System - Review of assemblers: ZEUS, TASM, PRIMUS, GENS4, GEMUS.

Pioneer #02
And now we are publishing the article
Kravchenko Alexey, in which
provides a brief overview of assemblers
for ZX-SPECTRUM.                
 "ZUES" or "TASM"        
                                
which assembler is better to choose of all the variety assemblers existing on
today? Under by diversity I mean only five assemblers:
"GENSCH", "ZEUS", "TASM 128", "PRIMUS"and "GENIUS ASSEMBLER", description which is included in the 3rd issue "Forum", but which I look into I haven't seen it. "PRIMUS"I didn’t use it, so write nothing bad about I won’t. This article talks will go about "GENS'e", "ZEUS'e" and "TASM'e". "GENS"- my very first assembler is the most inconvenient in work - editor as in CORVET BASIC). He has there is only one advantage: ability to receive text module from object code with using "MONS". Although on the other hand there are programs allowing you to translate texts from "GENS" into other assemblers. "ZEUS" - from all versions of this assemblers walking around our vast Motherland, the most successful is a modified version Kiselev Igor. This is the seventh the fastest one I know assemblers, although for some reason the fastest is "TASM". Easy to enter and edit text make this assembler most suitable for beginner programmers. "TASM 3.0" -most powerful today assemblers for ZX-SPECTRUM. Convenient editor, pretty fast assembly, possibility use all 48 memory for object code. (assembler itself can be located in any memory page) - here are the main advantages of this assembler. And the disadvantages include three things: firstly too small print, secondly in subroutine "INCBIN" is allowed mistake, third mistake in subroutine "MEGRE" . By the way, the error "MEGRE" has been corrected by me, and in this issue you a corrected one is proposed version called "TASM 3.0+". And finally, a short overview debugger monitors. They're not like that too much. "MONSCH" - the most common among 48ers monitors. Its advantage: ability to broadcast a file to "GENS". Its disadvantages: no understandsundocumented commands and only supports hexadecimal input. "STS 3.3" - judging by the description good monitor, but... he uses 128 modeand switches pages via #FD port, on computers with full port decryption #7FFD (SCORPION ZS-256, ATM-TURBO and etc.) does not work. All attempts fix his work is over a complete failure. In my opinion, the most a good monitor debugger is "SHADOW SERVICE MONITOR" in "SCORPION'e". Me, like probably many others other users SCORPION's it suits 100%. One is not enough - no handles some undocumented commands. K unfortunately there are ways disrupt its work. Currently time work is underway eliminating this annoying moment.© Alexey Kravchenko © 1996 HORRORSOFT "Pioneer": By the way, to your FYI, the journal is made with using assembler "GENSCH". Members of the editorial board have already become accustomed to this assembler and even though he is in is inconvenient in some way, we are unlikely to We'll be switching soon to other assemblers, let them even several times more powerful than it times. For beginning programmers, we We advise you to start working exactly in this assembler. In many books on systems programs you most likely you will find exactly the description "GENSCH". And now about speed, we had a practical way It is established that "GENSCH" assembles a little faster, than "TASM". So, choose one or the other assembler, read books on programming in machines codes, and if you have something it won't work out, then contact us for help.Гусманов Михаил © 1996 Череповец тг "АТЭК". * * *

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