grc - GEOS resource compiler
-
- Maciej 'YTM/Alliance' Witkowiak
- <ytm@friko.onet.pl>
- VII 2000
+ Maciej 'YTM/Elysium' Witkowiak
+ <ytm@elysium.pl>
+ VII 2000
+ VI,VII 2002
definitions etc. Without application header GEOS is unable to load and start
it.
-Currently, grc supports only menus and required header definition.
+Currently, grc supports only menus and required header definition as long with
+support for building VLIR structured files.
-grc generates output in two formats - as C header and ca65 source (.s). This
-is because application header data must be in assembler fromat while menu
-definitions can be easily translated into C. The purpose of C file is to include
-it as header in only one project file. Assembler source should be processed with
-ca65 and linked as first object (read Building process below).
+grc generates output in three formats - as C header, ca65 source (.s) and for
+linking VLIR - ld65 configuration file. This is because application header data
+must be in assembler format while menu definitions can be easily translated
+into C. The purpose of C file is to include it as header in only one project
+file. Assembler source should be processed with ca65 and linked as first object
+(read Building process below). VLIR structure is currently supported only for
+project written entirely in assembler.
+
+grc can be also used as a handy VLIR linker used to build VLIR-structured .cvt
+file out of prepared binary chains.
2. Usage
--------
-f force writting output files
-o name name C output file
-s name name S output file
+ -l name name ld65 output file
-h help
+when used as VLIR linker the correct syntax is:
+ grc -vlir output.cvt header.bin vlir0.bin vlir1.bin...
+
Default output names are made from input name with extension replaced by '.h'
and '.s'. grc will not overwrite existing files unless forced to do so.
This is to avoid situation where you have test.c and test.grc files. Both would
make output into test.s. For this reason you should name your resources files
-differently than sources, e.g. as resource.grc or apphead.grc
+differently than sources, e.g. as resource.grc or apphead.grc.
3. Resource file format
make easier recognition of file purpose. Also cl65 recognizes these files.
Parser is very weak at the moment so read the comments carefully and write
resources exactly as it is written here. Look out for CAPS and small letters.
-Everything after a ';' till the end of line is considered as comment and
+Everything after a ';' till the end of line is considered as comment and
ignored.
See included commented example .grc file for better view of the problem.
-Currently grc supports only two types of resources - menu and header.
a) menu definition
"item name x" MENU_TYPE pointer
}
-The definition starts with keyword MENU, then goes menu name, which will be
+The definition starts with keyword MENU, then goes menu name, which will be
represented in C as const void. Then are coordinates of top left corner
of menu box. The position of bottom right corner is estimated basing on length
of item names and menu orientation. It means that menu box will be always
as large as it should be. Then there's orientation keyword, it can be either
HORIZONTAL or VERTICAL.
Between { and } there's menu content. It consists of item definitions.
-First is item name - it has to be in quotes. Next is menu type bit. It can
+First is item name - it has to be in quotes. Next is menu type bit. It can
be MENU_ACTION or SUB_MENU, both can be combined with DYN_SUB_MENU bit
(see GEOSLib documentation for description of these). You can use C logical
operators in expressions but you have to do it without spaces, so dynamically
is present in source that includes generated header. It can point to a function
or to another menu definition.
-If you are doing sub(sub)menus definitions remember to place the lowest level
-definition first. This way C compiler won't complain about unknown names.
+If you are doing sub(sub)menus definitions remember to place the lowest level
+definition first and top lever menu as the last one. This way C compiler won't
+complain about unknown names.
+
b) header definition
date yy mm dd hh ss
dostype SEQ
mode any
+ structure SEQ
}
-Header definition describes GEOS header sector which is unique to each file.
-Currently there's no way to change default grc icon (an empty frame). It will
+Header definition describes GEOS header sector which is unique to each file.
+Currently there's no way to change default grc icon (an empty frame). It will
be possible in next versions.
-The definition starts with keyword HEADER, then goes GEOS file type. You can
-only use APPLICATION here at the moment. Then there are (all in quotes) DOS
-filename (up to 16 characters), GEOS Class name (up to 12 characters) and
-version info (up to 4 characters). Version should be written as "Vx.y" where
-x is the major and y the minor version number. These fields along with both
-brackets are required. Data between brackets is optional and will be replaced
+The definition starts with keyword HEADER, then goes GEOS file type. You can
+only use APPLICATION here at the moment. Then there are (all in quotes) DOS
+filename (up to 16 characters), GEOS Class name (up to 12 characters) and
+version info (up to 4 characters). Version should be written as "Vx.y" where
+x is the major and y the minor version number. These fields along with both
+brackets are required. Data between brackets is optional and will be replaced
by default and current values.
Keyword 'author' and value in quotes describes Author field and can be up to
63 bytes long.
Info (in the same format) can have up to 95 characters.
-If 'date' field will be ommited then the time of compilation will be placed.
+If 'date' field will be ommited then the time of compilation will be placed.
Note that if you do specify the date you have to write all 5 numbers.
Dostype can by SEQ, PRG or USR. USR is by default, GEOS doesn't care.
-Mode can be 'any', '40only', '80only', 'c64only' and describes system
-requirements. 'any' will work both on GEOS64 and GEOS128 in 40 and 80 column
-modes. '40only' will work on GEOS128 in 40 column mode only. '80only' will
+Mode can be 'any', '40only', '80only', 'c64only' and describes system
+requirements. 'any' will work both on GEOS64 and GEOS128 in 40 and 80 column
+modes. '40only' will work on GEOS128 in 40 column mode only. '80only' will
work only on GEOS128 and 'c64only' will work only on GEOS64.
