Shareware Grab Bag/Shareware Grab Bag.iso/007/d86v311a.arc/01INTROD.DOC

Text File | 1987-11-24 | 12KB | 254 lines

CHAPTER 1   INTRODUCTION AND LEGAL TERMS                      1-1

Introduction

D86 is a screen-oriented assembly-language debugger for the IBM-
PC, compatibles, and several not-so-compatibles (Wang-PC, TI-PC,
Tandy 2000, and Sanyo 55x).  D86 is the finest debugger
available, at any price under any conditions, for the following:

1. Learning 8086 assembly language.

2. Exploring the machine state of your computer (memory
   structure, registers, etc.)

3. Doing assembly-language program development using my A86
   assembler.

4. Doing any kind of debugging involving the floating-point (8087
   or 287) coprocessor.

In contrast to software firms who attempt to restrict the
distribution of their software through protection schemes, I
encourage free distribution, and trust that those who use my
products will pay for them.  Please keep in mind the fundamental
good spirit of free-distribution software as you endure the
following barrage of legalities.  Then evaluate the outstanding
value that the D86 package offers you.  I assure you that you
will not be disappointed.


Legal Terms and Conditions

This package is provided to you under the following conditions:

1. You may copy this entire package, and give it to anyone who
   accepts these terms.  The copies you distribute must be
   complete and unmodified.  You do not have to be registered to
   distribute this package.

2. You may execute the programs in this package, in order to
   evaluate them.  If you decide that any of this package is of
   use to you, you must become a registered user by sending $50
   US ($52 overseas) to:

      Eric Isaacson
      416 E. University Street
      Bloomington, IN 47401

   For your convenience, I now accept Visa and MasterCard, by
   telephone.  My number is [phone].

   For the convenience of users in Great Britain, I have author-
   ized the firm Shareware Marketing to collect registrations for
   me.  (But the printed version of the manual is not yet
   available from them; if you want it, you should order directly
   from me.)  If you don't want the update right away you can ask
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   them to give you a voucher good for an update in the future.
   We'll try to keep the prices about the same whether you
   register through me or through them; it's your choice.  Their
   address is 87 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1RX; telephone
   0732 771344. They'll send me a list of registered users at the
   end of every month, and I'll send an acknowledgement to each
   user when I get the list.  So if you haven't heard from me by
   the third week of the month following your registration with
   them, please let me know.

   Your registration includes a single update diskette (5.25
   inch, double density).  You may order further updates for $10
   US, or $12 US if you are overseas.  Once you register for this
   package, you are registered for all future versions.  As long
   as I'm in business, you can get the latest version for just
   the update fee.

   To use D86, you must have the associated assembler, A86.  A
   copy of A86 (without all of its documentation) is included in
   the D86 package.  If you are using D86 to debug only programs
   written in languages other than A86, then you do not need to
   register for A86.  If you are programming in A86, then you
   must register for A86.  There is a discount for combined
   registration of A86 and D86.  Instead of $50+$50 = $100, the
   charge for both packages is $80 ($82 overseas).

   I also offer a printed version of this manual, covering both
   A86 and D86.  The manual is printed on sheets 8.5 inches high
   and 7 inches wide, with a plastic ring-style binding so the
   book can lay flat.  If you order with your registration the
   manual is an extra $10 to the U.S., $18 to England and Europe,
   $22 to further points.  If you've already registered and now
   want the manual, add $10 for the update disk that the manual
   is bundled with.  There is a limit of one manual per computer
   registered (except you may reorder when there is a substantial
   revision to the manual).

   Indiana residents need to add sales tax.  At the current rate
   of 5%, the prices for Indiana residents are $52.50 for one
   product, $63 one product with manual, $84 both products,
   $94.50 both products with manual, $21 manual if already
   registered.

   Educational institutions and training facilities MUST be
   registered in order to use D86 in courses.  Contact me for
   special terms.

   Companies and government agencies MUST be registered in order
   to use D86 for their work.  Again, contact me for special
   terms.

3. You may not sell this package to anyone.  If you distribute
   this package on a diskette, any fees you collect must be
   specified as materials/handling, and may not exceed $10 for
   the diskette.
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4. You are completely responsible for determining the fitness or
   usability of this package.  I will not be liable for any
   damages, of any kind, arising from any failure of any programs
   in this package to perform as expected.


Overview of D86

D86 is a screen-oriented program that allows you to troubleshoot
faulty computer programs written for the IBM-PC, Wang-PC, TI-PC,
or Sanyo computer.  It "freezes" the state of your program, and
allows you to investigate the values of registers, flags, and
memory.  You can monitor your program's execution by stepping it
one instruction or procedure at a time; or you can start your
program running, telling D86 to stop it when it reaches certain
locations.  D86 recognizes the symbol-table output of the A86
assembler, creating a symbolic disassembly of your A86 program,
and allowing you to refer to locations and variables by name.

