The Quill (ZX81 Version) - Work in Progress

[XavSnap]

HI,

My "The Quill" Editor is in progress.
I had to code the object table and the script table.

The Vb resources are availaible here:
http://zx81.ordi5.free.fr/thequill/VB_RES.ZIP

File updated: Up, Down, Ne ,Se,sw,nw are ok.

Have fun.

[gus]

Hi !!!

Here is a new release of The Quill Interpreter for the ZX81...

Some changes / improvements:

1) I do not use anymore the Floating Point ROM subroutines. In the first version I think that using that routines will give us more space for the adventure, but this routines are too slow. So I take a good book on 8080 programming and write a couple of subroutines to display 1 or 2 bytes binary numbers in decimal form...

2) I improve the SAVE / LOAD routines, now the Game Status data stream has a name on tape (very convenient when using an emulator)
BTW: do some of you try this functions ? I mean do you discover that this little interpreter lets you SAVE and LOAD a game in progress ?
I'm asking because programming this functionality give me a lot of work (and enjoyment too)

3) The interpreter is complete !!! All the Commands and Conditions are working now !!!

4) Database format is defined. I will explain it later but the point here is this: The Interpreter and the Adventure Database are merged on a unique P file, but now there is a magic word (LOLO) that let you know where the Database start inside the P file and another magic word (LULU) marks the end of the database. I do include an series of Vectors (pointers) that let you figure out where start each table on the database: Locations, Connections, Messages, etc... I will make a document with this info very soon so XavSnap can update his promising window$ editor

5) I write an small CLS routine, the ROM routines looks slow

6) Input routines more sensitive and with a cursor

7) A lot of small changes that I can't remember right now...

Now I will back to the 'The Crystal Frog' conversion

Gus

[gus]

Hi to all

I release an updated version.

I do change the 0x80 end of Messages Mark by a more convenient 0xFF.
In the Spectrum, 0x80 is a good option but in our little machines (with a not ascii character set) it is no so good... In the first place I do use the 0x80 in order to maintain the Spectrum format, but know I think it's better to have a full zx81 char set to describe the game elements.

So now the user messages, system messages, locations, and objects are 0xFF terminated

Gus

[XavSnap]

Hi Gus,


I have a look to Room's messages.
They are a lot of rundondants words who take 'room' in memory.

You can use a "word" server inside the room's messages.

Insted of (for exemple!) :
I am in a Hall. $80 ; ( or $FF !!!)
You can use a tag after $80 like $81 to point to a groupe of words.
$81="I AM IN "
$82="A "
ROOM01:
db $81,$82 , H , A , L , L , $80 ; ( or $FF !!!)
ROOM01:
db $81, $82 , K , I , T , C , H , E , N, $80 ; ( or $FF !!!)

It Preserve many bytes.

The Code is short, but you had to finish the message table, to change all words groups.

Code: Select all

;--------------------------------------------------------------------
;                   C O M M O N    M E S S A G E S 
;--------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMON_MSG:
db	$80
db	I, _, A, M, _, I, N, $80	;ID $81
db	T, H, E, $80			;ID $82
db	N, O, R, T , (H+$80)		;ID $83
db	E, A, S,(T+$80)			;ID $84
db	S, O, U, T, (H+$80)		;ID $85
db	W, E, S,(T+$80)			;ID $86
db	S, T, E, P, S, _, L, E, A, D, $80	;ID $87
db	D,O,W,N, $80	;ID $88
db	U,P, $80	;ID $89
db	T, O, $80	;ID $8A
db	I, S, $80	;ID $8B
db	A, N, D, $80	;ID $8C

Code: Select all

;--------------------------------------------------------------------
;                   M E S S A G E S    T A B L E
;--------------------------------------------------------------------

MSGROOM_01:
; "I AM IN A HALL. THE KITCHEN IS TO THE EAST, THE BEDROOM TO THE WEST AND THE LOUGE TO THE SOUTH. STEPS LEAD DOWN TO THE CELLAR."
db	$81, A, _, H, A, L, L, $1B, _
db	$82, K, I, T, C, H, E, N, _, $8B, $76 
db	$8A, $82, $84, $1A, _, $82
db	 B, E, D, R, O, O, M, _, $8A, $82
db	$86, _, $8C, $82, L, O, U
db	G, E, _,$8A, $82, $85, $1B
db	$87 , $88
db	$8A, $82, C, E, L, L, A, R, $1B 
db	$80

