Author Topic: Making Axe Applications  (Read 9350 times)

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Offline LincolnB

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Making Axe Applications
« on: September 22, 2011, 05:07:29 pm »
Hi there everyone. I'm working on a project right now, Base 671, in Axe, that will eventually run as an App, because it's gotten too big. I was using CrabCake so it would run at all, and the executable was nearing 1100 bytes, which is about how big all the billions of source files put together are, so I was running out of memory, so now it's going to be an app.

What do I need to change from a nostub ASM program when recompiling as an App? I know enough not to try and use SMC, but I'm not sure what all that entails. Could someone please provide me with a list of what I need to change/prevent from happening in an App's source code?
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Offline Runer112

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2011, 05:15:01 pm »
When making applications in Axe, the only thing you can't do that you can do in programs is write data back to the application. Probably the two most common uses of writeback are to store data like options/high scores and to create an extra buffer with Zeros(768). Instead of storing such data inside of your application, you should create appvars in which to store the data.

Offline calc84maniac

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2011, 05:23:10 pm »
Also, if you access nibble data from your app, you'll need to use the alternate nibble read/write functions.
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Offline alberthrocks

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2011, 06:35:40 pm »
Just a quick question (and a minor thread hijack) - how would I get the MemKit Axiom to work for apps? I suspect that it's still parsing the VAT, but when I try to get the program name (Print(Str1)), it doesn't copy the program name at all, as it should in regular programs.
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Offline Runer112

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2011, 06:40:18 pm »
alberthrocks: That is because you're trying to write data back to Str1, which is a part of the application. As I explained in my previous post, that isn't possible. You should instead write the data to RAM somewhere, in scratch RAM or in an appvar.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2011, 06:40:30 pm by Runer112 »

Offline alberthrocks

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2011, 07:30:29 pm »
alberthrocks: That is because you're trying to write data back to Str1, which is a part of the application. As I explained in my previous post, that isn't possible. You should instead write the data to RAM somewhere, in scratch RAM or in an appvar.
I've tried via #Realloc(L1) or #Realloc(L2), but they always fail. The #Realloc command seems to not be effective in apps, eh? :P (That's the "write to someplace in RAM" attempt.)

As for the appvar method, how would I accomplish that?
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Offline Runer112

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2011, 08:16:07 pm »
How did we get on the topic of #Realloc()? That has to do with changing where in memory the A-θ variables reference, not strings or MemKit. I meant you should use a different pointer argument for Print() that will result in the string being copied to RAM, since Str1 is a part of your application and cannot be written to. For example: Print(L₁).

Regarding appvars, unless you want data to persist between runs (like settings or high scores), I would try to use scratch RAM to hold your data whenever possible. As far as I know, you don't need this string to persist between runs and it's pretty small, at most 9 bytes, so it's probably easiest to use scratch RAM to hold it.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2011, 08:16:23 pm by Runer112 »

Offline LincolnB

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2011, 09:13:23 pm »
Also, if you access nibble data from your app, you'll need to use the alternate nibble read/write functions.

What functions?
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Offline calc84maniac

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2011, 10:12:14 pm »
Also, if you access nibble data from your app, you'll need to use the alternate nibble read/write functions.

What functions?

nib{nibble_address}r and value->nib{nibble_address}r
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Offline LincolnB

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2011, 10:14:15 pm »
Oh, with the superscript r. Got it.
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Offline ztrumpet

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2011, 10:31:11 pm »
Also, if you access nibble data from your app, you'll need to use the alternate nibble read/write functions.

What functions?

nib{nibble_address}r and value->nib{nibble_address}r
Um, you can't write a nibble to an App, can you?  Isn't it in ROM?

Offline LincolnB

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2011, 10:33:33 pm »
No, but if you have an appvar or some free ram, you can write nibbles to there. Correct, calc84/runer112/anyone else?
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Offline alberthrocks

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2011, 10:43:01 pm »
How did we get on the topic of #Realloc()? That has to do with changing where in memory the A-θ variables reference, not strings or MemKit. I meant you should use a different pointer argument for Print() that will result in the string being copied to RAM, since Str1 is a part of your application and cannot be written to. For example: Print(L₁).

Regarding appvars, unless you want data to persist between runs (like settings or high scores), I would try to use scratch RAM to hold your data whenever possible. As far as I know, you don't need this string to persist between runs and it's pretty small, at most 9 bytes, so it's probably easiest to use scratch RAM to hold it.
Oh... I was under the assumption that #Realloc() would cause the variables to be located in L₁ for modification. :P
So wait, if I do use Print(L₁), will I still be able to use regular variables?

(Or maybe I just don't get where the variables are/how do variables work/etc. :P)
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Activity remains limited due to busyness from school et al. Sorry! :( Feel free to PM, email, or if you know me well enough, FB me if you have a question/concern. :)

Don't expect me to be online 24/7 until summer. Contact me via FB if you feel it's urgent.


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Spoiler For "My Projects! :D":
Projects:

Computer/Web/IRC Projects:
C______c: 0% done (Doing planning and trying to not forget it :P)
A_____m: 40% done (Need to develop a sophisticated process queue, and a pretty web GUI)
AtomBot v3.0: 0% done (Planning stage, may do a litmus test of developer wants in the future)
IdeaFrenzy: 0% done (Planning and trying to not forget it :P)
wxWabbitemu: 40% done (NEED MOAR FEATURES :P)

Calculator Projects:
M__ C_____ (an A____ _____ clone): 0% done (Need to figure out physics and Axe)
C2I: 0% done (planning, checking the demand for it, and dreaming :P)

Offline ztrumpet

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2011, 10:46:09 pm »
No, but if you have an appvar or some free ram, you can write nibbles to there. Correct, calc84/runer112/anyone else?
Yes, but you'd use the normal nibble commands for that.

Offline LincolnB

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Re: Making Axe Applications
« Reply #14 on: September 23, 2011, 10:24:33 am »
No, but if you have an appvar or some free ram, you can write nibbles to there. Correct, calc84/runer112/anyone else?
Yes, but you'd use the normal nibble commands for that.

Oh, ok. Got it.
Completed Projects:
   >> Spacky Emprise   >> Spacky 2 - Beta   >> Fantastic Sam
   >> An Exercise In Futility   >> GeoCore

My Current Projects:

Projects in Development:
In Medias Res - Contest Entry

Talk to me if you need help with Axe coding.


Spoiler For Bragging Rights:
Not much yet, hopefully this section will grow soon with time (and more contests)