Review of assemblers - Edas 3.3, Assembler for Scorpion, XAS, ZX-ASM, Alasm 2.8, Master Assembler v.1.1, TASM 4.1.

                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                               
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
      ----------------------------        
       (C) 1997 MAXSOFT/SPEED CO.         
      ----------------------------        
                                          
                   Я БЫ B КОДЕРЫ ПОШЕЛ... 
                                          
To "become a coder", you need to have a...
you would have an idea about the assembler and its own
actually Assembler itself. i.e. shell where you are
you will write programs. Let's say the language is as-
you already know a little sampler, but at the moment
you need to choose the moment where to start practicing
tiku. This is where it will help you (or maybe
This article will only confuse you.             
 So, we present to your attention the
vision of existing assemblers. The review is not wow-
overwrites all existing programs, this
unrealistic. Also not widely considered
well-known assemblersZEUS 48K.  GENS 48K.
TASM 2.XX. TASM 3.XX. since information about
there are more than enough of them.                 
                                          
 ------------------            
               EDAS 3.3 48K               
            (C) 1993 S.Maslov             
           ------------------            
                                          
 This assembler has one very important
property - it works in 48K memory.Name-
but therefore it is recommended for all users
for those having SPECTRUM 48. Smooth difference
from the main competitors (ZEUS and GENS)
is a powerful full-screen editor.   
 42 characters per line, fast
moving by text, by marks and by number -
ru lines, operations with blocks are significant
facilitate the process of writing programs.     
 In addition, it is possible to set 10
macro commands - sequences of the most
frequently occurring commands.  After the task
they can be called up by pressing a couple of buttons.   
 The kit includes a file converter from/to
ZEUS, GENS, MS-DOS (TASM 2.0).            
The disadvantage of EDAS 3.3 is the lack
commands for working with halves of index re-
gisters, as well as the lack of a debugger in
complete.  The disadvantages include
non-standard management. In the description of the car
Thor warns of learning difficulties
"at random", and this is absolutely right -
yes - I would hardly have guessed that for assem-
blocking the program is necessarypress CAPS+B ! 
Despite the shortcomings. is the most
more convenient for machines with 48K memory.      
                                          
                                          
                                          
   -----------------------------------   
    AFS (ASSEMBLER FOR SCORPION) v.1.4    
          (C) 1995 Peter Tishkov          
   -----------------------------------   
                                          
 When I first heard about AFS, I was very
rejoiced - "finally there is an assembly-
ler especially for SCORP'a!  Of course 42
characters in a line and the ability to load
files ZEUS, GENS, TASM - this is good, but in
In all other respects, AFS was no better. Descriptions
there was no debugger for it, with a built-in
does not interact with the monitor, edited
the torus is quite slow... I thought,
small, and went back - to TASM 3.0. As far as
coI know, none of my friends
havingSCORPION, AFS 1.4  do not use
became...                                   
The usefulness of becbma is questionable. to use
Zobania is not recommended.                
                                          
                                          
                                          
          ----------------------------           
                   XAS                    
           (C) 1995 Max Petrov            
          ----------------------------           
                                          
 New, and absolutely unlike any other
others, assembler for SPECTRUM 128. In this
dissimilarity and all its advantages are contained
va and disadvantages.                          
 I'll start, of course, with the advantages: 42 sim-
ox in the line and despite this, wellVERY
FASTeditor, quick work with disk
(native disk driver), possibility
have several texts in memory, highlight
highlighting errors in text with color. The last trace
deserves special mention.  If, when assembling
errors occur, then by entering the editor
torus, you will see that they are highlighted in color,
but that’s not all - the main thing is that according to the highlighted
lines can be quickly navigated. In XAS
There are also macros (not assembler, but
as in text editors), that is, you can
enter an assembly program with the same
as fast as a BASIC 48 program, if 
remember the "location" of macros on the keyboard
viature. Included with the assembler are
STS and text converter.                  
 Now about the disadvantages: somewhat strange
control - so it’s difficult to get used to it -
come after TASMor ZX-ASM.But this is me-
loch compared to the length of the line
XAS has 42 characters. And nothing more!     
 And since XAS  "loses" characters after 42,
then this is already PLAY ! Because of this, there are trials
problems with text conversion. If you don’t write comments (and this is what they are
usually exceed 42 characters). or you don't
love TASM. then XAS bam will do.         
                                          
                                          
                                          
      ----------------------------       
              ZX-ASM v.3.00               
       (C) Xohlob.Afendikob.Pubtsob        
      ----------------------------       
                                          
