pkern@utcs.uucp (pkern) (01/26/86)
Can someone recommend a 6502 Assembly book?
I would like to get a good reference book before
fiddling with assembly code.
thanks,
P. Kern
..!{ihnp4,cbosgd}!utcs!pkernkamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) (01/29/86)
In article <1066@utcs.uucp> pkern@utcs.uucp (pkern) writes: >Can someone recommend a 6502 Assembly book? >I would like to get a good reference book before >fiddling with assembly code. > >thanks, >P. Kern > ..!{ihnp4,cbosgd}!utcs!pkern There are an awful lot of "assembly books" on the market. Be careful, take the time to read anything anyone recommends in the store a little bit before you buy. So many are real trash. There are a few good guidlines to follow... 1) keep away from books that are so large they look more like bricks than books...they usually turn out to be bookend and shelf block more often than not. 2) it is usually a good idea to have a firm understanding of the 6502 opcode set first. It isn't that ultra-important that you know every opcode and every mode of addressing, but it sure helps. It can be a real pain to find out that that wonderful opcode you've been using all this time isn't an opcode but a psuedo-opcode. A good way to learn about the 6502 (or 65C02) opcode set is in a 6502 reference card, the Technical Reference Manual for your computer, or even in an "Assembly Book". Also, if you have a new //c or upgraded //e, a integer card, or an old //e, //c, ][, or ][+ (the later two with language cards), you can use the mini assembler. From a //c or //e (new) you can enter it by typing an "!" in the monitor. From everything else, get into integer basic (By loading it from the DOS Master Diskette or having it in ROM) and go into the monitor. then type F666G, and there you are. you can find out pretty easily how to use it in the integer card manual or the like. It's very limited and useless for anything but quick fixes and learning opcodes and there mnumonics. 3) try to get an assembly book that has useful and interesting examples. There is nothing more boring than typing in 50 lines of code that make the speaker go "BING" to illustrate how to use indirect indexed addressing, when you know how to buzz the speaker with 3 lines, and you really want to know how to do custome memory moves. Beware, however, that learning assembly language in the beginning is rarely more exciting than putting you name on the screen after struggling for 10 hours. 4) if possible, try to get a book that uses an assembler you've heard of a know about, have or plan to use. It's a minor problem to translate assemblers, but some just don't have very many features. I personally like Glen Brendon's Merlin Pro Assembler, which now has a full screen editor (Available from Roger Wagner Publishing). Don Lancaster has noted that he likes the ProDOS Assembler from Apple in conjuction with Applewriter (For more info about this and also Assembly Language [not 6502 opcode programming, though] see his Assembly Cookbook [SAMS]). I have heard the Roger Wagner's "Assembly Lines" (or something like that) is an excellent book on programming the 6502. I've been looking for a good book for a friend of mine for quite some time. I still haven't found anything that isn't either very condecending, overly technical, or otherwise more trouble than it's worth. I might just end up teaching her myself. In recent issues of A+, Nibble, and InCider, there have been articles on assembly language prgramming. You might want to check them out. Good luck! Sean Kamath -- ________________________________________________________________________________ UUCP {ihnp4,decvax,ucbcad}!tektronix!reed!kamath And I looked again And the monster was me...
res1@mhuxd.UUCP (STEALEY) (01/30/86)
> Can someone recommend a 6502 Assembly book?
I have two 6502 assembly language books. Here is a description of
each.
PROGRAMMING THE APPLE II IN ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE
By Rodney Zaks
Published by Sybex, Inc.
2344 Sixth St.
Berkeley, CA 94710
price= ?? (was a gift, but worth $24-30)
415-848-8233
This book is 456 pages plus appendices, and is beautifully done,
is up-to-date (ProDos, etc.), and very thorough. It is not a "learn by
doing" book. The author recommends buying "6502 Applications Book" as
a followup to this book. It is written with the Merlin assembler used
in some examples, but you do not have to be committed to Merlin to get
the full value out of this book. Highly recommended.
