS8192 & press
return, & if you have done
everything right, you should see the
border turn black. If you do see that,
then congratulations you have
successfully typed up & compiled a
C64 program in Machine Code & got it
to run on the C64.

This is the bit where we will get
Crismon to Comminucate with WinVice

Ok then, Open up Crimson Editor. And
In the menu, go to 'Tools' & then
Conf.User Tools. This will open up the
preferences. The default when the box
opens is 'User Tools' this is ok, as
this is what we want to change....

Click on the next "-Empty-" so that it
is highlighted, & in "Menu Text" you
can type 'Execute with WinVice' Then
in the 'Command' box you will click
the three dots & you will be
pointing it to the X64.exe file,
where-ever you chose to save it &
unzip it.

Now to the right of 'Argument' there
is an arrow, click it, & choose
'File Title' & then move back into
the box, & add ".PRG" at the end.
Then below that item, there is an
'Initial Dir.' you want to click the
arrow to the right of that & choose
'File Directory'. Below all that, you
will have some tick boxes, tick the
'Close on exit'

The 'Save before execute' is your
choice, I have it turned on, as I want
the program to save the file before it
sends the file to C64asm, or you'll
have to manually save & then compile
your file.

Also, Hot Key again is your Choice,
I've got mine setup up, so I press
CTRL + ALT + X, saves me going into
the menus. To set up the hotkey, click
on the box to the right of the wording
'Hot Key' & actually press the keys
you want to use for the shortcut.

So, apart from the Location of your
WinVice which will display a real
directory path in yours, it should
look pretty much like you see here

Then click ok

Then you need to try to the compile
and then run, so load the source code
we used back up, try compiling again,
and if you get no errors, then choose
"Execute in WinVice" & see what
happens..

Don't forget you'll need to type
SYS8192 again, you now have a Windows
Compiling environment for your
Assemble applications.

===