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Aztec-C Website Update APPLE II DOS 3.3

From: Bill.Buckels@familynet-international.net

The Aztec-C website at http://www.clipshop.ca/Aztec/index.htm#apple has been 
updated with major additions to the http://www.clipshop.ca/Aztec/Apple33.zip 
Apple II DOS 3.3 compiler bundle.

Get yourself a copy. The link above will get you one.

This is a "scaled-down" version of the Manx Aztec C65 Version 3.2b MS-DOS 
cross-development environment for an Apple II running DOS 3.3 which has been 
"scaled-up" recently much to my enjoyment.

It now includes source and working diskimages for  BILLY'S SILLY THINGS, RANDO, 
and LITTLE BEN, as well as all the SAMPLES and PROJECTS. The G3.LIB customized 
graphics library is improved and augmented with the new routines that are 
required to build these new projects. The code below is from Little Ben. That 
should warn you what you are in for if your grey matter can handle it... so 
challenge yourself:)

/*

a radian is the measure of an angle with its with vertex at the center of a 
circle whose intercepted arc on the circle is equal in length to the radius of 
the circle...

 - allyn j. washington

*/

You will still need to download MiniPix.zip separately, since I am still trying 
to keep the size of Aztec33.zip as small as possible and at the same time 
provide a "turnkey" development environment for Windows XP and MS-DOS. It is 
still less than 1 meg.

http://www.clipshop.ca/DiskImages/MiniPix.zip

The PDF user manuals for Rando and Little Ben are not listed and not included 
also to keep sizes smaller.

http://www.clipshop.ca/Aztec/Rando33.pdf

http://www.clipshop.ca/Aztec/Rando33.pdf

But you can follow those links to see the screenshots and read about these 
sample Apple33 Projects.

I have updated the tools as well and now support improved embedded and binary 
music files that are smaller than ever and also support run-length encoded and 
embedded encoded and non-encoded bitmap graphics at the same level as I do on 
the Aztec C64 distribution. And Fraggle saw an update to create "Silly Things" 
from IBM CGA BSAVED Images which can be generated with my ClipShop utility.

http://www.clipshop.ca/index.htm

Clipshop is really cool in some if not all respects and deals with IBM-PC, 
Apple II, andd C64 graphics pretty well for program that was patched togther 
from 20 some-odd years of C code. It allows images from Windows Paint to be 
edited for use on the Apple II among other things and will extract DOS 3.3 
BSaved Images and MiniPix directly from DOS 3.3 DiskImages to be pasted into 
whatever you have in mind (althoughemulator screen grabs are the best for this 
sort of thing).

Overall it has been a productive few weeks of "spare time" and I hope you will 
download this and replace the previous release because this is much better, and 
in some respects is better than the AppleX ProDOS release of the same compiler 
targetted at ProDOS.

Now every programmer has a favorite language, and because I play across so many 
platforms (PC, C64, Apple II, CP/M) mine is C. I have written more BASIC than 
most especially for a C programmer, and done my share of ASM especially for 
intel 80XX, and enough 6502 to make me dangerous. However, I do wish to 
point-out that it takes no more than a day or two to port a fairly non-trivial 
program from MS-DOS to the Apple II and fully test and document it on the 3rd 
day in this environment. Since I like to knock-off things quickly and I am 
never sure how much time I have on the planet, I chose Aztec-C for my Apple II 
work, bought it when it was fairly new, and never looked back except to 
re-release the old stuff that I hadn't tossed and to re-create it in an 
improved manner if I had.

That's not to say you shouldn't program in some other languages especially 
BASIC when you are on these old machines, but to write structured code and not 
to need to write in Academic languages like Pascal and Smalltalk I have always 
moved towards C and C++ until VB.NET made BASIC workable. Of course I use C and 
C++ for my linux work (and perl) but it's C if I want to do something besides 
make a GUI. If you want to learn more about hard-core C programming then 
Apple33 will provide you with a fine toy to play with.

For anyone that just got here or who hasn't been paying attention, Aztec33 is 
targetted specifically at writing Apple II DOS 3.3 programs in the C 
Programming Language. It does not provide support for Apple II's running ProDOS 
(that's another Atztec-C compiler that I have bundled called AppleX) and it 
does not provide support for Aztec C Pcode. Other than that, none of the 
run-time library functions have been removed that were in the original 
distribution.

Programs are written and compiled on the IBM-PC and then moved to an Apple II 
or to an emulator disk image to be run. (Emulator Diskimages of all the sample 
programs are provided for you as well.)

A modified Graphics link library is also provided which has been extended to 
support the use of bit-mapped graphics images and sound routines, etc.

The build environment has been configured to run under Windows XP and a 
pre-configured shortcut has been provided for this purpose as well as a make 
utility program and some additional programs to be used in conjunction with 
make.

Several sample programs are provided, each with its own MAKEFILE and each can 
be reviewed for information on how to write your own DOS 3.3 C programs. I have 
set-up each of these diskimages with a HELLO program. In DOS 3.3 Aztec C 
programs are binary files which have a base address of 0800 and are loaded and 
run using the BRUN command. You can review the HELLO program to see how that is 
done.

Getting Started

Unzip the ZIP file with directories intact onto the root of your C: Drive. The 
Windows XP shortcut has been pre-configured to use this directory structure.

Open the C:\Apple33 folder in MyComputer and click-on the shortcut. A cmd 
window will open, and you will be in the C:\Apple33 directory which is the 
parent directory for this environment. The required environment variables to 
build Aztec C DOS 3.3 programs are set for you, and you can build these 
anywhere on your computer from this cmd window.

You must be somewhat familiar with DOS commands to use this build environment.

You can test the environment by building the programs in the SAMPLES and 
PROJECTS subdirectory.

Each has its own MAKEFILE which will build a DOS 3.3 program simply by typing 
"make" and pressing [ENTER] while in each's project directory under SAMPLES (or 
PROJECTS).

What You Will Need

You can write your own programs in notepad or your favorite programmer's 
editor. This environment doesn't provide an editor. Windows notepad or wordpad 
will do but better editors like Textpad are out there.

You should get a copy of the Aztec C Manual which is available online at

http://www.clipshop.ca/Aztec/cat1.htm and http://www.clipshop.ca/Aztec/cat2.htm

This will provide you with the original text of the printed manual for the C65 
compiler and considerably more information than the SAMPLES that are included 
in this environment.

You will also need an Apple II emulator like Apple II Oasis that provides a 
Disk Manager unless you have a real Apple II. Ciderpress works too and has its 
own strengths. Remember to always set your binary PRG's that Aztec33 produces 
to load at 0800. See the MAKEFILE's etc for more detail.

If you wish to create full-screen bitmapped graphics for the Apple II you 
maywish to download the ClipShop program from the following link:

http://www.clipshop.ca

Other than that, all you need is the ability to write and compile programs in 
the C programming language. Aztec predates ANSI and ISO C. You will need to use 
Kernighan and Ritchie prototypes and syntax which is no hardship and good 
experience as well. The point is that your programs will be properly organized 
and run quite well. The downside is that they will take longer to load than 
BASIC programs.

Provided as is!

Have Fun!

Bill Buckels
May 27, 2008

"I have always wished for my computer to be as easy to use as my telephone; my 
wish has come true because I can no longer figure out how to use my 
telephone!!"

- Bjarne Stroustrup, creator of C+
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