 Does the surname Khokhlov mean anything to you?
Do you know the program ZX/IBM EDITOR ?  If
yes, then you probably already understand everything, but if
no, then read on.                   
 ZX-ASM 3  is an assembler,
made on the basis of a good text re-
dractor.  As for the editor, no for ZX-ASM
claims. Everything was done solidly and with understanding
meeting the needs of users.  He's like an assembler
looks good too: supports SLI,
half index registers, has STSin
its composition. Unlike many others
assemblers, can upload its text to
disk as in format ASM  (tokenized
text), and inASCII - encoding.  Re-
text encoder allows you to translate into
ZX-ASM from GENS, TASM 2.0, TASM 3.0, MASM. 
 The shortcomings of this assembler can be noted
carry the work of the DEFS team.  She just re-
reserves memory, although in all other ac-
samplers today, DEFS can repeat
given sequence of bytes in memory.
The system is very good.  especially suitable
topics  who had experience working as an editor
ZX/IBM EDITOR.                            
                                          
                                          
                                          
 ---------------             
                 ALASM 2.8                
               (C) 1996 ALEM              
              ---------------  Another good assembler with Self-Control
Ukrainian.  Fortunately, he himself is “independent”
"does not suffer.  Why am I talking about this? A to
the fact that all control buttons are made
as in TASM'e, all new functions "hang"
where they can be easily found, and new designs
assembler directives are introduced "in accordance with
vii with international standards" (almost
quote). Enemies (assembler loversXAS
and ZX-ASM ) can of course be sarcastic:       
 - And in ALASM'e is the same inconvenient 64
symbolic text output, like in TASM?   
 Yes and no. ALASM is supplied in 3 parts
riants: 32, 42 and 64 characters per line.   
 In addition, ALASM  has a Russian font,
RAM disk for swapping during assembly
files, if there are 256K or more pa-
memory you can work with several files
lami, STS with tag support included
ALASM'a, at startuppossible from configuration
edit the system and save the state to
disk. ALASM  has a built-in calculator,
which can operate with both numbers and
and marks.                                
Good for everyone, but... ALASM has three un-
pleasant moment.  Firstly, our own op-
growing keyboard. When the computer is turbocharged
ra "keys with "CAPS SHIFT" disappear.
 Secondly, for our own needs we use
The printer buffer is available, although without this you can
it was possible to make do. Thirdly, the proprietary version
supports memory expansion only by
port #7FFD. Computer owners PROFI,
ATM, SCORPION  will have to be content
memory 128k.                             
Very powerful assembler b style TASM'a.pol-
completely corresponding to it in terms of management.
highly recommended for use.      
                                          
 ----------------------------     
        MASM (MASTER ASSEMBLER) v1.1      
           (C) 1995 KSA & *AIG*           
       ----------------------------     
                                          
 Widely advertised ZX-REVIEW, INFOR-
COM and SPECTROFON creation of Moscow
programmers.  What does MASM represent?
yourself in reality?                
Appearing about a year ago,MASM became
"continuation"TASM'a. But compared to
the latter had many innovations. More
"friendly" interface, STS in its
composition, support for Russian font, increased
assembly speed increased by 2 times,
macros. It’s worth special mention about macros.  
 What KSA called macros:           
         BEGIN                            
                                
        END                              
can hardly be called macros, since
this construction only repeats N times
text enclosed in BEGIN-END. But another
This innovation inMASM'e macros is quite
can be called:                           
        DOWN                   
        UP                    
        STOPKEY                           
DOWN and UP procedures with parameters HL,DE,BC
recalculate data in registers into
according to "lowering" or "raising"
mania "addresses on the screen on one line.
STOPKEY generates a waiting procedure for any
key fight.                              
 But in addition to new features, MASM gave the following:
same andnew glitches.  With the fact that basically
menu on the 'Q' key "hangs" exit to STS,
you can still come to terms with it (inTASM'e 'Q' - QUIT
to BASIC ), but other glitches are simply
dangerous - they spoilprogram text.      
 The first one: when replacing text inside
parenthesis, the closing parenthesis is lost.       
The second (much more dangerous) - MASM mo-
can "lose" program lines when re-
positions according to the text. What does this threaten, I think
no need to explain...                      
Although it has a high assembly speed
tions and other advantages. for use
not recommended in connection with serious
errors in the editor.                     
                                          
                                          
                                          
