Description
The goal of Effectus project is to make it as compatible with Action! programming language as possible. The name Effectus comes from Latin word for "execution". Effectus compiles and produces MADS assembly language listing and binary files for execution on real 8-bit Atari or emulation software on PC.
Mad Assembler (MADS) is integrated directly into Effectus program starting from version 0.3, so there is no need to call MADS externally. The version of MADS cross-compiler source code used is 2.0.8. Generated assembly language listing can be further edited by you if necessary. You can configure Effectus with several parameters by typing them in command prompt shell or by using config.ini file, which can be edited.
You can check for Effectus examples in \examples directory. Runtime and supporting libraries are contained in \lib directory. The libraries and their implementation can be changed, but keep in mind that the number and order of parameters should not be changed to ensure the proper functioning of Effectus application. It is advisable to keep config.ini configuration file in the same directory as Effectus binary, but if not, default configuration settings apply.
With this project, maintaining the compatibility with Action! language will be of
HIGH priority.
AtariAge and Kaz's atarionline.pl forum topics discussing the project:
- AtariAge topic Effectus - Action! cross-compiler using Mad-Assembler (MADS)
- AtariAge topic Effectus - New Atari cross-compiler (Alpha stage)
- Atarionline.pl topic Sztuczki w Action!
You are welcome to check Effectus forum to discuss its functionality or anything else!
Credits
I have to thank everybody who helped me with support and suggestions, especially the author of MADS, Tebe, who helped me with many important suggestions to improve the code and greblus for compiling Effectus for Linux platform and making many tests with many suggestions, too.
Special thanks go also to other people (mainly from AtariAge and atarionline.pl forums) for the additional help by testing and finding bugs in Effectus, plus providing new test examples: Cosi, w1k, Kaz, ascrnet, dwhyte, devwebcl, twh/f2, TXG/MNX and all others not listed here.
Installation
Program and its dependencies are archived in ZIP file. Extract (unzip) the files in directory of your choice. It is recommended to put config.ini file in the same directory as Effectus binary, but if not, the proper parameter values must be set as mentioned above. To run Effectus, type effectus in command prompt shell following the Effectus source code listing file with properly qualified pathname and optional parameters.
Program usage
- win32 platform: effectus filename parameters
Program parameters:
-a:address Program starting address
-e:extension Source code extension
-o:extension Binary file extension
-r:path Effectus runtime library directory
-l:path Log filename (full pathname)
-m:address Machine language starting address
-c Clear log file
-i Effectus variable usage list
-n:value Maximum number of ARRAY elements
Effectus source code information
Effectus is compiled with Free Pascal Compiler version 3.0.4. Source code is
available in src directory, including six files:
- effectus.pas
(Main module calling all other components and showing all avaiable parameters)
- decl.pas
(Variable declarations, constants, initializations...)
- common.pas
(Common library with methods used in other units)
- core.pas
(Core unit implementing the core functioning of Effectus parsing Action! code)
- routines.pas
(Unit library implementing all supported Action! procedures and functions)
- inifiles.pas
(Unit library with support for reading and writing INI files)
- mads_unit.pas
(Firepower unit which runs it all... Tebe's Mad Assembler integrated in Effectus)
Effectus binary is produced by typing this command in command prompt shell:
c:\lazarus\fpc\3.0.4\bin\i386-win32\fpc -Mdelphi -vh -O3 effectus.pas
(or any other destination where your copy of Free Pascal resides)
Parameters may vary, but additional tests are necessary to be sure Effectus
would work as expected.
Rules (and current restrictions)
- Every command (statement) must be on separate line, except TYPE declaration, FOR and WHILE loops
- ARRAY declaration is adviced to be of type INT or CARD, because BYTE values are not handled properly yet
- Conditions are limited to one type (AND or OR)
License
This program is free and open source under terms that allow for modification and redistribution without having to pay me for using it. Only restriction is that you are not allowed to sell it. Your suggestions, improvements and bug fixes are more than appreciated for inclusion in the project.
MAD Assembler is a product developed by Tebe. Please check author's site fot terms and conditions on using his program.
Free Pascal (aka FPK Pascal)'s packages and runtime library come under a modified Library GNU Public License to allow the use of static libraries when creating applications. The compiler source itself comes under the GNU General Public License. The sources for both the compiler and runtime library are available; the complete compiler is written in Pascal.