Greetings, hackers!

    A new utility has been created, called DISASM.
It is a general-purpose disassembler for 8 bit micros
(up to 16 bit address space).  It supports several
processors currently, and more are expected shortly.
It also DOESN't support several processors; as I said,
it deals with micros with byte opcodes.  It does not
do the 68000, and probably never will...that will probably
be a different program.

    To use it, do a $RESTART (to get the symbol) and
then $DISASM gets you in.  There is documentation in DOK:
which is also online with the HELP command.  There are a
number of improvements that could be made to the disassembler,
and I need some feedback to let me know which ones are of
value to you guys.  When (if {ha ha}) you find bugs, let me
know & I will fix them as fast as I can.  Enhancements will
be essentially by popular demand.  Enjoy!

sas

    Hi again (fellow) hackers!

    As some of you are so quick to point out, I have a caustic sense
of humor concerning failure of the HELP facility in DISASM.  Sorry
about that.  For those of you who are still curious after having had
your fingers slapped, it should work now.  I have found the cause of
the problem, and I am working on it for the long term.  For the short
term (no jokes about the semester being up already) there is a bandaid
patch in the logical name tables.  For those of you who are nozy enough
to chase down the image, don't plan on it being there forever, cuz it's
gonna move ($DISASM will still work, but $MCR DISASM will soon also
work).

    Thats all for now (till the next dozen bug reports...)

sas

    There is a new release of DISASM out on Kim.  I will put it
on the other nodes when there is either someone who complains
or some stability in the program (don't hold your breath here).


New Features:

    DISASM now understands the 65C02 (CMOS 6502, ala MAC65C).

    The HELP file has been enhanced a great deal (and also the
DOC file since it comes from the same place, cuz I'm lazy).

    The HELP file is now looked for in the place where it belongs
and is, so it won't throw up on you or call you nasty names when
you talk nice to DISASM.

    There is a SHOW VALID CPUs command, which tells you which
opcode processors have been linked in to that image.  That way
when it starts getting too big and we have to split it into parts,
it won't take long.  Also, new CPUs can be added quicker this way.
It will also help you find the one you want (and know what to call
it).

    There are 2 new modes, CONSTANTS and GLOBALS, created to
suppress (if you want) the part in front of the generated source code
which defines all the byte and word CONSTANTS with equates, and
GLOBALizes all the referenced labels.  NB:  It is possible to refer
to a label and not have a definition for it (if it falls in the
middle of a multi-byte opcode).


NEW BUGS:

    Let me know!


Old bugs (I know, I'm working on them):

    CPU'S should require the name be fully spelled out (no 
abbreviations), to avoid potential confusion from ambiguity
(SET CPU 65 is obvious, no?  but which one will you get NOW?)

    There should be some kind of SHOW MODE command

    ASCII, ASCIZ, ASCIN, AI, AZ, AN commands, BYTE, WORD too.

    It should remember how you last showed a location (once ASCII & co
are working) and use that mode when it writes the source file.

    It would be convenient if it knew about other kinds of files
besides .ROM and .LDA.  For now, if it isn't one of these, use MIXIT
and fixit.


sas

    There is a new release of DISASM out on Kim.  It still is just on Kim.


New Features:

    The HELP and DOC files have been enhanced to show the other improvements.
Unless future changes affect the HELP or DOC files directly, this can be
assumed in the future.

    The 6809 processor is supported.  It uses MAC69 syntax.  The addressing
modes are not all explicit, so there may be ambiguities in the resultant
source code.  As far as I know, this is the last 8 bit (as measured by opcode
fetch) processor that will be added to DISASM.

	    Incidentally, for those of you who are interested, there
	exists a PDP-11 disassembler which was obtained from DECUS. 
	See Dave Shepperd or me for details.  There currently is no
	other 16 bit CPUs set up, nor 32 bit. 

    There is a RESET command to restore the operating modes to the startup
or default conditions.  This includes radix and verify, but does not include
current CPU setting or user memory contents (a READ file stays READ).

    There is a SHOW MODES command to find out what the current (or default)
mode settings are.  It also shows what CPU you are set up with.

    It now understands .HEX files and .DLD, in addition to the .LDA, .ROM, and
image files that it used to.


NEW BUGS:

    There was a documentation error concerning DUMP mode.  As this applies
only to debugging the expression evaluator, I hereby express doubts that
the error expressed any significance.  In any case, it was fixed.

    If you find any, let me know!


Used bugs:

    CPU'S should still require the name be fully spelled out.

    ASCII, ASCIZ, ASCIN, AI, AZ, AN commands, BYTE, WORD too.

    It should remember how you last showed a location (once ASCII & co
are working) and use that mode when it writes the source file.


sas