home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- This entire diskette is Copyright (C)1986--1987 Eric Isaacson.
- All rights reserved.
- See the individual packages for permissions/restrictions.
-
- This diskette contains new releases for the A86 assembler and D86
- debugger. Everything except the file REG_ONLY.ARC (if you have
- it) can be copied and distributed. Please upload the other ARC
- files to bulletin boards, and give them to user groups, computer
- departments in schools, and anyone else you think might be
- interested in an assembler or a debugger package for the IBM-PC.
-
- REG_ONLY.ARC is the file containing materials available only to
- registered users. If you don't see it on this disk, you need to
- register to get it. If you do see it, it is for your use only.
- You may NOT distribute it. Please support my product by honoring
- this restriction.
-
-
-
- What's New
-
- Version 3.09 of the A86 assembler makes the form MOV segreg,imm
- legal, for the convenience of D86 users. A multi-instruction
- sequence effecting the move is generated. I've also duplicated
- MASM functionality for case sensitivity in symbols, and as a
- byproduct eliminated the nedd to distinguish between +c and +C.
- And I've made FAKE.EXE an honest EXE file instead of a COM
- masquerading as an EXE-- Norton utilities had choked on it.
-
- Version 3.08 of the A86 assembler fixes a bug with the ST
- operator, used for MASM-compatibility.
-
- Version 3.07 of the A86 assembler adds the support necessary to
- let Turbo C programmers use A86 instead of MASM to assemble
- source files generated by the compiler. I've fixed some bugs
- unearthed by Turbo C programs, added support for floating-point
- emulation, and enhanced the case-sensitive switch to allow lower-
- case instruction mnemonics, as generated by the compiler.
-
- I've also enhanced the processing of the A86 environment variable,
- to allow users to specify a default macro file, and to allow the
- list of files to be assembled to be read from standard input
- (which can be redirected to come from a file).
-
-
- Version 3.09 of the D86 debugger is a major upgrade, adding
- support for EXE and BAT files, a status window, a second
- disassembly window, backwards disassembly paging, an extra memory
- data window with paging, memory display of floating types, the
- ability to write patch program and symbols files, and numerous
- bug fixes.
-
- Version 2.24 of the D86 debugger adds support for the Sanyo 550 and 555
- and Tandy 2000 computers.
-
- How to Get Everything
-
- The packages consist of many files, packed tightly into a few
- files with the ARC (for archive) extension. I have provided
- three batch files for unpacking:
-
- HXA86.BAT extracts all the files from the A86 package, assuming you
- have a hard disk. You should copy the contents of this disk onto
- a hard-disk subdirectory, set your current directory to that
- subdirectory, and type HXA86 to invoke the file. All the files
- of three A86 archives will be unpacked and placed into the
- directory.
-
- FXA86.BAT extracts only the non-DOC files from the A86 package.
- Use it if you have floppies only. You'll probably want to copy
- the A86*.ARC and F*.BAT files to an empty floppy before
- unpacking.
-
- XD86.BAT unpacks all files of the D86 package. There are few
- enough to fit on a floppy, so there's only one batch file for
- both floppy and hard-disk. Again, copy the D86*.ARC and batch
- files to a clean floppy or subdirectory before unpacking.
-
-
- Among the files unpacked are batch files for copying the
- documentation to the printer. They are as follows:
-
- HLISTA86.BAT copies all the DOC files to the printer. The files
- have been narrowed so that you can print at 10 characters per
- inch with margins; except for the file 06TABLE.DOC, which I
- couldn't figure out how to narrow. I have inserted the commands
- SET12 and SET10 around that file. If you make a SET12 program or
- batch file that sets your printer to 12 characters per inch, and
- SET10 to set it back to 10, you'll avoid wraparound in the
- instruction table of Chapter 6. If you don't, the files will
- come out anyway; Chapter 6 will be ugly but usable.
-
- FLISTA86.BAT unpacks each A86 DOC file one at a time, prints it, then
- deletes it (it's still in the ARC file after this process). That
- way, you won't overflow your floppy disk. The same caveat as
- HLIST.BAT applies for Chapter 6, SET12, and SET10.
-
- LISTD86.BAT prints the D86 documentation files. All the files
- have been narrowed to fit in 10 characters per inch, with
- margins.
-
-