MSGROOM_02:
; "I AM IN THE KITCHEN. THE HALL IS TO THE WEST AND THE DINNING ROOM IS TO THE SOUTH."
db	$03, $82, K, I, T, C
db	H, E, N, $1B, _, $82, H, A, L, L, _, $8B 
db	$8A, $82, $86, _, $8C
db	$82, D, I, N, N, I, N, G, _, R, O, O, M
db	$8B, $8A, $82, $85, $1B
db	$80

MSGROOM_03:
; "I AM IN THE DINNING ROOM. THE KITCHEN IS TO THE NORTH AND THE LOUGE TO THE WEST."
db	$81, , $82, D, I, N, N
db	I, N, G, _, R, O, O, M, _ , $1B,$76,$82, _
db      K, I, T, C, H, E, N, _,  $8B, $8A, $82
db	$83, _,  $8C, $82
db	L, O, U, G, E, _,$8A , $82,$86, $1B
db	$80

MSGROOM_04:
; "I AM IN THE LOUGE. TO THE NORTH IS THE HALL WHILE THE DINNING ROOM IS TO THE EAST."
db	$81, $82, L, O, U, G
db	E ,$1B, _, $8A, $82, $83, _
db	$8B, $82, H, A, L, L, _, W, H, I, L
db	E, _, $82, _, D, I, N, N, I, N, G, _, _ 
db	R, O, O, M, _, $8B,$8A, $82, $84, $1B
db	$80

MSGROOM_05:
; "I AM IN THE BEDROOM. THE HALL IS TO THE EAST AND A BED IS AGAINST THE NORTH WALL."
db	$81, $82, B, E, D, R
db	O, O, M, $1B, _, $82, H, A, L, L, _, I, S
db	$8A,  $82, $84, _,$8C
db	A, _, B,  E , D, _, $8B, A, G, A, I, N, S, T
db	$82,$83, _, W, A, L, L, $1B
db	$80

MSGROOM_06:
; "I AM IN THE CELLAR. STEPS LEAD UP TO THE HALL."
db	$81, $82, C, E, L, L
db	A, R, $1B, _, $87, _
db	$8A, $8A, $82, H, A, L, L, $1B
db	$80

Code: Select all

;--------------------------------------------------------------------
;                   To add to you primary message reader.
;--------------------------------------------------------------------
Lb42FD:
	LD A,(HL) 
	CP $80 		; End of the message? ($FF for the new format !)
	JR Z, Lb4309 	; Exit.
	CP $76		; N/L?
	JR NZ, Lb42FE	; no.. resume next.
	CALL DISP_NL	; Display a N/L
	INC HL
	JP Lb42FD
Lb42FE:
	BIT 7,(HL)	
	JR Z,Lb42FF	; IF B7=0 vvv
	AND $7F		; IF B7=1 get A and 7Fh (B0=0)
	CALL DISP_COMMON ; Call the routine
	JR Lb4300	; Next char in the message.
Lb42FF:
	CALL DISP_CHAR	;Display the char., it's <80h (not a common word)
Lb4300:
	INC HL 
	JP Lb42FD
Lb4309:
	CALL DISP_NL
	LD A,(STBUFFER1) 
	CALL Lb4371
	RET ; ==========================

Code: Select all

;--------------------------------------------------------------------
;                   S E R V E R   R O U T I N E
;--------------------------------------------------------------------

DISP_COMMON:
	PUSH HL
	LD B,A
	LD HL,COMMON_MSG
DISP_COMMON1:
	BIT 7,(HL)
	INC HL
	JR Z,DISP_COMMON1
	DJNZ DISP_COMMON1
DISP_COMMON2:

	LD A,(HL)
	AND $7F
	CALL DISP_CHAR
	LD A,(HL)
	BIT 7,A
	INC HL
	JR Z,DISP_COMMON2

DISP_COMMON3:
	POP HL
	RET ; ==========================

Have Fun.
Xav.

[gus]

Hi Xav

Well that is a good form to save space, in fact the newest versions of The Quill comes with some text compression too.

Right now Im focused on improve the Interpreter and for that I plan to convert some Spectrum Adventures... I want to test the Interpreter and in the middle time I will collect some ideas to include on future versions.

Thanks Gus

P.D. How is going the Vb Editor ?

[XavSnap]

Hi Gus,

P.D. How is going the Vb Editor ?

The last release is here :http://zx81.ordi5.free.fr/thequill/VB_RES.ZIP, and it's in stand-by.
I'm working on the XuR diassembleur... (RSTxx, and "call"s labels)
Also working on "Zx desassembleur" from http://zx81.ordi5.free.fr/k7/

I had to rebuild the actions script (???).
In this editor, i will inclued some text compression, but not 6bits/7bits text compression...
Only the redoundant word compression.
The world generation is ok...

I will have a look to the "Beep" function, on the Quill !
Have Fun.