johnw@reed.UUCP (John Windberg) (08/14/86)
Help! How can I get Radio Shack edtasm to read an ascii file. Model III version. ie I dowload stuff from mr. vax in z80 code. edtasm uses a weird format that I don't understand.
gene@cooper.UUCP (gene) (08/20/86)
> Help! > How can I get Radio Shack edtasm to read an ascii file. > Model III version. > ie I dowload stuff from mr. vax in z80 code. > edtasm uses a weird format that I don't understand. The best possible advice you'll ever get would be to ditch edtasm and get The Alternate Source's ALE (Assembly Language Editor). For the $39.95 ($29.95?) price tag, you'll get the best assembler in the world for the money. 1) You'll have flexibility when it comes to handling text in multiple buffers or in multiple files (when the source gets too big!). "Standard" formats like *GET fspec/SRC are supported, etc. 2) You'll have a _very_ powerful editor, which combines the best features of line editors and full-screen editors. The only drawback is that power implies complexity, so be prepared to spend a little time getting to know (and practice) the editor. 3) You can read from virtually EVERY source format in existence. In other words, you won't have to trash all the programs you've written. EDTASM, MZAL, Series I, et. al., storage formats are ALL readable. In addition, you can store the programs you've written in whichever format you prefer. (If you've got a friend who has MZAL, for example, you might want to store your programs in MZAL format.) 4) It's damn cheap, considering all the niceties it has! For the price I quoted, you've got the makings of one helluva editor/assembler! 5) Customer support is great. The disk I got in the mail was glitched, and all it took was one phone call to The Alternate Source to get a brandy-new disk, with no charge or month-long wait. It might seem as though I've got stock in the company or something, but that's not the case! I was just so impressed by this particular product. For the money, I expected a mediocre ed/asm; what I got was one great AL tool that's got a permanent place in my disk holders. In conclusion, I'd say that if you've got the time and inclination to learn a new system, then ALE's for you. If you just want to load, save, edit, and assemble files that don't get too big, then stick to a mainstream ed/asm like EDTASM. The analogy I'm trying to make is like driving a Cadillac (nice and easy, but a little limited in performance) or a Lamborghini ( takes a little work, but whoooeeeee!, is it worth the effort!). Cheerio! Gene Usenet (UUCP) Address: harvard!cmcl2\ {ihnp4 | seismo}!allegra>!phri!cooper!gene columbia/ philabs/