How to assemble CP/M source?

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Scott Chapman

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Apr 19, 2020, 7:32:09 PM4/19/20
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I found VDE 2.67 source code (vde267sc.lbr) and have tried many assemblers to make it into an executable.
No luck so far.
I'm returning to CP/M for fun after many years absence and so it's a lot of learning curve. 

Does anyone know the details of getting this assembled?
Is this the latest available source code? 
I see on https://sites.google.com/site/vdeeditor/Home/vde-files that 2.66 was supposed to be the last version.
I don't see 2.66 source code anywhere. 

Is 2.67 the latest or 2.66? 
Can someone provide me with 2.66 source code?

Thanks!
Scott

dmccunney

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Apr 19, 2020, 8:43:41 PM4/19/20
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On Sun, Apr 19, 2020 at 7:32 PM Scott Chapman <sc...@mischko.com> wrote:
>
> I found VDE 2.67 source code (vde267sc.lbr) and have tried many assemblers to make it into an executable.
> No luck so far.

Where did you find the VDE 2.67 source? Eric Meyer was the original
author for VDE under CP/M, but my understanding was that he dropped
CP/M development after VDE 2.66 and moved development to MSDOS, and
CP/M development passed to Carson Wilson, whose efforts were released
as ZDE. I wasn't aware there *was* source to a VDE 2.67 version.

> I'm returning to CP/M for fun after many years absence and so it's a lot of learning curve.

What are you using to try to run and test your code?

> Does anyone know the details of getting this assembled?
> Is this the latest available source code?
> I see on https://sites.google.com/site/vdeeditor/Home/vde-files that 2.66 was supposed to be the last version.
> I don't see 2.66 source code anywhere.
>
> Is 2.67 the latest or 2.66?
> Can someone provide me with 2.66 source code?

http://www.classiccmp.org/cpmarchives/cpm/Software/WalnutCD/enterprs/cpm/utils/s/
has what is labeled as vde266sc.lbr as well as the 2.67 source.

We'll have to see whether Eric chimes in.

> Thanks!
> Scott
______
Dennis
VDE List Manager

Scott Chapman

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Apr 19, 2020, 8:49:18 PM4/19/20
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On Sun, Apr 19, 2020 at 5:43 PM dmccunney <dennis....@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sun, Apr 19, 2020 at 7:32 PM Scott Chapman <sc...@mischko.com> wrote:
>
> I found VDE 2.67 source code (vde267sc.lbr) and have tried many assemblers to make it into an executable.
> No luck so far.

Where did you find the VDE 2.67 source?  Eric Meyer was the original
author for VDE under CP/M, but my understanding was that he dropped
CP/M development after VDE 2.66 and moved development to MSDOS, and
CP/M development passed to Carson Wilson, whose efforts were released
as ZDE.  I wasn't aware there *was* source to a VDE 2.67 version.

You found the same 2.67 source I found, in your comment below. 
> I'm returning to CP/M for fun after many years absence and so it's a lot of learning curve.

What are you using to try to run and test your code?
I'm running the RunCPM (https://github.com/MockbaTheBorg/RunCPM) emulator under Windows and Raspberry Pi. 
 
> Does anyone know the details of getting this assembled?
> Is this the latest available source code?
> I see on https://sites.google.com/site/vdeeditor/Home/vde-files that 2.66 was supposed to be the last version.
> I don't see 2.66 source code anywhere.
>
> Is 2.67 the latest or 2.66?
> Can someone provide me with 2.66 source code?

http://www.classiccmp.org/cpmarchives/cpm/Software/WalnutCD/enterprs/cpm/utils/s/
has what is labeled as vde266sc.lbr as well as the 2.67 source.
2.66 source is not there. :(
 
We'll have to see whether Eric chimes in.

> Thanks!
> Scott
______
Dennis
VDE List Manager

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Eric Meyer

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Apr 20, 2020, 3:33:29 PM4/20/20
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Hi Dennis, good to hear from you, it's been a while since the last post here...

dmccunney wrote:
> We'll have to see whether Eric chimes in.

1988 was a very long time ago... 2.66 was my last version of VDE for CP/M. I
never released the source code publicly, and no longer seem to have any CP/M
or Z80 material myself. I did pass it on to Carson Wilson, who called his
subsequent efforts ZDE. He might first have done something called "VDE 2.67",
I don't recall, and don't know whether he ever released source code. Perhaps
someone just disassembled VDE? (The source would look very plain and
mechanical, with no meaningful labels or comments.) What do the materials say
about who did it and what any changes were?

