ASM modes and directives

A skool file may contain directives that are processed during the parsing phase. Exactly how a directive is processed (and whether it is executed) depends on the ‘substitution mode’ and ‘bugfix mode’ in which the skool file is being parsed.

Substitution modes

There are three substitution modes: @isub, @ssub, and @rsub. These modes are described in the following subsections.

@isub mode

In @isub mode, @isub directives are executed, but @ssub, and @rsub directives are not. The main purpose of @isub mode is to make the minimum number of instruction substitutions necessary to produce an ASM file that assembles.

For example:

@isub=LD A,(32512)
 25396 LD A,(m)

This @isub directive ensures that LD A,(m) is replaced by the valid instruction LD A,(32512) when rendering in ASM mode.

@isub mode is invoked by default when running skool2asm.py.

@ssub mode

In @ssub mode, @isub and @ssub directives are executed, but @rsub directives are not. The main purpose of @ssub mode is to replace LSBs, MSBs and full addresses in the operands of instructions with labels, to make the code amenable to some degree of relocation, but without actually removing or inserting any code.

For example:

@ssub=LD (27015+1),A
*27012 LD (27016),A  ; Change the instruction below from SET 0,B to RES 0,B
                     ; or vice versa
 27015 SET 0,B

This @ssub directive replaces LD (27016),A with LD (27015+1),A; the 27015 will be replaced by the label for that address before rendering. (27016 cannot be replaced by a label, since it is not the address of an instruction.)

@ssub mode is invoked by passing the -s option to skool2asm.py.

@rsub mode

In @rsub mode, @isub, @ssub and @rsub directives are executed. The main purpose of @rsub mode is to make code unconditionally relocatable, even if that requires the removal of existing code or the insertion of new code.

For example:

 23997 LD HL,32766
@ssub=LD (HL),24002%256
 24000 LD (HL),194
@rsub+begin
       INC L
       LD (HL),24002/256
@rsub+end
 24002 XOR A

This @rsub block directive inserts two instructions that ensure that the address stored at 32766 will have the correct MSB as well as the correct LSB, regardless of where the code originally at 24002 now lives.

@rsub mode is invoked by passing the -r option to skool2asm.py. @rsub mode also implies @ofix mode.

Bugfix modes

There are three bugfix modes: @ofix, @bfix and @rfix. These modes are described in the following subsections.

@ofix mode

In @ofix mode, @ofix directives are executed, but @bfix and @rfix directives are not. The main purpose of @ofix mode is to fix instructions that have faulty operands.

For example:

@ofix-begin
 27872 CALL 27633    ; This should be CALL 27634
@ofix+else
       CALL 27634
@ofix+end

These @ofix block directives fix the faulty operand of the CALL instruction.

@ofix mode is invoked by passing the -f 1 option to skool2asm.py.

@bfix mode

In @bfix mode, @ofix and @bfix directives are executed, but @rfix directives are not. The main purpose of @bfix mode is to fix bugs by replacing instructions, but without changing the start address of any routines, routine entry points, or data blocks.

For example:

@bfix-begin
 32205 JR Z,32232    ; This should be JR NZ,32232
@bfix+else
       JR NZ,32232   ;
@bfix+end

@bfix mode is invoked by passing the -f 2 option to skool2asm.py.

@rfix mode

In @rfix mode, @ofix, @bfix and @rfix directives are executed. The purpose of @rfix mode is to fix bugs that cannot be fixed without moving code around (to make space for the fix).

For example:

 28432 DEC HL
@rfix+begin
       LD A,H
       OR L
@rfix+end
 28433 JP Z,29712

These @rfix block directives insert some instructions to fix the faulty check on whether HL holds 0.

@rfix mode is invoked by passing the -f 3 option to skool2asm.py. @rfix mode implies @rsub mode.

ASM directives

The ASM directives recognised by SkoolKit are described in the following subsections.

@assemble

The @assemble directive controls whether assembly language instructions, DEFB, DEFM, DEFS and DEFW statements, and @defb, @defs and @defw directives are converted into byte values for the purpose of populating the memory snapshot.

@assemble=H,A

H is an integer value that determines what is converted in HTML mode, and A is an integer value that determines what is converted in ASM mode:

  • 0 - do not convert anything (this is the default in ASM mode)

  • 1 - convert DEFB, DEFM, DEFS and DEFW statements and @defb, @defs and @defw directives only (this is the default in HTML mode)

  • 2 - convert assembly language instructions as well

If H or A is blank or omitted, its value is left unchanged.

