Starting ASM coding on A1200. Which Assembler?

Nosferax · 10 November 2015, 17:07

Hi,

I'm in the process of starting to code in assembler on my A1200. I learned 68k assembly in the mid 90's on 68k based PIC board at the university so I'm quite rusty on the subject, let say I'm starting from scratch.

I'm wondering which assembler software package are available and which is the "go to" solution you guys are using. I know of ASM-One, which seems nice but I heard, maybe wrongly, later version where buggy on the A1200 (debugging crashes). Are there others that you guy use or should I stick with ASM-One and find another debugger?

NorthWay · 10 November 2015, 17:35

Too many to chose from. It all depends on what kind if style you want to go for.

Personally I used CEd with macros to integrate Barfly(BAsm). bdebug is very nice for debugging IMO.
There are ofc several similar solutions. vasm should be one. I also have the commercial Macro68 (though I think BAsm is better). Devpac 3 is another one.

There are a gazillion Seka derivatives, but I don't know them well enough. Others here should be able to recommend you a working one.

tolkien · 10 November 2015, 17:51

What about AsmOne or AsmPro?

roomeo · 10 November 2015, 18:04

AsmOne! Its more than just an assembler.

What versions of asmone has bugs in the debugger? And what kind of bug is it?

Franchute13 · 10 November 2015, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by roomeo

AsmOne! Its more than just an assembler.

What versions of asmone has bugs in the debugger? And what kind of bug is it?

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=80265

roomeo · 10 November 2015, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franchute13

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=80265

ok. What about AsmPro? Does it have the same bugs? Its more or less the same package as AsmOne isnt it?

I know the natami team did some bugfixing on AsmPro and it was released on Aminet. Dont know if its currently in development. Im dropping the dev an email now to check the status.

Nosferax · 10 November 2015, 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by roomeo

ok. What about AsmPro? Does it have the same bugs? Its more or less the same package as AsmOne isnt it?

I know the natami team did some bugfixing on AsmPro and it was released on Aminet. Dont know if its currently in development. Im dropping the dev an email now to check the status.

Let us know if you hear anything.

I've watch a few AsmOne on youtube and it seems quite nice. I could live with an external debugger if it's the only problem with it. there seem to be a few on Aminet, don't know if any are good though.

Any opinions on DevPac 3?

NorthWay · 10 November 2015, 21:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosferax

Any opinions on DevPac 3?

The stuff you can download from AmiNet is frankly better.
Doesn't mean Devpac isn't good, but the others are simply excellent.

There are no commercial products that come out on top.
(You might argue that you are supposed to contribute to some of the others, but still.)

matthey · 10 November 2015, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosferax

Any opinions on DevPac 3?

IMO, DevPac is the most system friendly and professional assembler development environment (assembler, editor and debugger). However, it is slow but there are still some people who use it an love it. Frank Wille's vasm assembler is mostly compatible with DevPac, faster, offers more optimizations, is still developed and supported and is free to use but there is no editor or debugger (I use CED with ARexx and bdebug from the barfly package). Code can be developed in DevPac and then the final assembled with vasm. Both DevPac and vasm require more resources than other assembler options.

Barfly is an underrated assembler and debugger package which is very fast, has many optimizations, and has an excellent debugger but no editor. The basm assembler is not compatible with anything else I am aware of which can make assembling a project with another assembler more difficult. It seems to be no longer developed and the source has not been released.

Most other assembler development environments seem primitive to me but can be fast and powerful to those experienced with them and know their commands, quirks and bugs.

Nosferax · 11 November 2015, 01:09

So, in short my best option would be either AsmOne + an external debuger or Vasm + editor + external debugger...

Thorham · 11 November 2015, 02:48

Barfly and Phxass for speed+power (but no integrated environment), AsmOne and AsmPro for ease of use (editor+assembler+debugger, but not the best).

Vasm was very slow even on a 50mhz 68030 last time I tried it. Seems more suitable for use in WinUae.

bubbob42 · 11 November 2015, 08:32

Since speed is not really an issue with small to medium sized projects, I would recommend to start with Devpac.

NorthWay · 11 November 2015, 09:51

Check http://aminet.net/dev/asm/Basmify_V1.1.lha for integration.

JimDrew · 22 November 2015, 01:22

I agree, DevPac is the best way to go for an integrated package. I wrote just about everything I released commericially with DevPac.

roomeo · 22 November 2015, 06:46

Latest asm-pro supports apollo specific instructions.

http://aminet.net/package/dev/asm/AsmPro1.18src

Some instructions might have been added or removed. I dont know. Anyone who could comment on this?

StingRay · 22 November 2015, 08:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by roomeo

What versions of asmone has bugs in the debugger? And what kind of bug is it?