USING 6502 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE
By Randy Hyde
Datamost
8943 Fullbright Ave.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
price=$19.95
213-709-1202
This book is a pocket-sized paperback. $19.95 seems a lot for
it, but it is often seen discounted at computer shows, flea markets. It
is based on the Lisa assembler and is also well done, with a mix of
theory and practical examples. If you were in a hurry you could
probably get through this one much faster than the first one, although
your education would not be top notch. ( Sort of like a community
college vs. Harvard)
I would appreciate expansion of this discussion to include
recommendations on various assemblers. In particular, does anyone
know if "The ProDos Assembler" is produced by Apple? It is recommended
several times in the first book mentioned above.
Rick
{ihnp4!mhuxd!res1}hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) (01/31/86)
In article <4269@mhuxd.UUCP> res1@mhuxd.UUCP writes: >> Can someone recommend a 6502 Assembly book? > >I have two 6502 assembly language books. Here is a description of >each. > PROGRAMMING THE APPLE II IN ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE > By Rodney Zaks > Published by Sybex, Inc. > > This book is 456 pages plus appendices, and is beautifully done, >is up-to-date (ProDos, etc.), and very thorough. It is not a "learn by >doing" book. The author recommends buying "6502 Applications Book" as >a followup to this book. It is written with the Merlin assembler used >in some examples, but you do not have to be committed to Merlin to get >the full value out of this book. Highly recommended. > > USING 6502 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE > By Randy Hyde > Datamost > > This book is a pocket-sized paperback. $19.95 seems a lot for >it, but it is often seen discounted at computer shows, flea markets. It >is based on the Lisa assembler and is also well done, with a mix of >theory and practical examples. If you were in a hurry you could >probably get through this one much faster than the first one, although >your education would not be top notch. ( Sort of like a community >college vs. Harvard) > >Rick From my own attempts to learn 6502 many years ago, I find it amusing that a Rodnay Zaks (that's right, Rodnay) book could be highly recommended. The first editions of this book were a complete farce, to say the least. Zak's writing style didn't improve through any of the other books of his that I read, and come to think of it, Sybex in general produced a remarkable volume of garbage. It's been 5 or so years since I learned 6502, and about a year and a half since I stopped following computer books, so this may have changed. Datamost's books, by contrast, are much more readable, although as Rick notes, they tend to skim the whole shebang instead of going into detail. However, my own recommendations lean towards the original Howard Sams' books, 6502 Software Design by Scanlon, and Apple ][ Assembly, by someone whose name I can't remember. The Scanlon book is more specific to the AIM-65 than to anything else, but it teaches technique more than anything else, and I find the cycle-time charts in the back invaluable. The other book when last I looked contained references to the ][+ era monitor, and doesn't cover the features of the //e. And of course, the Quality Software "Beneath Apple somethingorother" series is a must-read for DOS work. enjoy, -dave -- David Hsu Communication & Signal Processing Lab, EE Department <disclaimer> University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 hsu@eneevax.umd.edu {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!eneevax!hsu CF522@UMDD.BITNET "Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern Vern, you've done it now, buddy..." -Ernest P. Worrell
dr@ski.UUCP (David Robins) (02/02/86)
> Can someone recommend a 6502 Assembly book? > I would like to get a good reference book before > fiddling with assembly code. > > thanks, > P. Kern > ..!