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APPENDIX D: ESSENTIAL TOOLS
.:AssemblerS:.
ASSEMBLE (CPU):
The integrated assembler/editor/debugger from french wizzards Brainstorm. The
editor is splendid, offering colors in text, standard atari key-combinations
and online-help. The debugger is based on DEVPAC's, but offers some great
extra's. The assembler itself however is not as flexible as DEVPAC's and this
is ofcourse the most important part.
DEVPAC 2.3 (CPU):
Though this a very old version of this standard assembler, it still
features 68030 instruction support and has one major advantage over it's
follow-ups.. The user can interrupt the assembly process. This is handy
when hundreds of error-messages come flying over the screen for minutes
and you want to make it stop.
DEVPAC 3.1 (CPU):
Probably the most used assembler package ever. Features an integrated
editor, assembler and debugger as well as support for other standard tools. New
68040 instructions are supported. The debugger of DEVPAC (MON030) is probably
the most used ever and almost all other monitors are based on this one.
DEVPAC 56K (DSP):
Only one version of this package was released, but it was kinda dissapointing.
The assembler offered many features, but was bugridden. Ofcourse the interface
was the same as it's CPU counterpart, so that was nice for most people. It also
offers a nice DSP Debugger, but this was also buggy as hell. Perhaps the
biggest dissapointment was that this DSP edition wasn't incorporated in a new
update of DEVPAC.
DSPDIT 1.0.7 (DSP):
A DSP assembler, complete with TURBO-ASSEMBLER like environment. Lacking all
kinds of basic features, but fast and comfortable. It uses an old version of
QDSP assembler. You can use it with the new one too.
GFA ASSEMBLER (CPU):
"If it is from the makers of GFAbasic this must be good!" I can hear you
saying. Sadly, it ain't that great. It does have a razor-fast editor and a
unique feature to click on text as a sort of automated FIND-option.
MOTOROLA 56001 ASSEMBLER (DSP):
Very slow, but offers more functions than a boeing 747 cockpit. And hey, this
is MOTOROLA stuff, so very complete, concise and stabile. Sadly it's very big,
has no userinterface, so using it as a tool from within DEVPAC might be a good
option.
PURE ASSEMBLER (CPU):
An assembler that offers more options than DEVPAC (!!!!), but sadly it has
some nasty bugs. Also, the editor and assembler aren't well integrated. Or
at least not as good as DEVPAC.
QDSP 0.11 (DSP):
Very fast assembler for the Falcon's 56001 DSP. Can be used with DSPDIT, but
it offers more functions and fixes a lot of bugs. QDSP itself has no
userinterface, so use DSPDIT or DEVPAC as a good editor. Still not as
complete Motorola's DSP assembler.
TURBO ASSEMBLER (CPU):
A very, very fast assembler. The environment is completely integrated just
like DEVPAC, but the assembling is much faster. The 68030 and 68040
instructionsets aren't well supported and also no 68881 support. But
especially on a basic ST the performance of assembling and editting is so
much higher and makes this package very well worth considering. Also, TASM
contains a feature to implode/explode a piece of text to create a better
overview of the code. Furthermore, it contains direct syntaxerror checking when
typing in a false statement like in GFA-basic!! Unique stuff!
The crew .tSCc. made a patched version for the Falcon that supports the
most important parts of the 68030 instruction set.
.:DebuggerS:.
ADEBUG (CPU):
Based on MON from HiSoft. It offers about the same features, but mostly a
bit souped up or fixed. The interface is almost the same, so experienced MON-
user should love this one. It's quite a sturdy piece of kit. Great stuff from
Brainstorm once again!
BSSDEBUG (CPU):
Damn! I've never used this one. If anyone can tell something about it, please
contact me! I only know it's once again a MON-clone with some sexy features. I
heard it contained features for monitoring DSP, but I think this was just an
ugly rumour.
BUGABOO (CPU):
Very different from most interfaces, this is completely unique stuff. It
reminds me a bit of 8-bit monitors. The interface, might seem awkward and
outdated (a bit like a basic interpreter from the ATARI XL or C64), but when
you get to grips with it, it works like a dream.