+The default value for 'structure' is SEQ (sequential). You can also put 'VLIR'
+there but then you have also to place third type of resources - VLIR table
+description.
+
+c) VLIR table description
-4. Building GEOS application
+VLIR headname address {
+ vlir0
+ blank
+ vlir2
+ blank
+ vlir4
+}
+
+The first element is keyword 'VLIR', then goes the name for header binary name
+(read below) and base address for all VLIR chains diffrent than 0. It can be
+either decimal (e.g. '4096') or hexadecimal with '0x' prefix (e.g. '0x1000').
+Then between brackets are names of vlir chain binaries or keyword 'blank' which
+denotes empty chains. In this example chains #1 and #3 are missing.
+The names between brackets are names of binaries containing code for each VLIR
+part. They matter only for generated ld65 configuration file and will be the
+names of resulting binary files after linking. Each one will contain one VLIR
+chain and they will have to be put together into VLIR .cvt by grc in VLIR linker
+modey in correct order.
+The 'headname' will be the name for binary which will contain only GEOS .cvt
+header made out of compiling .s header file generated also by grc.
+At the end of resulting ld65 config file (.cfg) in comments there will be
+information what commands are required for putting the stuff together. Read
+info below and see example somewhere around.
+
+
+4. Building GEOS application (SEQUENTIAL)
----------------------------
Before proceeding please read cc65, ca65 and ld65 documentation and find
4. Fourth and the last step - linking it together
-$ ld -t geos -o test.cvt resource.o geos.o test.o geos.lib
+$ ld65 -t geos -o test.cvt resource.o geos.o test.o geos.lib
resource.o comes first because it contains the header. Next one is geos.o, a
required starter code, then actual application code in test.o and the last is
GEOS system library.
The resulting file test.cvt is executable in well-known GEOS Convert format.
-Note that it's name (test) isn't important, the real name after unconverting
+Note that it's name (test) isn't important, the real name after unconverting
is the DOS name given in header definition.
On each step a '-t geos' was present at the command line. This switch is required
for correct process of app building.
-5. Bugs and feedback
+5. Building GEOS application (VLIR)
+-----------------------------------
+
+Currently you can only build VLIR application if your code is written in
+assembler. No .c allowed.
+
+In your sources only command '.segment "NAME"' will decide which code/data goes
+where. Filenames doesn't matter.
+Segments CODE, RODATA, DATA and BSS go into VLIR part #0. Segment VLIR1 go to
+VLIR part #1, VLIR2 - VLIR part #2 and so on.
+
+GEOS resource file contents are similar to seq example but there is also 'VLIR'
+section and 'structure VLIR' tag. Here is that part:
+
+VLIR vlir-head.bin 0x3000 {
+ vlir-0.bin ; CODE, RODATA, DATA, BSS
+ vlir-1.bin ; VLIR1
+ vlir-2.bin ; VLIR2
+}
+
+Source files are only .s.
+Ok. We have 'cvthead.grc' so let's allow grc to compile it:
+
+$ grc cvthead.grc
+
+Now there are two new files: cvthead.cfg and cvthead.s - the first one is a
+config file for ld65 and the second one contains GEOS .cvt header. It can be
+assembled now:
+
+$ ca65 cvthead.s
+
+Now we have cvthead.o. The rest of assembly sources can be also assembled now:
+
+$ ca65 vlir0.s
+$ ca65 vlir1.s
+$ ca65 vlir2.s
+
+Note that filenames here although similar to those from VLIR section of .grc file
+are not significant. The only thing that matters is which code will go to which
+segment.
+Now we can generate binaries. This time order of arguments in command line is
+not important.
+
+$ ld65 -C cvthead.cfg cvthead.o vlir0.o vlir1.o vlir2.o
+
+As defined in .grc file, we have now binary parts of VLIR file:
+vlir-head.bin, vlir-0.bin, vilr-1.bin, vlir-2.bin
+
+The last step is to put them together in the right order, order of arguments
+is important this time. As suggested in comments at the end of cvthead.cfg
+we do:
+
+$ grc -vlir output.cvt vlir-head.bin vlir-0.bin vlir-1.bin vlir-2.bin
+
+This is the end. The file 'output.cvt' can be unconverted under GEOS.
+Note that the switch '-t geos' wasn't present at any stage of this process.
+
+6. Bugs and feedback
--------------------
-This is the first release of grc and it contains bugs for sure. I am aware of
+This is the first release of grc and it contains bugs for sure. I am aware of
them, I know that parser is weak and if you don't strictly follow grammar
rules then everything will crash. However if you find an interesting bug mail
me :-) Mail me also for help writting your .grc correctly if you have problems
it can be written better.
-6. Legal stuff
+7. Legal stuff
--------------
-grc is covered by the same license as whole cc65 package, so see its
-documentation for more info. Anyway, if you like it and want to ecourage me
-to work more on it send me a postcard with sight of your neighbourhood, city,
+grc is covered by the same license as whole cc65 package, so see its
+documentation for more info. Anyway, if you like it and want to ecourage me
+to work more on it send me a postcard with sight of your neighbourhood, city,
region etc or just e-mail with info that you actually used it. See GEOSLib
documentation for addresses.
info "Information text" ; always in quotes!
; date yy mm dd hh ss ; always 5 fields!
; dostype seq ; can be PRG, SEQ, USR (only UPPER or lower case)
+; structure seq ; can be SEQ, VLIR (only UPPER or lower case)
mode c64only ; can be any, 40only, 80only, c64only
}
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