This has probably been answered before

[icbrkr]

... and if it has, please just send me in the right direction

 

I have a XEGS on order, which is going to be cool because for some reason I always wanted one when I was a kid (maybe because it had those cool pastel buttons? ). Anyways, I was interested in programming the 5200, but I'm too lazy to learn assembly (I know some 6502 but it's been too long). On the XEGS, would it be possible to program in basic, compile it with some sorta basic->assembly program, then use some sort of util to take that assembly and sort of "recompile it" for the 5200? I realize it's the same basic machine, but the memory locations for some calls and where data is stored is different. Is there anything like this?

 

Brian

[Goochman]

PRob not - though there were some Basic->Asm translators for the 8bit most of them didnt do too well when it came to graphics stuff and usually crapped out with large basic programs (in my experiences)

 

Once compiled to make it 5200 from junk Asm would take longer than learning 5200 Asm IMHO -

 

Prob better off getting hte PC 5200 dev kit and starting there, or make some cool games for the XL/XE line

[Ze_ro]

Don't forget that even though the heart of the 5200 is an 8-bit... the joysticks are something entirely different! Good luck programming something on an 8-bit which would successfully handle the 5200's joystick.

 

--Zero

[8BIT 1337]

PRob not - though there were some Basic->Asm translators for the 8bit most of them didnt do too well when it came to graphics stuff and usually crapped out with large basic programs (in my experiences)

 

Once compiled to make it 5200 from junk Asm would take longer than learning 5200 Asm IMHO -

 

Prob better off getting hte PC 5200 dev kit and starting there, or make some cool games for the XL/XE line

 

Out of curiousity, is there a PC Dev kit for the 8-bit line? I'd probably never get around to actually coding anything but I'd certainly be interested in perusing one.

[Goochman]

Look around here, you should be able to find the 5200 BAS application which runs on your PC

[Jetboot Jack]

Nature Boy,

 

I'd recommend XASM and Code Genie as an AWESOME 8bit/5200 dev environment that runs on the PC...

 

http://atariarea.nostalgia.pl/x-asm/

 

Its a very easy to use combination of Source Editor and Assembler. I run the code I create on both the Atari800Win emulator and a real 130XE using APE as a file server/HD...

 

Compared with MAC65 on a real machine this setup is about 10,000% better

 

sTeVE

[8BIT 1337]

Thanks Jetboot Jack! That is super helpful.

[icbrkr]

After I posted this, a couple of days later I started playing with the 5200BAS program. Right now, I've got a game screen drawn, sprites figured out for the most part, joystick routines working ... now to start really writing Thanks!

 

Brian