[Coco] Learning assembly for the Color Computer

[Salvador Garcia]

Dave, what Windows cross assembler do you use? Thanks, Salvador
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-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Philipsen <dave at davebiz.com>
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Thu, Apr 14, 2016 5:41 pm
Subject: Re: [Coco] Learning assembly for the Color Computer

I definitely agree with you on that, Robert.  I started out on the EDTASM+ program pak and it was definitely very handy for a beginner.  It was nice to set breakpoints and examine registers, etc.  Right now because I already have a Windows/DOS/Linux based cross assembler I wouldn't really go back to EDTASM but it was definitely the best for a starting point.DaveOn 4/14/2016 3:56 PM, Robert Gault wrote:> I'll add a book to Bill's list. It may or may not be on the Internet > for download.>> "6809 Assembly Language Programming" by Lance A. Leventhal, > Osborne/McGraw-Hill, 1981, ISBN 0-931988-35-7>> The platform on which you learn programming will make all the > difference in the world. It will most likely be either a real Coco or > an emulator, but the two real choices are for use under Basic or OS-9.> When you program for Basic, you have essentially no ability to easily > interact with the hardware unless you carefully read the Unravelled > series to find useful access points in the ROMs. Of course other books > written for programming on the Coco will tell you about those access > points.> When you program for OS-9 (NitrOS-9), it is easy to access all the > hardware as OS-9 include drivers that provide I/O to the screen, disk, > tape, printer, etc. The catch is that it is a much steeper learning > curve required to learn to use OS-9 in addition to learning assembly > language. :)>> In short, you will need to do more or less the same thing you did to > learn writing programs for Basic on the Coco. Write the simplest and > shortest program you can think of, probably copying one you got from a > magazine or book. Do that until it becomes second nature.> Eventually you will remember the structure required for ml programming > and can easily lookup the op-codes needed. Continue and you will > remember the codes themselves. They are all based on the limited > number of registers contained in the 6809 and 6309 cpu.>> Personally, I think using Disk EDTASM to learn programming for use > with the Basic ROMs is the best route for a beginner. That's because > the package contains an editor/assembler for writing and compiling > code as well as Zbug. Zbug gives you direct access to memory where you > can read the ROM code and test your own code. Zbug permits > step-by-step progress through your code while watching what happens to > the registers and memory.>> Robert>>-- Coco mailing listCoco at maltedmedia.comhttps://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco