Tinyus Tech

[Jobbo]

Originally Posted by jotd

I now suddenly understand why your games are only made with 1 exec file.

All assets are probably "static const unsigned char bitmap[] = {0x...}" like. It makes sense, as long as the whole game data fits into memory without loading.

You still have access to all the Amiga libraries, so you can use those for loading. I presume this would be a better choice than any CRT for A500.

That being said, I don't actually know much about the Amiga libs. I'd be curious if anyone has managed to load files or use the trackdisk device in a game or demo.

[mcgeezer]

Originally Posted by Bartman

are you referring to my seminar? https://www.twitch.tv/videos/468413972?t=02h20m09s

Excerpt from there:
VBCC->GCC 6.2 +100% ->GCC 7.0 +20% ->GCC 8.2 +20%

I just watched the video and I'm going to switch over to your ide and setup... it looks very useful.

As I enjoy working in assembler and I'm not a C man it'll hopefully be ok.

Thanks for posting a link to the video!

[Bartman]

Originally Posted by jotd

I now suddenly understand why your games are only made with 1 exec file.

All assets are probably "static const unsigned char bitmap[] = {0x...}" like. It makes sense, as long as the whole game data fits into memory without loading.

we have INCBIN ^_^

[roondar]

On the topic of files, is there any way to set up the VS Code environment so that there are external files included in the WinUAE environment? Or is it truly single-executable only?

I did try to figure that out, but I couldn't find it in the documentation

[zero]

Originally Posted by jotd

static const unsigned char bitmap[] = {0x...}

This hurts my brain :-)

Please everyone use uint8_t, it's so much more precise and descriptive!

Then again I can't really get on board with C++ for this kind of work. I suppose it makes organizing code a bit nicer but there are too many useful things you can do in C that were removed from C++.

[jotd]

uint8_t is fine. As long as you have the "stdint.h" header available...

[Dunny]

Originally Posted by zero

This hurts my brain :-)

Please everyone use uint8_t, it's so much more precise and descriptive!

Then again I can't really get on board with C++ for this kind of work. I suppose it makes organizing code a bit nicer but there are too many useful things you can do in C that were removed from C++.

I store all my data in strings. Is that bad?

[jotd]

I suppose it makes organizing code a bit nicer but there are too many useful things you can do in C that were removed from C++

I really don't see what. example?

I store all my data in strings. Is that bad?

it allows to create a 100% C or C++ code, but if the data is really big it can crash the compiler. For instance a 10 MB file converts as a 40 or 50 MB header/array file because each character converts to 1 to 3 digits plus comma.

[DMWCashy]

Originally Posted by zero

This hurts my brain :-)

Please everyone use uint8_t, it's so much more precise and descriptive!

Then again I can't really get on board with C++ for this kind of work. I suppose it makes organizing code a bit nicer but there are too many useful things you can do in C that were removed from C++.

What useful things have been removed from C in C++?

I am old school and would tend to steer to unsigned char, unless the project had SIL (Safety Integrity Level) requirements then a bespoke naming convention for types would be used. Either way type naming is down to personal preference and I do not see many coders having an issue with what convention was used, as long as its spaces not tabs lol.

[Antiriad_UK]

Originally Posted by DMWCashy

as long as its spaces not tabs lol.

You absolute monster.

[Dunny]

Originally Posted by jotd

it allows to create a 100% C or C++ code, but if the data is really big it can crash the compiler. For instance a 10 MB file converts as a 40 or 50 MB header/array file because each character converts to 1 to 3 digits plus comma.

It gets worse; I've been known to store executable code in strings too, and run it from there.

[zero]

Originally Posted by jotd

I really don't see what. example?

Type punning is the most common one for me I think. Yeah you can do it in C++ but it just ends up polluting the code to do what is easy in C.

[pink^abyss]

Originally Posted by mcgeezer

I just watched the video and I'm going to switch over to your ide and setup... it looks very useful.

As I enjoy working in assembler and I'm not a C man it'll hopefully be ok.