For example:

; The eight bytes of code in this routine are also used as UDG data.
; .
; #HTML(#UDG44919)
@assemble=2
c44919 LD DE,46572   ;
 44922 CP 200        ;
 44924 JP 45429      ;
@assemble=1

The @assemble=2 directive is required to define the bytes for addresses 44919-44926. If it were not present, the memory snapshot would contain zeroes at those addresses, and the image created by the #UDG macro would be blank.

Version

Changes

7.0

The accepted values are 0, 1 and 2 (previously -1, 0 and 1)

6.3

Added support for specifying what’s converted in HTML mode and ASM mode separately, and for switching off conversion entirely

6.1

Added the ability to assemble instructions whose operands contain arithmetic expressions

5.0

New

@bfix

The @bfix directive replaces, inserts or removes a label, instruction and comment in @bfix mode.

@bfix=[>][|][+][/][LABEL:][INSTRUCTION][; comment]

or, when removing instructions:

@bfix=!addr1[-addr2]

  • > - if this marker is present, INSTRUCTION is inserted before the current instruction instead of replacing it

  • | - if this marker is present, INSTRUCTION overwrites any overlapping instructions instead of pushing them aside

  • + - if this marker is present, INSTRUCTION is inserted after the current instruction instead of replacing it

  • / - if this marker is present, any remaining comment lines are removed

  • LABEL is the replacement label; if not given, any existing label is left unchanged

  • INSTRUCTION is the replacement instruction; if not given, the existing instruction is left unchanged

  • comment is the replacement comment; if not given, the existing comment is left unchanged

  • addr1 is the address of the first instruction to remove

  • addr2, if given, is the address of the last instruction to remove

For example:

@label=CMASK
@bfix=BMASK: AND B ; Apply the mask
 29713 AND C       ; This should be 'AND B'

This @bfix directive replaces the instruction AND C with AND B, replaces the label CMASK with BMASK, and also replaces the comment.

Comment continuation lines can be replaced, removed or added by using additional @bfix directives. For example, to replace both comment lines of an instruction that has two:

@bfix=AND B  ; This directive replaces the first comment line
@bfix=       ; and this directive replaces the second comment line
 29713 AND C ; Both of these comment lines
             ; will be replaced

To add a second comment line to an instruction that has only one:

@bfix=AND B  ; This directive replaces the first comment line
@bfix=       ; and this directive adds a second comment line
 29713 AND C ; This comment line will be replaced

To replace two comment lines with one:

@bfix=/AND B ; The '/' in this directive effectively terminates the comment
 29713 AND C ; This comment line will be replaced
             ; and this one will be removed

A single instruction can be replaced with two or more by using the | (overwrite) marker. For example, to replace LD HL,0 with LD L,0 and LD H,L:

@bfix=|LD L,0  ; Clear L
@bfix=|LD H,L  ; Clear H
 36671 LD HL,0 ; Clear HL

Two or more instructions can also be replaced with a single instruction. For example, to replace XOR A and INC A with LD A,1:

@bfix=|LD A,1
 49912 XOR A
 49913 INC A

A sequence of instructions can be replaced by chaining @bfix directives. For example, to swap two XOR instructions:

@bfix=|XOR C
@bfix=|XOR B
 51121 XOR B
 51122 XOR C

This is equivalent to:

@bfix=XOR C
 51121 XOR B
@bfix=XOR B
 51122 XOR C

Note that when @bfix directives are chained like this, the second and subsequent directives replace instruction comments in their entirety, instead of line by line. For example:

@bfix=|LD A,D ; Set A=D
@bfix=|XOR B  ; Flip the bits
 51121 LD A,B ; Set A=B
 51122 XOR C  ; XOR the contents of the accumulator with the contents of the
              ; C register

replaces both comment lines of the instruction at 51122 with ‘Flip the bits’.

A sequence of instructions can be inserted before the current instruction by using the > marker. For example:

 47191 EX DE,HL
; A mid-block comment.
@bfix=>LD (HL),C
@bfix=>INC HL
 47192 LD (HL),B

This will insert LD (HL),C and INC HL between EX DE,HL and LD (HL),B. The mid-block comment that was above LD (HL),B will now be above LD (HL),C.

