November 6, 1984
Before getting to the bad stuff (the bugs), here are some goodies about ACTION! which we would like to pass on to you:
A magazine article titled "Lights, Camera, Action!" (by Dave Plotkin) which appeared in the July 1984 issue of ANTIC featured a set of routines to facilitate writing ACTION!-based interrupt handlers.
The article gave the listings for two routines (more properly, two DEFINEs) named "SaveTemps" and "GetTemps". These routines are adequate only if no math beyond addition and subtraction is performed in the interrupt service routine. The following versions of these two routines will work properly in the more general case:
Make the following DEFINEs in your program before you declare your interrupt routine (comments may be omitted-they exist only for clarification):
DEFINE SaveTemps=[
$A2 $07 ; LDX #7
$B5 $C0 ; LOOP LDA $C0,X
$48 ; PHA
$B5 $A0 ; LDA $A0,X
$48 ; PHA
$B5 $80 ; LDA $80,X
$48 ; PHA
$B5 $A8 ; LDA $A8,X
$48 ; PHA
$CA ; DEX
$10 $F1 ; BPL LOOP
$A5 $D3 ; LDA $D3
$48 ; PHA
]
DEFINE GetTemps=[
$68 ; PLA
$85 $D3 ; STA $D3
$A2 $00 ; LDX #0
$68 ; LOOP PLA
$95 $A8 ; STA $A8,X
$68 ; PLA
$95 $80 ; STA $80,X
$68 ; PLA
$95 $A0 ; STA $A0,X
$68 ; PLA
$95 $C0 ; STA $C0,X
$E8 ; INX
$E0 $08 ; CPX #8
$D0 $EF ; BNE LOOP
]"
Use these routines inside your interrupt routine as follows:
PROC InterruptRoutine()
; Local declarations, if any.
BYTE a, b, c, etc.
; First line of code within
; procedure SaveTemps
... ; Your interrupt
; code goes here.
GetTemps ; Last line of code
; within procedure.
[$6C OldVBI] ; A special way to
; end for VBIs- see
; below.
For example, the following program will set up the routine ChangeColor as a vertical blank interrupt routine (hit the START key to exit the program):
DEFINE SaveTemps=
[ $A2 $07 $B5 $C0 $48
$B5 $A0 $48 $B5 $80
$48 $B5 $A8 $48 $CA
$10 $F1 $A5 $D3 $48 ]
DEFINE GetTemps=
[ $68 $85 $D3 $A2 $00 $68
$95 $A8 $68 $95 $80 $68
$95 $A0 $68 $95 $C0 $E8
$E0 $08 $D0 $EF ]
CARD OldVBI ; Will hold previous
; contents of vertical
; blank interrupt
; vector.
; This procedure will change the background color to random values.
; The main routine will set up this code to operate during the
; deferred vertical blank interrupt.
PROC ChangeColor()
BYTE hue, lum
SaveTemps
hue = Rand( 16 )
lum = Rand( 16 )
SetColor(2,hue,lum)
GetTemps
[ $6C OldVBI ] ; Vertical blank
; interrupts must end
; like this ($6C is a
; 6502 indirect jump
; instruction).
PROC Test() ; Main routine
BYTE critic=$42, ; Critical I/O flag
console=$D01F ; Console key
; hardware location
CARD VBIvec=$224 ; Deferred vertical
; blank interrupt vector
; You must install a VBI routine like this:
critic = 1 OldVBI = VBIvec
VBIvec = ChangeColor
critic = 0
; ChangeColor is now running as the vertical blank interrupt
; routine-- since our mainline code has nothing more to do,
; we just go into a loop waiting for the START key to be
; pressed.
WHILE console&1
DO
OD
; Now turn off the VBI routine.
critic = 1
VBIvec = OldVBI
critic = 0
RETURN
This method of saving and restoring ACTION zero page variables may also be used to write BASIC machine language subroutines in ACTION! Your main ACTION routine should then have SaveTemps as the first executable line, and GetTemps as the last executable line before the RETURN statement.