All of them! There is NO Asm-One/Asm-Pro version without major bugs! Asm-Pro is the better choice IMHO as it has much better RTG support than ASM-One and a few other nifty features ASM-One lacks. ASM-One has better support for 680x0 instructions though.

meynaf · 22 November 2015, 12:32

For a starter I would recommend Devpac. Quite friendly, everything integrated. I started 68k coding on Devpac 2 on the Atari.
It may be slow for large projects but i don't think it's slower than vasm ?

For large projects only phxass can do it on a real A1200 (and it quite flies on uae with jit active

). Unlike many other asms it also produces very good code, even though some corner cases are buggy. Anyway it's the only asm which can assemble my code (vasm also can but with phxass compatibility mode).
For the debugger I'm using mine (which is too spartan for a beginner) so i can't help for the choice...

Quote:

Originally Posted by roomeo

Anyone who could comment on this?

Only comment I can give here is that i don't personnally find these new instructions useful

Thorham · 22 November 2015, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by meynaf

For large projects only phxass can do it on a real A1200

Barfly

You can use slower assemblers if they allow proper linking and you split everything up into separately assembled files. Nothing wrong with Phxass, just saying

Galahad/FLT · 22 November 2015, 14:03

I use Devpac for most of my work, but for WHDload stuff i use a combination of CED and Phxass.

meynaf · 22 November 2015, 20:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thorham

Barfly

You can use slower assemblers if they allow proper linking and you split everything up into separately assembled files. Nothing wrong with Phxass, just saying

I don't think Barfly would assemble my 4MB HOMM2 source file

10 November 2015, 17:07	#1
Nosferax Registered User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Beauharnois,Qc,Canada Posts: 227	Starting ASM coding on A1200. Which Assembler? Hi, I'm in the process of starting to code in assembler on my A1200. I learned 68k assembly in the mid 90's on 68k based PIC board at the university so I'm quite rusty on the subject, let say I'm starting from scratch. I'm wondering which assembler software package are available and which is the "go to" solution you guys are using. I know of ASM-One, which seems nice but I heard, maybe wrongly, later version where buggy on the A1200 (debugging crashes). Are there others that you guy use or should I stick with ASM-One and find another debugger?

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10 November 2015, 17:35	#2
NorthWay Registered User Join Date: May 2013 Location: Grimstad / Norway Posts: 839	Too many to chose from. It all depends on what kind if style you want to go for. Personally I used CEd with macros to integrate Barfly(BAsm). bdebug is very nice for debugging IMO. There are ofc several similar solutions. vasm should be one. I also have the commercial Macro68 (though I think BAsm is better). Devpac 3 is another one. There are a gazillion Seka derivatives, but I don't know them well enough. Others here should be able to recommend you a working one.

10 November 2015, 17:51	#3
tolkien AmigaMan Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Castro Urdiales/Spain Posts: 761	What about AsmOne or AsmPro?

10 November 2015, 18:04	#4
roomeo Registered User Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Telemark Posts: 207	AsmOne! Its more than just an assembler. What versions of asmone has bugs in the debugger? And what kind of bug is it?

11 November 2015, 01:09	#10
Nosferax Registered User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Beauharnois,Qc,Canada Posts: 227	So, in short my best option would be either AsmOne + an external debuger or Vasm + editor + external debugger...

11 November 2015, 02:48	#11
Thorham Computer Nerd Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Rotterdam/Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 3,764	Barfly and Phxass for speed+power (but no integrated environment), AsmOne and AsmPro for ease of use (editor+assembler+debugger, but not the best). Vasm was very slow even on a 50mhz 68030 last time I tried it. Seems more suitable for use in WinUae.

11 November 2015, 08:32	#12
bubbob42 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 585	Since speed is not really an issue with small to medium sized projects, I would recommend to start with Devpac.

11 November 2015, 09:51	#13
NorthWay Registered User Join Date: May 2013 Location: Grimstad / Norway Posts: 839	Check http://aminet.net/dev/asm/Basmify_V1.1.lha for integration.

22 November 2015, 01:22	#14
JimDrew Registered User Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ Posts: 741	I agree, DevPac is the best way to go for an integrated package. I wrote just about everything I released commericially with DevPac.

22 November 2015, 06:46	#15
roomeo Registered User Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Telemark Posts: 207	Latest asm-pro supports apollo specific instructions. http://aminet.net/package/dev/asm/AsmPro1.18src Some instructions might have been added or removed. I dont know. Anyone who could comment on this?

22 November 2015, 14:03	#19
Galahad/FLT Going nowhere Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: United Kingdom Age: 50 Posts: 8,994	I use Devpac for most of my work, but for WHDload stuff i use a combination of CED and Phxass.

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