Date   : Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:11:00 +0100
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: Basic6809 1.00

Phill Harvey-Smith wrote:           [resend, damn From: attribs!]

>> I'd venture to guess because it's there and because it's free.
> By the same philosophy that people use internet explorer.....

...err... or Firefox? :-)


> Though the other two assemblers I mentioned are also free (and cross 
> platform), but granted not built in.

URLs?


> Dunno what you mean by "easier to use os functions" ?

I think he means "at assembly time". You can drop in and out of
assembler using [ ] so you can do a bit of assembler code, back to
BASIC, call some OS functions to set up dependent variables (exactly
WHAT depends on the program!), then with this data handy, back into
assembler Remember, BASIC variables are available to the assembler.


> At least with BeebASM, you can use for/next etc to create tables.

Speed of execution is not relevant. Show me the code/macro/whatever to
generate a basic crappy 16 bit CCITT CRC table to use with an Xmodem
receiver.

[moot point, to be honest, because Xmodem-checksum is more suited to
lower memory machines than Xmodem-CRC; and also I know you probably
can't do it, while with BASIC... I can! <g> ]


> but some of the admittedly smaller in codesize swr utils rom that I made 
> assembled in a similar time on my PC,

That's the point exactly. Same reason I compile my PocketBook OPL code
on a PC. Flash and it's done, as opposed to a flashing "Translating"
notification for a task that, as Fresco would put it, "takesages".

It is completely possible to code on 'X', but if 'Y' comes along and
will do the same thing better, more capably, and blindingly quick... why
not?


> though I realise that this will be more difficult with custom hardware like
> GoMMC etc.

Not so much. He makes one of those parallel link thingies. I guess
softloading it into SRAM and pressing Break would be about all it takes.
I'd use Econet, myself, and it would be pretty speedy still.

I think John would have one up on that, though, if 65Link works with a
PC. <clicky> Hup! There we go. The website says: "Sets up a data link
between a BBC model B/B+/Master and a host running RISC OS, Windows or
Linux, via a connection between the user port of the former and the (at
least PS/2 mode capable) parallel port of the latter."

RISC OS, Windows, Linux. That's pretty much all the bases covered then. [*]


Best wishes,

Rick.

* - awaiting screams of indignant protest from traditional Mac users
     unaware that Mac OS X is POSIX compliant so a Linux binary ought
     to run on the IA32 versions!

-- 
Rick Murray, eeePC901 & ADSL WiFI'd into it, all ETLAs!
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...