A sequence of instructions can be inserted after the current instruction (without first specifying a replacement for it) by using the + marker. For example:

@bfix=+LD (HL),C
@bfix=INC HL
 47191 EX DE,HL
; A mid-block comment.
 47192 LD (HL),B

This will insert LD (HL),C and INC HL between EX DE,HL and LD (HL),B. In this case, the mid-block comment above LD (HL),B will remain there.

The current instruction can be replaced and a sequence of instructions inserted after it by chaining @bfix directives. For example:

@bfix=LD (HL),B  ; {Save B and C here
@bfix=INC HL     ;
@bfix=LD (HL),C  ; }
 61125 LD (HL),A ; Save A here
 61126 RET

This will replace LD (HL),A with LD (HL),B and insert INC HL and LD (HL),C before the RET instruction.

An instruction can be removed by using the ! notation. For example:

 51184 XOR A
@bfix=!51185
 51185 AND A ; This instruction is redundant
 51186 RET

This removes the redundant instruction at 51185.

An entire entry can be removed by specifying an address range that covers every instruction in the entry:

; Unused
@bfix=!40000-40001
c40000 NOP
 40001 RET

Version

Changes

7.1

Added support for the + marker (to insert an instruction after the current one)

7.0

Added support for specifying the replacement comment over multiple lines, replacing the label, and inserting, overwriting and removing instructions

6.4

Added support for replacing the comment

@bfix block directives

The @bfix block directives define a block of lines that will be inserted or removed in @bfix mode.

The syntax for defining a block that will be inserted in @bfix mode (but left out otherwise) is:

@bfix+begin
...                  ; Lines to be inserted
@bfix+end

The syntax for defining a block that will be removed in @bfix mode (but left in otherwise) is:

@bfix-begin
...                  ; Lines to be removed
@bfix-end

Typically, though, it is desirable to define a block that will be removed in @bfix mode right next to the block that will be inserted in its place. That may be done thus:

@bfix-begin
...                  ; Instructions to be removed
@bfix+else
...                  ; Instructions to be inserted
@bfix+end

which is equivalent to:

@bfix-begin
...                  ; Instructions to be removed
@bfix-end
@bfix+begin
...                  ; Instructions to be inserted
@bfix+end

For example:

@bfix-begin
 32205 JR Z,32232    ; This should be JR NZ,32232
@bfix+else
       JR NZ,32232   ;
@bfix+end

@defb

The @defb directive makes skool2asm.py and skool2html.py insert byte values into the memory snapshot at a given address.

@defb=[address:]value1[,value2...]

  • address is the address

  • value1, value2 etc. are the byte values (as might appear in a DEFB statement)

If address is omitted, it defaults to the address immediately after the last byte of the previous @defb, @defs or @defw directive preceding the same instruction (if one exists), or to the address of the next instruction otherwise.

The sequence of comma-separated values may be followed by a semicolon (;) and arbitrary text, which will be ignored.

For example:

@defb=30000:5,"Hello" ; Welcome message

This will insert the value 5 followed by the ASCII codes of the characters in “Hello” into the memory snapshot at address 30000.

@defb directives are also processed by sna2skool.py when it is run on a control file; thus the @defb directive can be used to override the contents of the snapshot that is read by sna2skool.py.

@defb directives are also processed by skool2bin.py when the --data option is used.

Version

Changes

8.1

The address parameter is optional

6.3

New

@defs

The @defs directive makes skool2asm.py and skool2html.py insert a sequence of byte values into the memory snapshot at a given address.

@defs=[address:]length[,value]

  • address is the address

  • length is the length of the sequence

  • value is the byte value (default: 0)

If address is omitted, it defaults to the address immediately after the last byte of the previous @defb, @defs or @defw directive preceding the same instruction (if one exists), or to the address of the next instruction otherwise.

The directive may be followed by a semicolon (;) and arbitrary text, which will be ignored.

For example:

@defs=30000:5,$FF ; Five 255s

This will insert the value 255 into the memory snapshot at addresses 30000-30004.

@defs directives are also processed by sna2skool.py when it is run on a control file; thus the @defs directive can be used to override the contents of the snapshot that is read by sna2skool.py.

@defs directives are also processed by skool2bin.py when the --data option is used.

Version

Changes

8.1

The address parameter is optional

6.3

New

@defw

The @defw directive makes skool2asm.py and skool2html.py insert word values into the memory snapshot at a given address.

@defw=[address:]value1[,value2...]

