69 replies to this topic

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

Feel free to post your favourite programming links here. Beware, I will edit & rearrange everything that is posted here, to keep it organized and updated.

Please suggest links with the following Info added:

- Category (like Editor, Assembler, Disassembler, Documentation, Sources, etc...)
- URL
- Description (What do you find on this page and why is it useful?)

------------------- Links for Programmers -------------------

Assembler: DASM
http://www.atari2600.org/DASM/
DASM is a versatile macro assembler, with support for target microprocessors including the 6502 and 6507. It is the standart assembler for all 2600 development and it is strongly suggested for 2600 programmers to download and use the VCS.H and MACRO.H files as well to match common [Stella] standarts.

Assembler: XASM
http://atariarea.histeria.pl/x-asm/
XASM is another 6502 assembler which is very popular for programming Ataris 8-Bitters. It is backwards compatible with old Quick Assembler sources and offers lots of neato features like pseudo instructions (add, sub, inw, mva etc.), full set of arithmetic and logical operators, conditional assembly, sine lookup-table generator and Atari floating-point numbers. Make sure you read the manual though.

Assembler: ATASM
http://www.cs.utah.e...ze/atari/atasm/
Atasm is another cross-assembler for the 8-bits. It's features include saving binaries to .XFD disk images, conditional code generation, code block repetition, Rich macro support, compatibility with existing Mac/65 code libraries and support for illegal opcodes.

Basic Compiler: 5200BAS
http://5200bas.kidsquid.com/
5200BAS is a Basic language compiler targeting the Atari 5200. Page includes compiler binaries, documentation, FAQ, examples, 5200 programmer tools, and links to other local and remote Atari 5200 programming resources.

C Compiler: CC65
http://www.cc65.org/
CC65 is a C cross-compiler for several 6502 based systems. Well supported and constantly being updated/improved. Specifically Atari systems supported are the 8-bit computer and possibly soon the Lynx.

C Compiler: DJGPP
http://www.delorie.com/djgpp/
DJGPP is a complete 32-bit C/C++ development system for Intel 80386 (and higher) PCs running DOS. It includes ports of many GNU development utilities. The development tools require a 80386 or newer computer to run, as do the programs they produce. In most cases, the programs it produces can be sold commercially without license or royalties.

Disassembler: dis6502
http://www.atarimax.com/dis6502/
Marvellous and powerfull disassembler for all Atari 8-Bit stuff. It can also disassemble 5200 ROMS or data that is still on disk images. Very powerful means of analysing the disassembled data and structuring the resulting source.

Disassembler: DiStella
http://members.cox.n...rt/distella.htm
Distella is the standart disassembler for 2/4K 2600 cartridges. It produces DASM compatible source code. The newest version additionally supports disassembling 7800 cartridges.

Documentation: 2600 Cartridge Information
http://www.tripoint....files/sizes.txt
If you're in for a special task like reverse-engineering a Parker Brothers game or are interested which methods of adding some extra RAM the Ancient Ones used, you'll find this text very helpfull, since it's describing most types of 2600 cartridges, their sizes, bankswitching methods and extra RAM mechanisms.

Documentation: 8-Bit/5200 Equates file
http://aland.roarvgm.com/equates.txt
Essential equates file, switchable between 8-Bit/5200 programming.

Documentation: 6502.ORG
http://www.6502.org/
All about the marvellous chip series that is working in all classic Atari computers & consoles. You'll find everything there: cross-development software, datasheets, discussion groups, a source code repository, tutorials and many more things.

Documentation: 6502 Introduction
http://www.obelisk.demon.co.uk/6502/
Introducing the 6502 CPU in all detail.

Editor: Textpad
http://www.textpad.com/
Textpad is a very powerful text editor, which is highly customizable for all your programming needs. Other nice features are syntax highlighting and short keys for invoking third-party tools like assemblers or emulators.

Editor: jEdit
http://www.jedit.org/
jEdit is another powerful java based text editor, with features like a built-in macro language and syntax highlighting. It's speciality is the plugin capability. jEdit is freeware. Make sure that your computer has enough horsepower to run it.

Editor: Crimson Editor
http://www.crimsoneditor.com/
The Crimson Editor is free, small (fits on a floppy disk), pretty fast, supports syntax highlighting, running compilers and such from its menus, and other cool stuff like editing text files directly on an FTP server.

Editor: Ultraedit
http://www.idmcomp.com/
Ultraedit is another editor option. While not free, it is very robust. It too has syntax highlighting and even has 6502 ASM plugins.

Editor: Vim
http://www.vim.org/download.php
Vim is a highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing. It is an improved version of the vi editor distributed with most UNIX systems.

Editor: XEmacs (Windows and Linux)
http://www.xemacs.org/
XEmacs is a highly customizable open source text editor and application development system. Syntax highlighting for several languages inlcuding ASM.

Editor: Kate (Linux only)
http://kate.kde.org/info.php
Kate is a multi-view editor which allows you to view several instances of the same document and all instances are synced. Or you can view more files at the same time for easy reference or simultaneous editing. It's powerfull syntaxhighlighting engine already has the Asm6502 Syntax built in.