The following is a list of all bugs we currently know exist in the ACTION! cartridge. We list these bugs separately from those in the RunTime library and/or the PAD disk or ToolKit, which occur in following pages. Each bug is described in detail and, when possible, bug fixes are given. Many of these bugs deal only with specific versions of ACTION!. To find out which version of ACTION! you own, type the following from the ACTION! monitor:
?$B000 [[RETURN]Below is an actual copy of what printed following that command for one of our cartridges.
45055,$B000 = 0 $0730 48 1840
^
To find out the version number, look at the character to the right of the equals sign (here printed with a caret under it). The "0" in this case implies that the cartridge is version 3.0. If yours has a "6", you own version 3.6, etc. As of the date of this bug sheet, the current cartridge version is 3.6.
Affects: All versions of the cartridge to date. (Presumably only noticed if using RunTime disk, though.)
Fix: Make all TYPE declarations before changing the code offset. Example:
; Beginning of program --
; First, declare TYPEs
TYPE IOCB =
[
BYTE Id, Devnum,
Command, Status
]
; Then, if desired,
; change offset
SET $B5 = $1000
; example: offset=4096
Affects: All versions, especially when used with the RunTime disk.
Fix: No direct fix, but you may use the relocator program described later in this document (which is also usable with assembly language).
Affects: All versions, but only when used with Atari DOS.
Fix: Use DOS XL (or be careful when exiting to DOS).
Affects: All versions
Fix: There is no direct fix at this time. The best way around the problem seems to be to code something like this:
t = a(i) ; t is an INTEGER
...
ELSEIF t=0 THEN ...
This works properly.
Affects: All versions
Fix: If you get an error when writing an ACTION! object file, type the following command to the monitor:
X Close( 1 ) [RETURN]
You can then erase the file which caused the error.
Affects: All versions
Fix: Use decimal array dimensions.
TYPE REC=[...]
...
PROC Test( BYTE x, REC POINTER p )
Affects: All versions
Fix: Omit the comma in the argument list for the PROC/FUNC, as in:
PROC Test( BYTE x
REC POINTER p )
As this is just a temporary fix, it may not work in future versions, but the correct declaration (with the comma) will.
R* [[RETURN]
Affects: All versions
Fix: Don't do it! If you do type that command, hit [RESET]
Affects: Versions 3.0 to 3.5
Fix: Make the following declaration in your program:
BYTE ARRAY Paddle(4) = 624
Affects: Versions 3.0 to 3.5
Fix: Type in and use the following procedure. You should call this before doing any Sound() calls and/or in place of any SndRst() calls:
; Contributed by Michael Ross
PROC SoundOff()
BYTE AudCtl = $D208,
SSKCtl = $232,
SKCtl = $D20F
SSKCtl = 3
SKCtl = 3
AudCtl = 0
SndRst()
RETURN
MoveBlock( rec.addr1,
rec.addr2, length )
Affects: Versions 3.0 to 3.5
Fix: Assign the TYPE field to a temporary variable and pass that as a parameter:
temp1 = rec.addr1
temp2 = rec.addr2
MoveBlock(temp1,temp2,length)
Affects: Versions 3.0 to 3.5
Fix: No fix available at this time.
Affects: Versions 3.0 to 3.2
Fix: No fix available at this time.
Affects: Versions 3.0 to 3.2
Fix: No fix at this time. You could write an ACTION! routine to do the equivalent.
Affects: Versions 3.0 and 3.1
Fix: No fix available, but not a disastrous problem.
Affects: Versions 3.0 and 3.1
Fix: Insert the following code into your program before any of your own PROCedure or FUNCtion declarations (this can be done easily using INCLUDE):
; Copyright (c) 1983 by
; Action Computer Services
;
; Permission is granted to duplicate and/or distribute
; the contents of this file to ACTION! users. Copies of
; this file may not be sold or used for monetary gain.
PROC DivI=*()
[$20 $A06C $85 $86 $A2 $10
$26 $82 $26 $83 $26 $86 $26
$87 $38 $A5 $86 $E5 $84 $A8
$A5 $87 $E5 $85 $90 $04 $85
$87 $84 $86 $CA $D0 $E5 $A5
$82 $2A $26 $83 $A6 $83
$4C $A032]
PROC RemI=*()
[$20 DivI $86A5 $87A6 $60]
SET $4EA=DivI
SET $4EC=RemI
Affects: Versions 3.0 and 3.1
Fix: Make sure to restore the original Error vector upon exiting a program, if you changed it.