  • address is the address

  • value1, value2 etc. are the word values (as might appear in a DEFW statement)

If address is omitted, it defaults to the address immediately after the last byte of the previous @defb, @defs or @defw directive preceding the same instruction (if one exists), or to the address of the next instruction otherwise.

The sequence of comma-separated values may be followed by a semicolon (;) and arbitrary text, which will be ignored.

For example:

@defw=30000:32768,32775 ; Message addresses

This will insert the word values 32768 and 32775 into the memory snapshot at addresses 30000 and 30002.

@defw directives are also processed by sna2skool.py when it is run on a control file; thus the @defw directive can be used to override the contents of the snapshot that is read by sna2skool.py.

@defw directives are also processed by skool2bin.py when the --data option is used.

Version

Changes

8.1

The address parameter is optional

6.3

New

@end

The @end directive may be used to indicate where to stop parsing the skool file for the purpose of generating ASM output. Everything after the @end directive is ignored by skool2asm.py.

See also @start.

Version

Changes

2.2.2

New

@equ

The @equ directive defines an EQU directive that will appear in the ASM output.

@equ=label=value

  • label is the label

  • value is the value assigned to the label

For example:

@equ=ATTRS=22528
c32768 LD HL,22528

This will produce an EQU directive (ATTRS EQU 22528) in the ASM output, and replace the operand of the instruction at 32768 with a label: LD HL,ATTRS.

Version

Changes

5.4

New

@expand

The @expand directive specifies an arbitrary piece of text - intended to consist of one or more SMPL macros - that will be expanded by the ASM writer or HTML writer during initialisation (before any skool macros that appear in skool file annotations or ref file sections are expanded).

@expand=text

  • text is the text to expand

For example:

@expand=#DEF(#MAX(a,b) #IF($a>$b)($a,$b))

This @expand directive passes the given #DEF macro to the ASM writer or HTML writer for expansion during initialisation; this has the effect of making the user-defined #MAX macro available for use immediately anywhere in the skool file (and any secondary skool files if the directive appears in the main skool file) or ref files.

If text begins with +, it is appended to the text of the previous @expand directive (with the + removed); this enables long macro definitions to be split over multiple lines. For example:

@expand=#DEF(#OLIST()(items)
@expand=+  #LET(n=1)
@expand=+  #LIST
@expand=+  #FOREACH($items)(item,{ #EVAL({n}). item } #LET(n={n}+1))
@expand=+  LIST#
@expand=+)

These @expand directives make the #OLIST macro available, which can then be used to create a numbered list of items:

#OLIST/a,b,c/

See also the Expand parameter in the [Config] section, which may be used instead of the @expand directive if there is no need to expand text in ASM mode.

Version

Changes

8.4

Added support for the + notation

8.2

New

@if

The @if directive conditionally processes other ASM directives based on the value of an arithmetic expression.

@if(expr)(true[,false])

  • expr is the arithmetic expression, which may contain replacement fields

  • true is processed when expr is true

  • false (if given) is processed when expr is false

See Numeric parameters for details on the operators that may be used in the expr parameter.

For example:

@if({mode[case]}==1))(replace=/#hl/hl,replace=/#hl/HL)

would process replace=/#hl/hl if in lower case mode, or replace=/#hl/HL otherwise.

The true and false parameters may be supplied in the same way as they are for the #IF macro. See String parameters for more details.

Version

Changes

6.4

New

@ignoreua

The @ignoreua directive suppresses warnings that would otherwise be printed (during the rendering phase) concerning addresses not converted to labels in the comment that follows. The comment may be an entry title, an entry description, a register description section, a block start comment, a mid-block comment, a block end comment, or an instruction-level comment.

@ignoreua[=addr1[,addr2...]]

  • addr1, addr2 etc. are the addresses to suppress warnings for; if none are specified, warnings for all addresses are suppressed

Although specifying a list of addresses is optional, doing so has the advantage that if another unconvertible address is added to the comment later on, a warning will appear for it, at which point you can decide whether to fix it (in case it was added by mistake) or add it to the list.

To apply the directive to an entry title:

@ignoreua=32768
; Prepare data at 32768
c32768 LD A,(HL)

If the @ignoreua directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the entry title containing an address (32768) that has not been converted to a label.

To apply the directive to an entry description:

; Prepare data in page 128
;
@ignoreua
; This routine operates on the data at 32768.
c49152 LD A,(HL)

If the @ignoreua directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the entry description containing an address (32768) that has not been converted to a label.

