Newbie: Where to start to learn QL assembly language?

[drdtyc]

Thanks to all for your input.

I will stick with learning QL assembly, out of nostalgic sentiment.
My first home computer was the Sinclaire QL.
I used it for my household budgeting using Abacus.
My wife did her post grad diploma report using Quill.

Now I have no QL hardware, but uQLx emulator on my Linux laptop.
uQLx has rekindled my QL spirit.

[drdtyc]

Which is the recommended Assember program for newbie to run on uQLx?
Thanks!

[tofro]

GWASL: http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/asm/gwaslp08.zip
The "light" version of the GWASS assembler that runs on 68000 (GWASS needs a 68020 processor)

or
GST Macro Assembler Suite: http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/asm/gst/gstmacroquanta.zip
A professional assembler/linker/editor package that was used by most software houses back in the day to produce titles for the QL.
This is what I use.

These two produce object code in Sinclair reloctable file format - compatible with nearly all other compilers in the QL world. These are very similar with regards to usage and learning curve, choice between them is mostly a matter of taste.

Somewhat nice is the C1 Assembler: http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/asm/c1ass.zip
Which comes with a nice integrated environment - It does, however, not produce linkable code and is thus a bit of an "island".

Tobias

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I would use QMAC probably the most extendive assdmbler, most of all assembler progrsmmes are written with QMAC. I quite like the macro facilities of QMAC.

GWASSL is a really good assembler , the Assembley Magazine is written with this assembler in mind.

I have been typing in an 68000 game from QL World called Paladin, which uses Computer One assembler, which does differ from the other a little, it does have the nice feature of inlcuding the assembler errors into the source code. This can be switched off when the error has been fixed.

[tofro]

Not QL-specific, but very, very helpful for learning:

You could have a look at Easy68k http://www.easy68k.com/moreinfo.htm

This is a 68k assembler, linker and symbolic debugger, embedded in a 68k emulation environment for Windows. Developed especially for the beginner, helping students to explore 68k assembly. Obviously does neither come nor integrate with QDOS, but if your goal is to be able to get familiar with 68k programming - That program can definitely flatten the learning curve, because if something goes wrong with your program, you have much more debugging options that what would be available for QDOS.

[Martin_Head]

You could also try the Assembler Workbench http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/asm/talentaw22.zip. This is a combined assembler and machine code monitor. It does not have a lot of fancy features in the assembler, that the more professional ones do. It's the one I've used mainly.

[tofro]

You could also try the Assembler Workbench http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/asm/talentaw22.zip. This is a combined assembler and machine code monitor. It does not have a lot of fancy features in the assembler, that the more professional ones do. It's the one I've used mainly.

I was thinking about that, but refrained from a recommendation because I seem to recall AWB has all sorts of quirks when running on a reasonable modern platform. Are you using it on QPC?

[bwinkel67]

BTW, there is a YouTuber who's channel focuses on teaching assembly and one of the platforms is the QL, Check it out...here is his latest video porting YQuest3 onto the QL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae3fS1znCh8

[Martin_Head]

You could also try the Assembler Workbench http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/asm/talentaw22.zip. This is a combined assembler and machine code monitor. It does not have a lot of fancy features in the assembler, that the more professional ones do. It's the one I've used mainly.

I was thinking about that, but refrained from a recommendation because I seem to recall AWB has all sorts of quirks when running on a reasonable modern platform. Are you using it on QPC?

It runs OK on QPC2, The only problem that I see, is that where the register contents are displayed. The labels are in the wrong colours -

This is in QL Colour mode

The OP refers to UQLX, so this should not be a problem. I think I read somewhere that there are one or two problems in the assembler, but I don't think I have encountered them.

I have thought about trying to fix the problem, but never got around to it.

[tofro]

BTW, there is a YouTuber who's channel focuses on teaching assembly and one of the platforms is the QL, Check it out...here is his latest video porting YQuest3 onto the QL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae3fS1znCh8

I tend to watch his videos occasionally, but he does stuff I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing, like directly accessing hardware registers without a real need and generally, produce programs that will not run on specific expansions.
Otherwise, it's nice someone cares for programming the QL on youTube.