DO
...
UNTIL a>0 AND b=3
OD
Affects: Versions 3.0 and 3.1
Fix: Assign the expression to a temporary variable and test that variable, instead:
DO
...
temp = a>0 AND b=3
UNTIL temp
OD
Affects: Version 3.0 only
Fix: Put the following program lines at the VERY BEGINNING of your main procedure (i.e., the last procedure in your program):
BYTE bank = $D500
; This declares the variable
; 'bank' to reside at $D500.
bank = 0 ; This must be the
; first executable statement.
Affects: All versions, but only when using a version of OS/A+. DOS XL is not affected.
Fix: Insert the following as the first global variable you declare:
BYTE RTS=[$60]
; This MUST be the first line in your program,
; aside from comments and SET commands.
Affects: Versions 3.1 and 3.4
Fix: Insert an empty code block after the declaration of a procedure whose address is specified. For example:
PROC CIO = $E456() []
; An empty code block!
Affects: All versions
Fix: Do not go to the editor until you type the following line to the monitor. This command resets the ACTION! memory pointer.
SET $E=$491^
Affects: All versions
Fix: Adjust your declaration appropriately.
We have found a few bugs in the original version(s) of the RunTime Library Disk. Fortunately, they are all easy to fix. (The RunTime library is independent of the cartridge, so bugs affect all versions.)
In the fixes given below, the portion to be changed (to implement the fix) is underlined. The rest of the line remains the same. To make the fixes, simply load the library file containing the affected PROCedure, edit, and save it back to disk.
Fix: Change second line of CCIO:
PROC CCIO=*()
[$A386$A0A$A0A$AA$A3A5$9D$342 ...
--- ---
Fix: Change first line of PrintBDE:
PROC PrintBDE =*(BYTE d,n)[$A0$0]
--
Fix: Change second line of ChkErr:
PROC ChkErr=*(BYTE r,b,eC)
[$1610$88C0$8F0
$98$80C0$12F0 ...
---
We will list the problems (and solutions) regarding the Programmer's Aid Disk here in reasonably compact form.
;********************************
;Burst (Block) I/O routines to do
;quick disk I/O, utilizing a call
;to CIO
;********************************
PROC CIO=$E456( BYTE areg, xreg )
;********************************
CARD FUNC Burst( BYTE chan, mode,
CARD addr, buflen )
TYPE IOCB=[BYTE id,num,cmd,stat
CARD badr,padr,blen
BYTE a1,a2,a3,
a4,a5,a6]
IOCB POINTER iptr
chan ==& $07
iptr = $340+(chan LSH 4)
iptr.cmd = mode
iptr.blen = buflen
iptr.badr = addr
CIO( 0, chan LSH 4 )
RETURN( iptr.blen )
;********************************
CARD FUNC BGet( BYTE chan,
CARD addr, len )
CARD temp
temp = Burst(chan,7,addr,len)
RETURN( temp )
;********************************
PROC BPut(BYTE chan,
CARD addr,len)
Burst( chan, 11, addr, len )
RETURN
args ==+ s
and change it to
args ==+ 2
PM_BaseAdr=(HiMem-
PM_MemSize(mode))
&PM_AdrMask(mode)
and change it to
PM_BaseAdr=(HiMem-
PM_MemSize(mode)-$80)
&PM_AdrMask(mode)
IF deltay=0 THEN
RETURN ; do nothing
FI
to the following:
IF deltay=0 THEN
; do horizontal anyway
PMHpos(n)=x
RETURN
FI
| Name in .DOC | Name in .ACT |
|---|---|
| StrR | RealToStr |
| ValR | StrToReal |
ptr=InBuff
In the PROCedure Free, after the line reading:
last.size==+nBytes
insert the line:
target=last
Also, in the same procedure, change the line reading:
IF target+nBytes=current THEN
to read:
IF target+target.size
=current THEN
In the PROCedure AllocInit, replace the line reading:
FreeList.next=p
with the following lines:
FreeList=p
p==+4
FreeList.next=p