To apply the directive to a register description section:

; Prepare data in page 128
;
; This routine operates on the data in page 128.
;
@ignoreua
; HL 32768
c49152 LD A,(HL)

If the @ignoreua directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the register description containing an address (32768) that has not been converted to a label.

To apply the directive to a block start comment:

; Prepare data in page 128
;
; This routine operates on the data in page 128.
;
; HL 128*256
;
@ignoreua
; First pick up the byte at 32768.
c49152 LD A,(HL)

If the @ignoreua directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the start comment containing an address (32768) that has not been converted to a label.

To apply the directive to a mid-block comment:

 28913 LD L,A
@ignoreua
; #REGhl now holds either 32522 or 32600.
 28914 LD B,(HL)

If the @ignoreua directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the comment containing addresses (32522, 32600) that have not been converted to labels.

To apply the directive to a block end comment:

 44159 JP 63152
@ignoreua
; This routine continues at 63152.

If the @ignoreua directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the comment containing an address (63152) that has not been converted to a label.

To apply the directive to an instruction-level comment:

@ignoreua
 60159 LD C,A        ; #REGbc now holds 62818

If the @ignoreua directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the comment containing an address (62818) that has not been converted to a label.

Version

Changes

8.1

Added the ability to specify the addresses for which to suppress warnings

4.2

Added support for register description sections

2.4.1

Added support for entry titles, entry descriptions, mid-block comments and block end comments

@isub

The @isub directive replaces, inserts or removes a label, instruction and comment in @isub mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix directive.

Version

Changes

7.1

Added support for the + marker (to insert an instruction after the current one)

7.0

Added support for specifying the replacement comment over multiple lines, replacing the label, and inserting, overwriting and removing instructions

6.4

Added support for replacing the comment

@isub block directives

The @isub block directives define a block of lines that will be inserted or removed in @isub mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix block directives.

@keep

The @keep directive prevents the substitution of labels for numeric values in the operand of the next instruction:

@keep[=val1[,val2...]]

  • val1, val2 etc. are the values to keep; if none are specified, all values are kept

In HTML mode, the @keep directive also prevents the operand from being hyperlinked.

For example:

@keep
 28328 LD BC,24576   ; #REGb=96, #REGc=0

If the @keep directive were not present, the operand (24576) of the LD BC instruction would be replaced with the label of the routine at 24576 (if there is a routine at that address); however, the operand is meant to be a pure data value, not a variable or routine address.

Version

Changes

6.2

Added the ability to specify the values to keep; the @keep directive is applied to instructions that have been replaced by an @isub, @ssub or @rsub directive

@label

The @label directive sets the label for the next instruction.

@label=LABEL

  • LABEL is the label to apply

For example:

@label=ENDGAME
c24576 XOR A

This sets the label for the routine at 24576 to ENDGAME.

If LABEL is blank (@label=), the next instruction will have its entry point marker removed (if it has one), and be prevented from having a label automatically generated.

If LABEL starts with * (e.g. @label=*LOOP), the next instruction will be marked as an entry point (as if the instruction line in the skool file started with *), in addition to having its label set.

If LABEL is just * (@label=*), the next instruction will be marked as an entry point, and have a label automatically generated.

skool2asm.py automatically uses labels defined by the @label directive. skool2html.py includes them in its output if the --asm-labels option is used.

@label directive values are also checked by sna2skool.py while reading a control file. They can be used to prevent an entry point marker from being added to an instruction where it otherwise would be (@label=), or force one to be added where it otherwise wouldn’t (@label=*).

Version

Changes

7.0

An entry point marker (*) can be added to or removed from the next instruction

6.3

LABEL may be blank (to prevent the next instruction from having a label automatically generated)

@nowarn

The @nowarn directive suppresses any warnings that would otherwise be reported (during the parsing phase) for the next instruction concerning:

  • an address in a LD instruction operand being replaced with a label (if the instruction has not been replaced by a @*sub or @*fix directive)

  • an address in an instruction operand not being replaced with a label (because the address has no label defined)

@nowarn[=addr1[,addr2...]]

  • addr1, addr2 etc. are the addresses to suppress warnings for; if none are specified, warnings for all addresses are suppressed

For example:

@nowarn=25404
 25560 LD BC,25404   ; Point #REGbc at the routine at #R25404

If this @nowarn directive were not present, a warning would be printed about the operand (25404) being replaced with a routine label (which would be inappropriate if 25404 were intended to be a pure data value).

