[Coco] Assemblers' Documentation

[Lothan]

You can get the documentation on the Toolshed site 
(http://sourceforge.net/projects/toolshed/files/ToolShed/ToolShed%202.0/). 
Generally speaking, mamou is a Linux/Windows version of the asm (OS-9) 
assembler that follow pretty much the Motorola standards. These assemblers 
are pretty much oriented toward monolithic development in which all of the 
assembler code is in one or more files that all need to be assembled and 
then linked to generate an executable.

c.asm and RMA are pretty much the same assembler that support a more modern 
(for the time) development paradigm in which the source files can be 
generally small and object files can be placed into libraries. This 
assembler also supports macros and conditional statements. You'll also find 
a Windows/Linux version of RMA and RLink in Toolshed.

Generally speaking, if you find OS-9 assembler source that uses a mod 
statement near the top it uses the asm/mamou assembler. If the assembler 
source has psect/vsect statements near the top, it uses the c.asm/rma 
assembler. All of these assemblers use * for comments. I don't know/remember 
if they support other characters for comments, though. I've always used * 
out of habit.

I'm not familiar with any other assemblers for OS-9 nor any assemblers for 
Disk BASIC (except perhaps a wee bit of EDTASM).

-----Original Message----- 
From: Kip Koon
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 10:49 PM
To: Coco Email List
Subject: [Coco] Assemblers' Documentation

Hello Ya'll,

I need help to figure out the proper documentation for all the different
assemblers and cross-assemblers everyone is using as they relate to the 6809
and the three Cocos.  The assemblers I know of are RMACxx, Mamou, C.ASM
(OS-9), ASM (OS9) RMA (OS-9) and I know there has to be many more which I'm
not remembering right now.  I am confused as to which ones follow Motorola
guidelines.  I realize we all are from different backgrounds and I
definitely do not wish to step on anyone's toes as they say, but from what I
can figure out, I think the ";" semicolons seem to be used in a lot in Intel
assemblers which I see ";" used a lot in some of the 6809 assembly language
source code files I've been perusing lately for the Coco, and OS-9/NitrOS-9
and I really don't understand why.  I've used 6800 and 6809 assemblers over
the years as well as 8080 and I've almost never used ";" semicolons in
assembler language source code for either the 6800 nor the 6809 processors
if ever.  I cannot find any documentation for the Mamou and RMACxx
assemblers and I'm assuming the C.ASM, ASM and RMA assemblers follow the
guidelines given in the old Motorola programming manuals, but I'm not
totally sure about that neither.  If I was learning to write Intel Assembly
Language, I'd follow Intel's guidelines to the letter, but I'm programming
for Motorola's 6809 processor which I dearly love as I know you all do also.
I have no problem adjusting assemblers to follow guidelines from other
processor manufacturers' assembly language guidelines as long as the
assemblers for the 6800 & 6809 which everyone likes to use, also follow
Motorola's guidelines to the letter as well.  I wish to do everything I can
to help this group which I'm very glad I have found after over 30 years, but
during the continuing development of my 6809 computer, I've found a lot of
6809 source code for many different 6809 projects which uses punctuation
marks in 6809 assembly language source code in strange ways and I don't know
which assembler or cross-assembler to use with which 6809 source code so I
can assemble the program successfully into binary machine language so I can
enjoy using it all in my little 6809 computer.  Help!  I don't know if any
standard for 6809 assembly language source code programs is possible at this
point in time,  especially since we have no support from the original
manufacturer, but with such a wonderful mix of programmers and their
backgrounds, I'd really like to see some type of 6809 standard definitely
incorporating Motorola's standards to be used among all the 6809 assembler
programs.  This would make things a lot easier.  I could be way off on this
and if so I apologize, so please be kind as I have tried to be kind.  I just
want to use some of this wonderful wealth of programs we all are sharing
with each other.  For any newbie coming to this list, all the mismatching
between 6809 assemblers with 6809 assembly source code can be quite
daunting.  Again, please be kind, because as I write this, I'm feeling like
I'm going to really get it from someone which of course I hope I don't.  So
Have a lot of fun 6809ing and Cocoing.  J  Be Happy!

Kip




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