           -----           
              TASM 4.1 (XLD)              
            (C) 1996 XL DESIGN            
           -----           
                                          
TASM it is also in Africa TASM. ButTASM fromXLD -
this is something special. By purchasing TASM 4,you
you get the well-known TASM 3 + mass
useful improvements. So let's begin: there is no
any problems with SCORPION'om, fixed
MERGE and SAVE OBJECT errors.  Added:
binary numbers, undocumented commands
dy ( SLI, INF, OUT (C),0 ), work with polo-
index registers, caching
disk with INCLUDE and INCBIN (noticeably faster
working with the disk is difficult, especially if the file
ly are at the end of the disk), DEFS command
repeats not only bytes, but also strings.  
And now the most important thing is that work in
editor  Accelerated is an understatement
the cursor inTASM'e directly flies across the text
that one Such a "quick-fire" editor
Not a single assembler has it. An important property
vom TASM 4.1 is that texts from
TASM 3.XX he understands without any con-
versions. In my opinion, inTASM 4.1in vain the juice
reduced the length of labels to 7 characters (vs.
13 u TASM 3.0 ), this is somewhat inconvenient.  
Also inconveniences include the lack of
Vie output in STS, although it is included.    
A very fast editor remains bhe  
competition bce others.  And if 64 sim-
bola b line is not a hindrance for bac.  then good
Complain bTASM!                        
                                          
 Well, now, after considering all of you -
above mentioned assemblers, it is necessary to fail
results, arrange them in the form of a table and compare
thread received data with averaged data
dated for 1913.                         
                                          
The table has 4 columns:              
                                          
( P ) - editor, speed and typing 
 functions:                          
                                          
( C ) - service capabilities:            
                                          
( N ) - shortcomings and errors, these points are
 read from the total result:    
                                          
( A ) - assembler, its commands, etc.     
                                          
 Assembly speed is not estimated
specifically - to avoid the third world war
battles.                                    
                                          
                                          
                                          
    ┌--------┬---┬---┬---┬---┬-------┐    
    │   │ P │ C │ N │ A │ SUM │    
    ├--------┼---┼---┼---┼---┼-------┤    
    │ EDAS   │ 3 │ 3 │ 0 │ 3 │   9   │    
    ├--------┼---┼---┼---┼---┼-------┤    
    │ AFS    │ 2 │ 3 │ 0 │ 3 │   8   │    
    ├--------┼---┼---┼---┼---┼-------┤    
    │ XAS    │ 5 │ 4 │ 2 │ 5 │  12   │    
    ├--------┼---┼---┼---┼---┼-------┤    
    │ ZX-ASM │ 4 │ 5 │ 0 │ 4 │  13   │    
    ├--------┼---┼---┼---┼---┼-------┤    
    │ ALASM  │ 4 │ 4 │ 1 │ 5 │  12   │    
    ├--------┼---┼---┼---┼---┼-------┤    
    │ MASM   │ 4 │ 3 │ 2 │ 4 │   9   │    
    ├--------┼---┼---┼---┼---┼-------┤    
    │ TASM   │ 5 │ 3 │ 0 │ 5 │ 13   │    
    └--------┴---┴---┴---┴---┴-------┘    
                                          
                                          
                                          
 As everyone knows, the taste and color of the product
no cabbage soup. Therefore, I will comment only on those
points that were deducted.XAS - one point
removed for loss of the 42nd and subsequent symbols
fishing, the second - for problems with conversion
texts.MASM - for mysterious disappearances
brackets (one point), as well as lines (second
roy point). ALASM - for incorrect work
keyboards in turbo mode. All this says
that, compared with 1913, as-
samplers became N timesbetter! For whom N is not enough,
let him think that it’s M times cooler!         
                                          
 I am aware that this review
assemblers is not 100% objective
nym and everyone has their own subjective
opinion. Therefore, if you have any
questions, comments, additions, then
send letters to the editor " OBERON ".    
                                          
-----════════════════════════════════-----
                                          
 And this is not the end...                    
 To solve all problems and eliminate non-
which questions, I will tell you who and in what
assembler brought the release closer to publication
third issue of the magazine "OBERON".Letters
SE, encountered by you means that this
the product isspecial editiob, that is, special
cial version for myself personally.           
                                          
                                          
                                          
ALK/STARS OF KELADAN           ZEUS128 SE 
PAUL ATRIDES/STARS OF KELADAN  GENS128 SE 
A.B.K./STARS OF KELADAN        XAS        
                                          
                                          
                                          
MAXSOFT/SPEED CO.              TASM 3M SE 
M.M.A SOFT/SPEED CO.           MASM/ALASM 
DR.DEATH/SPEED CO.             TASM 3M SE 
                                          
                                          
                                          
P.S. К  моменту  написания   этой  статьи,
МКП "ИНФОРКОМ"  начало распространение но-
вой  версии  ассемблера ALASM.  Эта версия
гораздо  превосходит  предыдущую, но мы не
стали включать её  в этот обзор по причине
того, что ещё  не достаточно  поработали с
этой программой.   Также  ожидаются  новые
версии MASM 2.0 иMASM 3.0.               
                                          
Посмотрим, посмотрим ......               
                                          
-------════════  THE  END  ════════-------
                                          
             *  *  *  *  *  *