{ihnp4,cbosgd}!utcs!pkern When I started learning (teaching myself) assembly language last year, I was mystified, because I brought the highly recommended ASSEMBLY LINES: THE BOOK, by Roger Wagner. This book teaches in sections which are swallowable. I understood the op-codes, and the examples, but I still didn't know how to start and write a useful program for myself. I was looking for a book the shows HOW to do it. I bought about 7 books, which seems useful when I broused through them at the bookstore. The ones I thing ARE useful are: ASSEMBLY LINES: The Book by Roger Wagner Programming the Apple ][ in Assembly Language by Rodney Zaks (I agree with the posting about the mediocre writing style, but there were still some useful things in this book.) 6502 Software Design by Leo Scanlon (Howard Sams & Co.) 6502 Assembly Language Subroutines by Lance Leventhal (A compendium of routines for arithmetic, arrays, I/O, interrupts, etc. Useful once the basics are learned.) Assembly Cookbook for the Apple ][|//e by Don Lancaster (Howard Sams & Co.) (I don't like the repetitive, jargony style Lancaster uses in this book. I found myself very annoyed trying to get through it and pick out the relevant facts. However, if you can put up with it, he shows a nice, organized way to set-up a top-down, structured programming style. It does NOT teach the op-codes and their uses.) ____________________________________________________________________ I have ordered another book that I have heard is very useful. This is called: Now That You Know Assembly Language, What Can You Do With It by Jules Gilder. (It was reviewed recently in Apple Assembly Line, which is written by Bob Sander-Cederlof.) P.S.: For the slightly-higher-than-rank-beginner, and up, programmers, I would highly recommend Apple Assembly Line. This monthly newsletter is intended for support of the S-C Assembler, but is available to anyone from S-C Software Corporation, P.O. Box 280300, Dallas, Texas, 75228, for $18/year in the US, higher elsewhere. -- ==================================================================== David Robins, M.D. Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences 2232 Webster St; San Francisco CA 94115 415/561-1705 {ihnp4,qantel,dual}!ptsfa!ski!dr The opinions expressed herein do not reflect the opinion of the Institute!
rms@meccts.UUCP (Roger M. Shimada) (02/03/86)
In article <2390@reed.UUCP> kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) writes: >an old //e, //c, ][, or ][+ ... >... From everything else, get into integer basic (By >loading it from the DOS Master Diskette or having it in ROM) and go into >the monitor. then type F666G, and there you are. A small correction. The mini-assembler from Integer BASIC won't work in the old //c. If someone out there really wants to know how to make it work, write to me. My experience is that the good old Apple ][ reference manual is a good way to start assembly language (Apple product number A2L0001A or 030-0004-01, out of print I'm sure). It documents stuff in the Monitor ROM and has a commented listing of said ROM. Above all, it has a sense of humour, if you look for it.
paulb@ttidcc.UUCP (02/04/86)
In article <1066@utcs.uucp> pkern@utcs.uucp (pkern) writes: >Can someone recommend a 6502 Assembly book? >I would like to get a good reference book before >fiddling with assembly code. The first obvious question is whether you want to learn it for 6502 chips in general or for a specific machine, like the Apple. The are general & machine specific books. If you have a machine in mind, do not buy a general book as the specific book will point out call, sub- routines, tricks & memory allocation that will be invaluable. If you are interested in the Apple, I have two recommendations; both with caveats ( != Dick Cavat (sp?)). 1) "Machine Level Programming on the Apple II/IIe" by Graham Keeler. Prentice Hall Interntional, 209pp, 1984. PRICE ??. (I believe $30-40). A not-too-bad introductory book with exercises. Uses the Apple mini-assembler which comes on the disk in case you don't have it. Not a good assembler, but you can learn without being assembler specific. Diskette also has the Apple step & trace & examples from book. Not great, but cost effective & not drawn out. 2) "Apple Assembly Language" by W. Douglas Maurer. Computer Science Press, 403 pp, 1984. Much better, but more drawn out than above. It will take more time than #1, but will more likely get through to you if you are not a quick study. Disadvantage: All examples are for the Lisa Assembler by Lazerware. The book is about $25-30. If you want the companion diskette, it is an additional $17 & requires the assembler which they sell for $79.95. If you have the assmbler; decide that this is the assembler that you want; or are independently wealthy & have time, this is the book for you. Otherwise, go w/#1 or some other recommendation. Remember, though, decide if you want machine specific or general. QUOTE: "Don't sweat assembly language; everything will eventually register". ME -- -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- Paul Blumstein "I deny this reality!" Citicorp/TTI Doctor Who 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 (213) 450-9111 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!paulb