Editor: EditPlus
http://www.editplus.com/
EditPlus is an Internet-ready 32-bit text editor, HTML editor and programmers editor for Windows. While it can serve as a good replacement for Notepad, it also offers many powerful features for Web page authors and programmers.

Editor: ConTEXT
http://www.context.cx/
ConTEXT is a small, fast and powerful freeware text editor, developed mainly to serve as secondary tool for software developers. It's fairly easy to set it up to compile with DASM.

Editor: SciTE
http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html
You can use it with Windows 98SE, Solaris, MacOSX, and Slackware Linux. It has syntax coloring, multiple file support (with tabs) and folding (very useful for large C files).

Game Project: SENSO 7800 DX
http://www.s-direktn...nadj/a7800.html
7800 homebrew project incl. source-code.

Graphics Editor: EnvisionPC
http://www.cs.utah.e...sion/index.html
EnvisionPC is a graphics editing program similar to the old Atari program
Envision. It is a full-featured charater editor and map-maker. It's features include all the standard editing methods (flips, fills, rotates, invert, etc.), support for all character modes (ANTIC modes 2-7), editing map sizes of up to 512x512 characters and exporting to many popular formats: MAE, Action!, Mac/65

Hexeditor: XVI32
http://www.chmaas.ha...xvi32/xvi32.htm
XVI32 is a very powerful Hexeditor with lots of useful features. Amongst other it can edit files with sizes up to 2GB, automate tasks with its own script-interpreter, switch between hexview and plain text and it has very powerful replace methods.

Mailing List Archive: [Stella]
http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/
The [Stella] mailing list archive contains all [Stella] conversation dating back to its beginnings in 1996. This is the #1 essential information source for all 2600 programmers. It's excellent search engine will quickly retrieve any 2600 programming related info you're looking for. In 99% of cases your question has been asked and answered before. You can easily subscribe/unsubscribe on the page as well.

Online Books: Atari Archives
www.atariarchives.org/
Excellent and constantly growing archive of HTMLized full texts of original books, most of them dealing either with Ataris 8-Bitters, Programming or both. Highlights include but are not limited to: Mapping the Atari, De Re Atari, Atari Graphics, Machine Language for Beginners, Inside Atari DOS, Creating Adventure Games On Your Computer and many more.

Source Code Archive: The Dig
http://www.homebrewgames.net/thedig/
The newly revamped The Dig is a powerful tool to browse the complete [Stella] archive. The content is no longer handpicked, but you can filter all messages with attachments, messages by certain members or type in your own filter expressions. Per default it lists all disassemblies posted to the [Stella] archieve.

Tutorial: Atari 2600 101
http://alienbill.com/vgames/guide/
Excellent annotated 8 step tutorial for everyone who wants to give programming the 2600 a serious try. It should guide you safely through all the early traps on your way.

Tools & Docs: Eckhard Stolbergs VCS workshop
http://home.arcor.de/estolberg/
Nice selection of various tools and documentation for both 2600 & 7800 programmers. Amongst the best things you'll find there are a frequency and waveform guide for the TIA and information how to pass the encrypted signature check in the NTSC 7800 consoles.

Tools & Docs: Dan B's Home Page
http://atarihq.com/danb/index.shtml
Technical info, tools and demo sources for all 8-Bit Atari consoles and others. For 2600 programmers is the "Stella Programming Guide". For the 7800 there's the Atari 7800 development framework, including source code for a skeleton 7800 progam plus tools to assemble it. Dan also started reverse-engineering Robotron 7800. For the 5200 there's VSS, an Atari 5200 Super System emulator with integrated debugger.

Tools & Docs: Heaven/TQA Home Page
http://www.s-direktn..._nadj/main.html
Lots of info and sources for 8-Bit programmers. Amongst other things you'll find info how to use extra ram in 130xe, a detection routine that tells you how much memory is built in, how to do "HIP", 160x200x30 on standard atari machines without nearly flickering, how to adress & detect a mouse connected to the atari joystick ports, how to make missles transparent in a gr.9 screen, music drivers, packers and much more.

------------------- Links for Programmers -------------------

Greetings,
Manuel

[Cybergoth]

Added DASM link.

[Trey]

I'll give a plug for jEdit

Editor
jEdit http://www.jedit.org/

i used textPad but like the pluggin capability of jEdit. Also, jEdit is freeware.

[Cybergoth]

Thanks Trey!

Greetings,
Manuel

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Maybe you should add that jEdit is Java based (not good for my slow PC )

[Albert]

This is a great idea. I would ultimately like to create a 2600 Programming section on AA, with links to great sources of external information, as well as information stored locally on AA such as the Stella Programmer's Guide. Information about where to get started programming the 2600, useful tools to have, and documentation people can read is all very handy, and is the sort of material I would like to provide..

For another link, I think the Stella List would be a good one to have:

http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/

..Al

[Cybergoth]

Thanks Al & Thomas for contributing!

