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Re: Should these tapes be archived?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 7:05 am
by vicist
Apparently, this only compiles mathematical programs, like the sample provided within the program. It won't compile full basic programs.

A description of the compiler can be found here

Re: Should these tapes be archived?

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:39 am
by eslapion
vicist wrote:Apparently, this only compiles mathematical programs, like the sample provided within the program. It won't compile full basic programs.

A description of the compiler can be found here
:(

Very tiny compiler indeed...

Re: Should these tapes be archived?

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:37 am
by Kweepa
The article seems very lenient on a $25 product!
It doesn't even support PEEK or POKE, which would make it just about practical. As it is, it seems like a toy.

I think it would be fun to write a modern CBM basic compiler.
Some thoughts I had:
- default the variables to float
- use a separate hints file to tell the compiler the variable types (byte, word, long, float)
- run the basic program in a special emulator that monitors the variables and deduces the variable types
- detect certain code patterns and replace with cheap alternatives (eg empty for-next for delays; keyboard and joystick routines; reading data and poking to memory, or filling an array)

Re: Should these tapes be archived?

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:49 am
by pixel
Thanks! Music to my ears. %p Three recordings need forensics:

"Piper the music machine" got kinda stuck on the second half. Perhaps the motor of tape device one played it back with could use some cleaning.
"Budgeteer (copy 1)" has a way too low recording volume to be restored manually to another tape, I assume.
"Budgeteer (copy 2)" cannot be recovered without re-creating the header.