[Coco] BASIC compiler for Rainbow IDE ?

[Roger Taylor]

The main goal is to be able to take an existing CoCo BASIC listing 
and crunch it into the most optimized ML version my system can do.

I have to support the standard 1 or 2 character variables and line 
numbers so that people can port existing BASIC programs into machine 
language without having to do a rewrite which makes no sense unless 
the coder wants to enhance their listing.

The second goal is to be able to take enhanced listings and do the 
same, even if the user has mixed standard BASIC with lines using no 
numbers, long variable names, extra commands and functions, etc.

In the end, things will still be 100% seamless from the editor window 
to a running ROM Pak or .bin file in the pop-up emulator window.






At 02:12 PM 5/17/2008, you wrote:

>----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Taylor" <operator at coco3.com>
>To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
>Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 7:21 PM
>Subject: Re: [Coco] BASIC compiler for Rainbow IDE ?
>
>
>
>>Right, the compiler would support line numbers and 2-character variable
>>names as usual but also support no line numbers and probably up to 32
>>characters for the variable names, upper and lowercase, etc. just like
>>CCASM does.
>
>Hi,
>
>Think carefully about special characters in variable names.
>
>I wanted to allow more but I ended up using just "_" when I was writing the
>Urbane program.
>
>I suggest that you drop the 2-character variable names and line number
>support.
>
>I did a trial conversion of a DECB program by hand and discovered a way to
>do it with a program that was not too hard to write.
>
>The result was a Urbane program that still had the two character names and
>line numbers but was in a form that ready to change and expand.
>
>So, I strongly suggest that you provide an DECB conversion and not talk at
>all about 2-character and line number support.
>
>Get the users of your compiler off on a new path right from the start. They
>will thank you for this.
>
>Note: Urbane will process a DECB program with two character names and line
>numbers to make the resulting program smaller.
>
>That's why I made a suggestion for someone to use it recently.
>
>I should have said this then.
>
>I might be interested in writing the conversion program which might just
>work for conversion to your compiler also.
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>The biggest benefit Urbane and your compiler provides would the ability to
>create libraries of subroutines that can be reused easily and shared with
>others.
>
>Something that is very difficult with DECB.
>
>Stephen H. Fischer
>
>P.S. Try using the Urbane source as the first big test for your new
>compiler.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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