ACE-128/64 Release #15 is now available in the following files:
The basic system and documentation:
95067 Dec 17 17:53 ace15.doc
159136 Dec 17 17:55 ace15-sys.bco
82116 Dec 17 17:55 ace15-app.bco
Additional documentation:
7685 Dec 17 17:49 ace15-files.doc
48746 Dec 9 03:37 ace15-as.doc
6304 Dec 16 16:27 ace15-bcode.doc
9194 Dec 16 16:23 ace15-fx.doc
22963 Dec 16 16:27 ace15-tech.doc
18147 Dec 16 16:15 ace15-term.doc
868 Dec 16 16:13 ace15-tutor.doc
7797 Dec 17 17:54 ace15-z.doc
Bulky programmer's reference guide and source code:
88664 Apr 15 1995 ace13-prg.doc
303187 Dec 17 17:54 ace15-syssrc.kar
445375 Dec 17 17:54 ace15-appsrc.kar
136513 Dec 17 04:50 ace15-usrc.kar
This release contains the following improvements over the previous release:
- The ZED text editor has been re-implemented for the ACE environment. The editor is not as complete as the stand-alone version of the program for the C128, but the gap is being closed. The ACE version supports the regular cursor movement keys, text insert and delete, range insert and delete, and global searching. The ACE version also supports an unlimited line length with word-processor-like text "sloshing" and auto-wrapping with "soft returns". In fact, for all intents and purposes, it *is* a word processor (it just doesn't have a print formatter... yet). And, of course, it takes advantage of the ACE environment to make use of RAMLink DACC memory and to run on the Commodore 64.
Unfortunately, I didn't get around to implementing all of the features that I wanted for this release, most notably mark (CT-M), delete (CT-D), recall (CT-R), set-hunt-string (CT-H), and find (CT-F). I will be making an interim release of the program by itself once I have these features implemented.
Also, like the stand-alone version, this version has the bug that it does not handle the condition of running out of memory properly. I intend to handle this gracefully in the future, but for now, if ZED runs out of memory, then it will abort back the command shell and you will lose any changes you have made to your document. You only have to be concerned about this if the "F:" (free) number dips below about 1024. If it ever hits 0, then you are in immanent danger. Using the default configuration on the unexpanded C64 results in a mere 256 bytes being reported as free (although there are "unseen" bytes, about 8K, in the application space that aren't reported). ZED will run on an unexpanded C64, but it will probably not be very usable. To get a little more space, you can remove the command shell from the ramdisk and disable the soft-80 screen in the configuration.
- The ACE assembler has been improved to handle ".include" files, to
accept more numeric-expression operators, and to make it more compatible with source code for other assemblers. File inclusion can go arbitrarily deep (limited to 9 or so open files at a time for Commodore Kernal devices). Compatibility features include the ability to accept opcodes and directives in both uppercase and lowercase, to accept label definitions without the trailing colon, to accept the "/" character to mean "+-" for relative labels, to use the standard directives ".byte", ".word", etc. (the old "db", "dw", etc. aliases have been dropped), and to accept the Buddy/other directives ".seq", ".obj", ".asc", ".byt", and ".end".
- Support has been added to the C128 ACE kernel for 115.2kbps with a hacked SwiftLink cartridge. The SwiftLink normally comes with a double-speed clock crystal to give you a maximum speed of 38.4kbps, but if you replace this with a standard-speed crystal (1.8432 MHz), then the top speed of 115.2kbps can be used. Note that you sacrifice the ability to use 38.4kbps and the next lower speed is 19.2kbps, plus you void any warranty. The terminal program has a minor change to support the new baud rate, and with 115.2kbps, I have downloaded 4832 cps using FX with my 28.8kbps modem for a large text file (C= Hacking magazine Issue #4).
- A number of new fonts are provided, including wide, short, and normal Novaterm soft-80 fonts and ANSI-graphics (standard IBM-PC, I don't know what code page) fonts.
- The user-port device driver has been extended to use either the PC2 line (for computers) or the PA2 line (for printers) for handshaking in its "raw"-mode output. (The GEOcable is mis-designed to use the PA2 line rather than the PC2 line for signalling data-ready to the printer). In addition to raw mode with PC2/PA2, there is also a "packet" mode with PC2/PA2.
- The ACE kernel interface has been reorganized, plus a few new features have been implemented, including faster soft-80 field filling, mouse support and more-powerful graphics support. A test program "mousetest" is provided, which allows you to move a pointer around a hires screen with a mouse in port #1. More ability to manipulate the character set has also been implemented. See the ACE Programmer's Reference Guide for more details. The "jiffy" rate on the PAL C64 has been changed to 60 Hz, but it is still 50 Hz on PAL C128s for technical reasons. I will try to fix this next time.
- Some bugs have been fixed up, including one in the "fx" client program that caused problems in the 7-bit mode. The user-port driver had a bug in closing raw-mode channels. Also, thanks to Geoff Sullivan, I now have my own geoCable and have tested the user-port printing code. But, unfortunately, there seems to be a bug when printing graphics with vbmpr over this port; it appears to sometimes print too few graphics characters which causes the printer to get out of synch with the graphics data. Also, there seems to be a problem with the NO SCROLL key not doing anything, that I don't have time to investigate right now.