Greetings,
Manuel

[Trey]

Thomas Jentzsch said:

Maybe you should add that jEdit is Java based (not good for my slow PC )

true. my computer at home is a mere 266 PII. not sure why i thought everyone must have a better computer than me given that this is a retro gaming board.

here is another link i like about A2600. probably mirrored somewhere:

http://alienbill.com/vgames/guide/

[Paul Slocum]

The editor I use, Crimson Editor. It's free, small (fits on a floppy disk), pretty fast, supports syntax highlighting, running compilers and such from its menus, and other cool stuff like editing text files directly on an FTP server:

http://www.crimsoneditor.com/

-Paul

[Thelen]

I hadn't seen that editor before, looks good, and free

I would recomment for the atari 8 bit :

Documentation: Various books.
www.atariarchives.org

Assembler : Xasm
http://atariarea.nostalgia.pl/x-asm/


Thelen

[Cybergoth]

- Added dis6502.
- Added all other suggestions so far - Thanks!

Greetings,
Manuel

[Thomas Jentzsch]

How about The Dig!?

[Shawn Jefferson]

CC65:
http://www.cc65.org/

A cross-compiler for several 6502 based systems. Well supported and constantly being updated/improved. Specifically Atari systems supported are the 8-bit computer and possibly soon the Lynx.

[Sheddy]

Another cross-assembler for the 8-bits. Atasm - Mac/65 compatible too.

http://www.cs.utah.e...ze/atari/atasm/

[Cybergoth]

*Updated*
Thanks for all new suggestions!

Greetings,
Manuel

[Thomas Jentzsch]

DiStella?
Eckhard Stolberg's VCS workshop?

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

Thomas Jentzsch said:

DiStella?
Eckhard Stolberg's VCS workshop?

Is this the official DiStella location?

And could you possibly give a good description of Eckhards page? I'm having some troubles of IDing which parts are really intended for programmers and which are more targeted towards hardware guys.
The only thing from his page I myself could make good use of so far is the TIA frequency guide
This essential doc would certainly more than qualify for the link, but what else should I mention in the description?

Greetings,
Manuel

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Cybergoth said:

Is this the official DiStella location?

AFAIK yes.

Quote

And could you possibly give a good description of Eckhards page?

I am sure Eckhard can do that way better.

Quote

This essential doc would certainly more than qualify for the link, but what else should I mention in the description?

Is this thread only for 2600 programming? There are various 7800 tools and docs.

And you should have a look at the links section too.

BTW: http://tripoint.org/kevtris (especially http://www.tripoint....files/sizes.txt )

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

Thomas Jentzsch said:

Cybergoth said:

Is this the official DiStella location?

AFAIK yes.

Ok, added it!

Thomas Jentzsch said:

Is this thread only for 2600 programming?

Uhm... obviously(?) not.

Thomas Jentzsch said:

There are various 7800 tools and docs.

Well, I tried my best for a good description, hope it's Ok so

Thomas Jentzsch said:

BTW: http://tripoint.org/kevtris (especially http://www.tripoint....files/sizes.txt )

Hm... you really think that's useful for a programmer?

Greetings,
Manuel

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Cybergoth said:

Thomas Jentzsch said:

BTW: http://tripoint.org/kevtris (especially http://www.tripoint....files/sizes.txt )

Hm... you really think that's useful for a programmer?

Were else would you find that detailed informations about bankswitching and using extra RAM?

[Cybergoth]

Hi Thomas!

Thomas Jentzsch said:

Were else would you find that detailed informations about bankswitching and using extra RAM?

Uhm certainly, yes. But again, why would a programmer need to know this stuff? If for example extra RAM will become available for future homebrews some day, I assume the information how to use this particular RAM will become available as well. Or am I overlooking something?

Greetings,
Manuel

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Cybergoth said:

Uhm certainly, yes. But again, why would a programmer need to know this stuff? If for example extra RAM will become available for future homebrews some day, I assume the information how to use this particular RAM will become available as well. Or am I overlooking something?

The extra RAM might not be useful for programmers using the current hardware.

But without knowing about the possibilities there will never be a demand for new hardware like extra RAM and then nobody will redevelop it. It's like the hen and egg problem.

And the bankswitching information is useful for sure. There are several 8K+ homebrews using Atari standard bankswitching, Andrew is using the Tigervision method. And without knowing how the bankswitching works, you won't be able to completely understand old bankswitching games. And IMO understanding old code, helps a lot when learning

[calamari]

Basic Compiler : 5200BAS
5200BAS Basic Compiler

5200BAS is a Basic language compiler targeting the Atari 5200. Page includes compiler binaries, documentation, FAQ, examples, 5200 programmer tools, and links to other local and remote Atari 5200 programming resources.

Thanks for making this list,
cala

Note: Previous version of my post had an invalid url, sorry about that.

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

calamari said:

Thanks for making this list

Thanks for making 5200BAS!

Added this and a link to the 2600 cartridge description txt from Kevin H.

Greetings,
Manuel

[CPUWIZ]

Thomas Jentzsch said:

Were else would you find that detailed information about bankswitching and using extra RAM?

Indeed.