Beginner - tips for new assembler programmers: choosing an assembler and a debugger monitor.

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     For a novice programmer.    
Under this heading, there will be publications
forge advice for newbies
mmuctam which or not at all   
secret in the codes, or only know  
initial theoretical knowledge  
which he lacks to    
seriously engaged in codes.     
Assembler for beginners, possible 
in the near future, but only   
under one condition: if it dials - 
there are many letters with such a request 
, then we will organize a section with     
with this name.      
                             
                 
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
   "Инструмент Кодера"          
           Левенков В.          
Вы новичок. только вчера вы доч-
итaли учебник по ассемблеруZ80,
and don’t know which assembler  
work better?                
Well, this is an easily fixable issue,
after reading this article you will
know which assembler is better  
work, and in which monitor   
it is better to trace your programs
mki.         
First we need to discuss 48kb
Assemblers and Monitors.    
But if you have a 128th computer,
then take your time to scroll through  
using some tricks    
can be originally recoded
machine code into assembler, where are you 
you can change the necessary ones   
you parameters.           
Surely the most famous Assem-
bler for a 48 kb machine is -     
 GENS 4     
This is a very powerful assembler, with  
good service and design. 
It contains macros and    
other tricks and bells and whistles.   
But this powerful tool  
there are two very serious shortcomings - 
tattoo:             
1.Assembly speed     
is such that when trying to assemble
You can create a large program   
go and drink tea when you get back
Closely to the computer you will see that 
your smart, reliable GENS is still in progressclass='RGB0'> 
may. But if GENS finds   
error, then you'll screw up!
                                
2. Length of the printed machine  
code is very limited and  
for long programs you will receive-
You can make loadable modules.
From such tricks, assembly time
lyration will increase almost 
in two.                  
also for long text   
will have to be assembled directly on
disk, which again increases   
assembly time and very   
makes work very difficult.       
                       
3. In GENS the text has lines   
which also does not give you the full 
convenienceat work.            
              
Imagine this situation: 
You have typed text about  
twenty kilobytes, assembled
threw it down and got about five  
kilobyte (approximately!) of machine   
code. 3anyckaete program...   
And a couple of seconds after startup - 
there is a complete freeze 
computer.                   
You, of course, measure the
act like the most seasoned shoemaker
(begging or out loud).            
Gritting your teeth, load GENS 4,  
assemble again and here   
you need ottpacupobatb program
mu. If you are an experienced person, then  
you can find the error directly in 
assembler, but if you are a beginner
then you will have to load the monitor 
and trace your masterpiece.      
(This is the easiest method to find
 error correction.)                   
Exit to BASIC and load  
Monitor if there is memory, but not  
may not be, then you will come
You can load the monitor on top     
text or assembler.        
trace the program and with no weight
find the error with great difficulty. 
Now you need to fix
error. To do this, go to
GENS (if it is in memory) and  
repeat everything from the beginning: Assembly- 
you, 3anyckaete and the program    
hangs again or this time sat-
is falling apart. And everything repeats itself   
first.                        
OUTPUT N1: For error correction  
a huge pile goes away   
 of your time.        
I'll give a real example:        
When I was working on the development- 
what game T-72 (then I was green
               encoder)    
due to the size of the text, in memory  
machine code did not fit for me either 
had to assemble it  
directly to disk. As a result,
rule of one primitive error
bki took about fifteen    
minutes. It was so exhausting that
there is still a lot left in the program
glitches and shortcomings.             
OUTPUT N2:GENS is only suitable for
         making short  
procedures.        
And if you decide to work    
in this program, take into account  
one fact: Over time, your experience 
encoding will increase, and propo-
rationally this will increase and    
the length of your programs.           
If you like leisurely,
slow and inconvenient debugging
of course use this tool
ment.                         
TIP N1: When choosing an assembler, think
         talk about the future.  
         The assembler is selected on
         maximum period, yes
         like every encoder   
after some time  
 procedures are accumulated.
OUTPUT N3:If you change  
 assembler every month,
 then on your disks     
there will be such a mishmash of
         texts of different assemblies - 
 Lerov, what's wrong with you- 
even a genius can see    
 Super memory.         
    