Scott Chapman

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Apr 20, 2020, 3:39:37 PM4/20/20
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Here's the change log from the top of code.
;*** VDE.ASM -  Video Display Editor
;*** Universal Version - (c)1988 Eric Meyer
;*** Module 1: patch areas, core code
;    -------------------
; VDE,VDE-2 - 9-12/84 - Enhanced VDO, added functions
; VDE-OS,OX - 7/85-1/86 - Small additions and fixes
; VDE-PX    - 7-9/85 - Epson Geneva terminal version
; VDE 1.2-3 - 9/85-1/86 - Generic terminal version
; VDE/M 2.0 - 4/86 - Generic memory map version; CP/M+ support; additions
;       2.1 - 6/86 - New Keys 0-9; window; undo; directory; new pagination,
;                   compression, block marker, scroll; etc.
;       2.2 - 8/86 - WS-like commands; left mrgn, hyphenation; macros
;       2.3 - 9/86 - VINSTALL; Print options; word fns; real ^QA; RstDrv
;       2.4 - 1/87 - vidRAM/window redone; "W" mode; ^OZ,^QP; block print
;       2.5 - 3/87 - User#s; "N" mode; ^OS, ^OV/+/-; new block fns; hard-CRs
;       2.6 - 7/87 - Allow blank filename; ^U abort; new toggles; ruler;
;                   ^O<u>; AltBit fixes; works w/o curpos; key buffer; faster
;                   scrolling; case insensitive searches; no fake "VIDRAM"
;      2.61 - 8/87 - Bug fixes (incl FastFi), improved hyphenation
;      2.62 - 11/87 - ^JKL synonyms; ^W prefix; ^OH; several small fixes
;      2.63 - 1/88 - ^KV; WS style ^W/^Z; chgs to ^OP, ^OI/N, word fns
;      2.64 - 3/88 - ^OQ,^QT,^QI; ^KD; ^QA fixes; dbl spc; top margin;
;                         backward find; ShoRCu
;      2.65 - 4/88 - ^OI/N args; Esc-TAB; ^OA; menu removal; minor fixes
;      2.66 - 6/24/88 - Printer margins; Minor fixes.  LAST RELEASE!
;      2.67b - 10/14/88 - Minor fixes
;    -------------------

The code is commented a bunch. 
It is attached to this email in a ZIP that I just created from the downloaded LBR file's contents.

Eric,
Do you recall what assembler you used to build it? 

Scott


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vde267.zip

Eric Meyer

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Apr 20, 2020, 11:34:11 PM4/20/20
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Scott,

An interesting trip down memory lane. This does look like my own Z80 source
code, and from the header I would guess that I produced "2.67b" as a beta
version for my own use in the months after the 2.66 release (as I often
do/did). This is probably what I passed on to Carson as the basis for ZDE,
and has somehow found its way onto the site you located. Any changes from
2.66 would be quite minor. (I see only one comment "bug fix 2.67", though the
"b" would suggest at least two.)

To assemble the DOS versions of VDE I used OPTASM/LINK from SLR Systems, which
I considered an outstanding product. I believe there was also a Z80 version
that I used for CP/M VDE before that. But it was a long time ago, and that's
as far as I care to go on this subject. I don't actually recall consenting to
the public release of the source code, and have even less ability or desire to
support tinkering with it now. Have fun with your CP/M projects though.

-- Eric.


Scott Chapman wrote:
> ... The code is commented a bunch.

Scott Chapman

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Apr 21, 2020, 12:25:56 AM4/21/20
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Eric
Thanks for your reply.
I have SLR's z80asm for CP/M and tried it. So far, no joy.
I'll tinker with it some more.

Scott


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Scott Chapman

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Apr 21, 2020, 12:43:38 AM4/21/20
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I was able to get it to assemble and running. I have not tested it further.
I have a ZIP file with assembled (and installed for ANSI Terminal) VDE.COM version 2.67 and the assembled VI.COM along with the 2.67 source and the 2.66 zip file contents.

I tried posting with the attachment and it gives me an error. :(

Scott
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