Thanks for posting a link to the video!

I have to say i'm quite impressed that you actually finished all of your asm game projects and with such high quality. Now looking forward your C ventures

[mcgeezer]

Originally Posted by pink^abyss

I have to say i'm quite impressed that you actually finished all of your asm game projects and with such high quality. Now looking forward your C ventures

Thanks, likewise you're productions are very high quality and great for the Amiga.

I have the amiga-debug ide setup now and I have to say it's very easy to install.

VSCode and C is foreign to me so it's going to take a while to get used to.

In Bartman's presentation he quickly swapped from C to Assembler...
I haven't figured out how to do that just yet - any quick tips?

Also, can I still do source level debugging on pure assembler routines? I have a lot of general routines already written in assembler that I'd like to package up as a library and call them from C, but I still need to trace the assembler from time to time.

Geezer

[Bartman]

Originally Posted by roondar

On the topic of files, is there any way to set up the VS Code environment so that there are external files included in the WinUAE environment? Or is it truly single-executable only?

I did try to figure that out, but I couldn't find it in the documentation

Sure you can. Just put your data files in the same directory as your project/executable and load them via dos.library functions

[Bartman]

Originally Posted by mcgeezer

Thanks, likewise you're productions are very high quality and great for the Amiga.

I have the amiga-debug ide setup now and I have to say it's very easy to install.

VSCode and C is foreign to me so it's going to take a while to get used to.

In Bartman's presentation he quickly swapped from C to Assembler...
I haven't figured out how to do that just yet - any quick tips?

Also, can I still do source level debugging on pure assembler routines? I have a lot of general routines already written in assembler that I'd like to package up as a library and call them from C, but I still need to trace the assembler from time to time.

Geezer

Did you take a look at the included demo project? You can use either inline assembly, or use .s assembly files, although they need to adhere to GNU assembler syntax. Have a look at gcc8_asm_support.s

I think tracing assembler should work, but not 100% sure on that now.. been a while

[roondar]

Originally Posted by Bartman

Sure you can. Just put your data files in the same directory as your project/executable and load them via dos.library functions

Cool, thanks!
Don't know why I couldn't figure that out

[jotd]

Yeah. We at least need Forbid/Permit/Enable/Disable/AllocMem, and maybe dos functions.

Except that calling amiga OS needs to be done in assembly. Or are there some compatible header/other files to make that transparent (like in Bebbo's distro) ?

Having examined your Tiny games startup shells, I saw you're doing the minimal calls to freeze the system, and then restore it. I suppose it's part of an asm startup.

[Antiriad_UK]

Originally Posted by jotd

Yeah. We at least need Forbid/Permit/Enable/Disable/AllocMem, and maybe dos functions.

Except that calling amiga OS needs to be done in assembly. Or are there some compatible header/other files to make that transparent (like in Bebbo's distro) ?

You can call all those from C no problem - no assembler required. If you look at the example project that in Bartman's distro there is a simple C program that does the usual system takedown with a mix of library calls and custom reg writes. No messing around required.
For another example I did bits of the C program for amigaklang with Bartman's gcc which does a full system takedown and restore as well and plays music using PHX's replay (I did call the PHX replay using a small asm wrapper though)

Amigaklang is here: https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=85351
Just go intro the exe_creator folder and look at main_executable.c.

OpenLibrary example from that:

// We will use the graphics library only to locate and restore the system copper list once we are through.
	GfxBase = (struct GfxBase *)OpenLibrary((CONST_STRPTR)"graphics.library",0);
	if (!GfxBase)
		Exit(0);

[girv]

Great thread, I love this sort of information

Originally Posted by pink^abyss

-Blitting (with priority on) starts after the last displayed line.
-Blits are orchestrated by the CPU.

Does this mean you queue all blits then, at the correct raster, you busy loop through the queue blit->wait->blit->wait->blit->... ?


Do you loop checking VPOS for the right line to start the queue or use an interrupt?