ZEUS.                           
This is truly the best  
assembler for a 48kb machine.   
Although it does not have macros, it does
it has a full screen editor, with
convenient error editing.  
And the assembly speed 
twenty times higher than that of GENS
.                               
Although Zeus cannot be moved, but  
this does not create much inconvenience
st.        
also the main drawback is 
that ZEUS, like GENS, has post-
quick editor.    
And fussing with line renumbering  
everyone will get bored.                 
                               
PASM.                
Excellent assembler, although it is also
we don’t move it, but it has full
There is a full-screen editor and   
does not use line numbers, which  
makes work much more enjoyable. 
Assembly speed is much higher
higher than GENS but a little    
lower than that of ZEUS.              
Convenient work with Disk.    
                    
                      
That's basically all about the 48kb ones  
Assemblers. Of course, there are
others but they are so rare 
that they will be enough for you
difficult to get.             
                               
now we can discuss Monitors  
for 48kb machines.       
                               
MONS 4.                         
The most important advantage of this monitor is
ra is that it has possible- 
yesdisassemble machine  
code not only for the screen or for printing
ter but also to disk in GENS format.
the text can of course be recoded - 
also in Zeus.                  
this monitor also has cpabh-
extremely small in size and   
you can trace quite well with it 
large programs.              
     
MON 2.                          
This monitor has dimensions of non- 
how much smaller than MONS 4.      
According to technical capabilities, it  
equal to MONS, but in terms of service
ease of use by an order of magnitude    
above.                           
The only drawback is   
what it disassemblesmachine  
code only on the screen.            
                       
There is also a load monitor
into the screen area, but it  
so wretched that when you see him  
my hands spontaneously pull
are about to be reset.                  
Minimum functions, capabilities     
the program does not have a trace.
                                
Well, now we’ll come close
to a 128kb machine.       
                               
TASM 3.0                        
Perhaps this is the best Assemble
ler for SPECCY. Large volume   
memory for text, all 48th     
memory for work, convenient text -
new editorand working with disk.
Fast assembly.        
In general, this is a very powerful tool - 
suitable not only for   
for the programmer, but also for the hacker.  
                               
Recently a new
cool assembler: MASM.          
Judging by the description, this assembler 
cooler than TASM, but specific for now 
I don’t have any data, I’m not used to it
I've been wondering and can't give specifics
advice regarding him.     
                               
From monitors that go only to   
128kb machine so far I know     
only one:                   
STS 3.3                         
This is the best monitor for    
Spectrum.        
The whole 48th is at your disposal  
memory, entire 48th screen, convenient 
working with disk, capability     
machine code corrections are not   
mnemonics a directly with commands from 
assembler.                     
STS easily interfaces with TASM   
which makes the work very convenient,
and fast.                      
The only drawback is that  
what cannot be disassembled    
machine code in TASM format, 
but this is a small thing compared to   
all its other advantages.
          
now, I'll tell you about a tricky trick
tace with which you can-
those without particularly bothering themselves with design  
assemble machine code into   
TASM 2.0 and further       
TASM 3.0.               
1.Load MONS 4             
2. Disassemble to the disk you need - 
new program for you.           
3.C using special software 
ki (it is in the TASM 2.0 set)
 you convert text from the format
  GENS to TASM 2.0 format       
4.Load TASM 3.0 and remake
  Here is the text from the TASM 2.0 format 
 to Tasm 3.0 format             
Of course this method looks like     
very puzzling, but this    
still the easiest way tobeginner.                    
             
The author's opinion may not coincide- 
give your opinion, and if you  
if you want, express your opinion     
opinion, we definitely need it       
will publish.                   
 07/31/96.TOMSK