This debugger is very stabile. The fun thing is it's reset-proof, so nice
for use with very weird behaving projects! This is a must for every assembler
coder!! :)) It's also a fave within the circle of TASM users.
CENTINEL (Falcon/Phenix CPU+DSP):
Forthcoming debugger from wizards CENTEK. It has once again the same interface
as MON and that's a big advantage. Great stuff, but as of yet not quite
complete. It works with all resulotions and setups I've tried. Even under MiNT.
DEVPAC 56K (DSP):
Contains a weak and buggy ;-) debugger, but it at least offers a
mousecontrolled GEM-interface.
DSP DEBUG (DSP):
What can I say, it's the standard DSP debugger. Offers tons of functions and
the GEM interface is very easy to use. It also offers nifty online help with
complete DSP instructionset explanation. If you use the Falcon's DSP, please
use this!! It's the best yet!
MON (CPU):
This comes standard with DEVPAC 3.1. It's a bit like the standard of all
debuggers, though it's getting a bit outdated. Still, it offers most things
you'd expect from a fine debugger. The interface is keyboard-oriented and this
might seem as a drawback at first, but when you're used to it, it works
splendid.
PEACEBUG (CPU):
Hhhmmm.. Haven't tried this very often, but looks like a twinbrother of bugaboo
to me. Has the same interface as bugaboo as well as most of the features. Oh
yeah, it has a somewhat different systemfont =)
PURE DEBUGGER (CPU):
A very fast debugger and also very userfriendly. It offers quite some features,
but not half as many as MON or any other. Maybe because it was not specificly
designed as a 680x0 debugger, but also as a C-code debugger. Still, the fast
mousecontrolled interface is quite something.
But if you really want power, then this one should be avoided.
TEMPELMON (CPU):
Wow! Really the strangest monitor/debugger I've ever seen. Development stopped
way back in 1993, but it still has some features that are very useful compared
to other monitors. This monitor is a Terminate-and-Stay-Resident program. You
load it and press a key-combination if you want to monitor a certain
application's behaviour. Almost a bit like the famous ripper-cartridges from the
old ST days.
The monitor is fully configurable to your own needs, but sadly the falcon is not
supported 100%. The ST and TT are supported very well. This program could come
in very handy in situations where programs use dirty code. A shame it isn't
updated anymore. It's really a solid piece of work and opens a new perspective
for debugging.
.:DisassemblerS:.
Well.. most debuggers offer disassembly to disk as well, but it mosty is crap
code, with no labels put back into the code. So a real dissassembler is a must
for doing more than only a few tables or routines.
DESERTDRAIN (CPU):
Very good package that can disassemble into fine sourcefiles most of the time.
The interface is quite good and it even has colors in text and comments some
interesting blocks of code it finds. However the dissassembly is quite slow and
there are a few bugs in the engine. Still I'd call this great stuff, especially
since you can even configure the tabbing-format to save up huge amounts of
space.
DISASMLOD (DSP):
Converts LOD-files into ASM files, but does this very very buggy. Does not
contain a userinterface and parameters have to be given from the commandline.
Not such great stuff and I'd really like a better disassembler for the DSP. Oh,
well, maybe someday..
EASY RIDER 030 (CPU):
Top stuff! Reverse engineers, hackers, crackers: >>PAY ATTENTION<< This thing
rules! It is still unbeatable. Fully configurable, very fast and intelligent
this will accurately dissassemble everything you feed it. It offers support
for 68030 and 68882 instructionsets, so it is still quite up-to-date. It's
adaptable for use with DEVPAC, PURE ASM, TURBO ASM, etc. and with some
fiddling around you can always make it generate good code.
Only drawback is it requires ST-high or ST-mid resolutions for a correct
buildup of the screen.
TT DIGGER (CPU):
Has a nice GEM interface and supports all opcodes, but it's not as configurable
or intelligent as it's counterparts. A nice effort nevertheless.
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