"Freeway Frog" and ML Monitor (from Spectrum ML for AbsoluteBeginner)

I have a book called "Spectrum Machine Language for the Absolute
Beginner" edited by William Tang. It was published by Melbourne House
in 1982. The entire book can be downloaded here in pdf format:

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infos...cgi?id=2000363

As an example of how to program in assembly there is a game listing
(in z80 assembly code) called "Freeway Frog." Does anyone know where
to get the ML listing in text format, or the game itself so that it
can be played using an emulator? I've done some searching already, but
I can't find it. There are also some BASIC programs in the book, one
of them a ML Monitor called "EZ-Code." I'm sure that there are
probably better monitors than the one included with the book (though a
link to that one would be neat). What are are some good montors-- and
I'd want to make sure that they work with the TS 2068?

Adam

P.S. A few days ago I cross-posted this message in both the TS2068 and
the sinclairspectrumusers Yahoo groups in order to hopfully get a
better response. I never got a reply.

On Dec 5, 9:03 am, ballyal...@hotmail.com wrote:

> of them a ML Monitor called "EZ-Code." I'm sure that there are
> probably better monitors than the one included with the book (though a
> link to that one would be neat). What are are some good montors-- and
> I'd want to make sure that they work with the TS 2068?

My favourite assembler on the 2068 was Zeus Assembler, which is
available on WOS. I think the Spectrum version will work fine on the
2068 with the exception of printing to the Sinclair/2040 thermal
printer. I do have the 2068 version of the sw somewhere and it may
well be available for download from the yahoo group.

Zeus also has a monitor/disassembler that can be run at the same time
as the assembler but what I think you really want is the assembler.

Having said that, you are much better off using cross-assembling tools
to develop on a PC and test on an emulator. Most recent emulators
include monitors that allow you to set breakpoints, single-step
machine code instructions, monitor register values, etc. I use
Spectaculator but that has a 30-day free trial period only but Spin is
also very good and in fact comes with more tools such as a built-in
assembler and a profiler tool (or is that Basin only?). Both are
Spectrum emulators but unless you plan to call into the ROM all the
time (not likely) or use the advanced video modes this is not a
problem. If you are running Linux or some Unix variant, Fuse will get
you Timex emulation and provide these sorts of tools too.

For cross-assembler you can use Spin's default assembler but I prefer
to use external tools as then you can make use of makefiles and other
goodies. Many people like pasmo and sjasmplus. I prefer z88dk as it
contains an assembler as well as a C compiler. Use these to assemble
your program, drag and drop the result into an emulator to see if it
works or single-step to see where it goes wrong, and then package it
up for the real thing once that's all done with bin2tap or similar
tools.

> My favourite assembler on the 2068 was Zeus Assembler, which is
> available on WOS.

I've printed your tips out and put it inside the assembly programming
book.

> Having said that, you are much better off using cross-assembling tools
> to develop on a PC and test on an emulator.

Agreed. I'm also interested in how things were done "back then" too.
I find it interesting all the work that programmers had to go through
to get anything done.

Thanks for the tips.

Adam

"Freeway Frog" and ML Monitor (from Spectrum ML for AbsoluteBeginner) - Sinclair

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