The primary design criterion for D86 is ease of use.  This is
reflected in the most notable features of D86:

* You don't need to ask D86 what the values of registers and
  flags are.  They are there, automatically, at a fixed location
  on the screen.

* You don't need to ask D86 where in your program you are
  stopped.  A disassembly is always generated, at another fixed
  location on the screen. The disassembly gives a hefty chunk of
  your program, not just the single instruction you are at.  A
  cursor next to the disassembly marks the current location.  The
  disassembly chunk remains fixed as you step though it, allowing
  you to follow the flow of the program much more easily.  If you
  wrote the program using A86, the disassembly is symbolic,
  giving instruction operands by name, and labelling disassembly
  locations when possible.

* You don't need to ask D86 what is on the machine stack. A
  display of the top elements of the stack is always generated,
  at yet another fixed location on the screen.

* You can set up windows into memory, displaying memory contents
  in a variety of types.  The types can even be mixed, to display
  complicated structures. The windows will stay at the same
  location until you turn them off, allowing you to watch what
  your program is doing to those memory locations.

* If you have an 8087 or 287 floating-point chip, D86 will generate
  complete window of the 87 state.  The values of the stack
  elements are in a readable decimal format, with suppression of
  unneccessary zeroes, and scientific notation only if necessary.

* You can, at any time, enable a help-window, to guide you
  through debugger commands.  You will be astounded by the
  sophistication of this help-facility, especially since other
  debuggers offer no on-line help whatsoever.
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* All of the above-mentioned windows, except for the last two,
  exist on the screen at the same time.  You don't have to switch
  between them.

* You can single-step your program with single keystrokes, rather
  than sequences of arcane commands.  There are several flavors
  of single-step keys, clustered together on the function-keypad.
  This, combined with the automatic nature of the display, allows
  you to single-step very quickly.  You feel like you are
  actually watching your program run.

* Much of D86's command language is simply the A86 assembly
  language itself. You can type in any A86 instruction, to be
  executed immediately.  You use this to set registers and
  variables, perform arithmetic, jump to another location, etc.
  The immediate-execution feature makes D86 the most effective
  tool available for teaching 86 architecture: the student can
  watch the effects of instructions on registers, flags, and
  memory.

* You can patch programs in memory, using the full power of the
  A86 assembly language.


Who IS That Guy?

For those of you who wish to know what credentials I have for
producing programs that meet the above claims, let me tell you
who I am.  I am an independent software consultant.  I have
worked with Intel microprocessors since the early days of the
8080.  As an employee of Intel, I was a part of the two-man team
that implemented the first ASM86 assembler.  I am one of the
world's leading authorities on the entire 86-family of
microcomputers, having completed numerous major projects
involving the 8086, and 80186, and the 80286.  I have completed
a book, "The 80386/387 Architecture", by Morse, Isaacson, and
Albert, published by Wiley and Sons.  Look for it in your
bookstore.

A86 and D86 themselves are mature, solid programs.  They have
been in existence for almost 4 years, running first under my
own, proprietary operating system; then later under the Xenix
operating system on Altos computers, used by myself and my
clients.

Although I have been unknown to the world of the IBM-PC until
A86 and D86, I intend to change all that in the next couple of
years.  Peter Norton, watch out.


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How to Get in Touch With Me

For earlier versions of D86, I didn't give out my telephone
number, because I was afraid that all my time would be chewed
up giving telephone support.  But then I attended a convention
of shareware programmers, in which the Big Boys (Wallace,
Button, Magee, etc.) unanimously agreed that a product needs
telephone support to be successful.  So I'll field questions from
REGISTERED users (and you can register on the spot, with a credit
card).  And, of course, I'll accept bug reports from anyone.

So now your choices for contacting me are:

1. Phone me by voice at [phone].  Have your credit card
  ready if you haven't registered yet.  If you get an answering
  machine, give your card number, expiration date, name as it
  appears on the card, address, city, state, zip, phone number
  with area code, which product or products your are registering
  for, and the amount.

2. Write to me.

3. Leave me bulletin-board mail, on the Bloomington PC-Link
  Central bulletin board, at [phone]; or Indiana On-Line,
  at [phone].  I'll reply on the same board.

PLEASE contact me if you find bugs in my programs; I'll fix them!
It's very frustrating to hear about people telling each other
about bugs, and not telling me.  I still await your bug list,
Greg Wettstein.