Your Commodore - Commodore Is Awesome

Nearly all code will need data tables.
This may comprise of straight numeric
data or text. The assembler should
provide pseudo op-codes for single
data bytes, double data words and
text as ASCI codes or Commodore
screen codes.
Optional features
I) macros - handy if you want to set up
a library of routines but otherwise, in
my view, of limited value.
2) Conditional assembly - sounds fun
but seems to be more of a case of a
solution searching for a problem.
So what is there on the market? I've
looked at a wide range of assemblers
and have compared them in Table
1ST PUB MIKRO LASER MC GRAW ARROW+ SUPER ZEUS-64
GENIUS HILL HELP
TYPE D C D/Cs Cs C C D
EDITOR CBM CBM OWN CBM CBM CBM OWN
MONITOR YES YES YES NO YES YES YES
DEBUG YES NO YES NO NO NO YES
TOOLKIT NO * *** NO * ** *
DISASSEMBLE YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
PSEUDO OPS ** * a** * * * **
HARD COPY ** * •** * * * *
LINK FILES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO
SYMBOL TABLE YES YES YES NO YES NO NO
LABEL LENGTH 8 7 15 75 9 6 31
COST 19.99 19.95 14.95
Notes for Table 1
D=disk, C=cartridge, Cs=cassette.
2) I could not ascertain the maximum
label length for MIKRO but I do know
that it will accept at least six
characters.
3) Some categories have stars showing
the extent of facilities roughly they
mean:
• = minimum acceptable
** = good enough
*** = couldn't ask for more.
Assembler Monitor 64tom
As is the case with mot of First
Publishing's products, this package is
of German origin. The package
comprises of both the assembler and a
reasonable monitor. The assembler is
quite complex with Macros and
conditional assembly supported. The
editor is rather short on toolkit
instructions which is rather a pain in
the neck.
Overall, a good quality assembler
which performs well with no real
problems. One of my favourites.
REVIEWS
Mikro Assembler
Those of you who have used the good
old PET may recall this old favourite.
Whilst being simple without frills, this
assembler has a good pedigree and
performs extremely well. One seious
omission is the lack of a machine code
monitor. Supersoft does offer the
excellent ZOOM monitor but it's a bit
of a pain to have to buy it separately.
Compared to the opposition, this
product is a little pricey but it's
reliable.
Laser Genius
This product from Ocean is one of the
new breed and is the most
comprehensive I've seen. It originally
appeared as Machine Lightning from
Oasis. It has been tidied up and
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supplemented by a debugging system
of significant power.
The assembler uses its own
operating system and it has a wide
range of features. The debugger is the
best I've seen and allows the creation
of user defined break definition. At the
price, this is unbeatable value.
m
Machine-Code
Assembler/
Disassembler
This is a bit of a departure for McGraw
Hill, the book publishers. The
YOUR COMMODORE november 1986:23
assembler is a little reminiscent of that
on the BBC micro. The 64's editor is
used to write the source code with
multiple statements on each line
allowed. The assembler is told where
the source code is by use of square
brackets.
Both programs are unique in their
use of colours to indicate the different
types of instruction. In order to
maximise the RAM available, the
codes are tucked behind the Basic
ROM.
Not a had package and worth a
look.
Arrow +
This and the next assembler are
included simply for completeness.
Both were originally marketed by the
now defunct STACK Computers.
Arrow + is essentially a tape turbo
package. It has an assembler added as
a bonus feature. The assembler is quite
standard and offers no surprises. The
nice addition is a disassembler which
will convert object code into a fully
labelled source code. This is
potentially a very handy tool.
Note a bad product, and you may
be able to pick it up cheap from a
bankrupt stock dealer.
Super Help
This cartridge is a combination
toolkitiassembler. The range of
commands is good and the assembler
quite adequate. There is a monitor but
it's utterly diabolical. Again, you
might be able to get it cheap.
ZEUS 64
Bearing in mind the trouble I had
trying to reach Crystal, I suspect that
they may also be defunct. Having said
that, I've seen this assembler in a
number of shops.
The package is an assembler/dis-!'
assembler combination and is quite
comprehensive albeit rather unusual in
it's format. I found it a little tough to
get into and the instruction booklet
isn't the most lucid. Although it's disk
based, it doesn't appear to support
linked files.
Finally
In summary, the 64 is quite well
suported with assemblers to suit all
tastes. All of the assemblers! tested did
the job well enough. If, however, I was
to recommend three, they would be
MIKRO, Laser Genius and Assembler
Monitor 64.