For another example:

@ofix-begin
@nowarn
 27872 CALL 27633    ; This should be CALL #R27634
@ofix+else
       CALL 27634    ;
@ofix+end

If this @nowarn directive were not present, a warning would be printed (if not in @ofix mode) about the operand (27633) not being replaced with a label (usually you would want the operand of a CALL instruction to be replaced with a label, but not in this case).

Version

Changes

8.1

Added the ability to specify the addresses for which to suppress warnings

@ofix

The @ofix directive replaces, inserts or removes a label, instruction and comment in @ofix mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix directive.

Version

Changes

7.1

Added support for the + marker (to insert an instruction after the current one)

7.0

Added support for specifying the replacement comment over multiple lines, replacing the label, and inserting, overwriting and removing instructions

6.4

Added support for replacing the comment

@ofix block directives

The @ofix block directives define a block of lines that will be inserted or removed in @ofix mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix block directives.

@org

The @org directive makes skool2asm.py insert an ORG assembler directive.

@org[=address]

  • address is the ORG address; if not specified, it defaults to the address of the next instruction

Note that the @org directive works only on the first instruction in an entry.

The @org directive also forces skool2bin.py to place the next instruction at the given address.

Version

Changes

6.3

The address parameter is optional

@refs

The @refs directive manages the addresses of the referrers of (i.e. the routines that jump to or call) the next instruction.

@refs=[addr1[,addr2...]][:raddr1[,raddr2...]]

  • addr1, addr2 etc. are addresses to add to the list of referrers

  • raddr1, raddr2 etc. are addresses to remove from the list of referrers

This directive can be used to declare one or more additional referrers for an instruction that would not otherwise be identified by the instruction utility or snapshot reference calculator (e.g. because the instruction is jumped to indirectly via JP (HL) or RET). As a result:

  • sna2skool.py will attach an entry point marker (*) to the instruction when reading a control file, and include the additional referrers in any comment generated for the entry point (when the ListRefs configuration parameter is 1 or 2)

  • snapinfo.py, when generating a call graph, will add an edge between a node representing an additional referrer and the node representing the routine that contains the instruction

  • the addresses of the additional referrers become available to the special EREF and REF variables of the #FOREACH macro

@refs can also be used to remove one or more referrer addresses that have been added automatically (because the instruction is jumped to or called directly). As a result:

  • sna2skool.py will remove the referrers from any comment generated for the entry point (when the ListRefs configuration parameter is 1 or 2), and remove any entry point marker (*) from the instruction if all the referrers have been removed

  • snapinfo.py, when generating a call graph, will not place an edge between a node representing a removed referrer and the node representing the routine that contains the instruction

  • the addresses of the removed referrers will not be available to the special EREF and REF variables of the #FOREACH macro

For example:

@ 40000 refs=32768:49152

This @refs directive (in a control file) declares that the routine at 32768 uses the entry point at 40000, and the routine at 49152 does not.

Version

Changes

8.2

New

@rem

The @rem directive may be used to make an illuminating comment about a nearby section or other ASM directive in a skool file. The directive is ignored by the parser.

@rem=COMMENT

  • COMMENT is a suitably illuminating comment

For example:

@rem=The next section of data MUST start at 64000
@org=64000

Version

Changes

2.4

The = is required

@remote

The @remote directive creates a remote entry in a skool file. A remote entry enables JR, JP and CALL instructions to be hyperlinked to an entry defined in another skool file.

@remote=code:address[,address2...]

  • code is the ID of the disassembly defined in the other skool file

  • address is the address of the remote entry

  • address2 etc. are addresses of other entry points in the remote entry

For example:

@remote=main:29012,29015

This directive, if it appeared in a secondary skool file, would enable references to the routine at 29012 and its entry point at 29015 in the main disassembly. It would also enable the #R macro to create a hyperlink to a remote entry point using the form:

#R29015@main

Version

Changes

6.3

New

@replace

The @replace directive replaces strings that match a regular expression in skool file annotations and ref file section names and contents.

@replace=/pattern/repl

or:

@replace=/pattern/repl/

  • pattern is the regular expression

  • repl is the replacement string

(If the second form is used, any text appearing after the terminating / is ignored.)

For example:

@replace=/#copy/#CHR(169)

This @replace directive replaces all instances of #copy with #CHR(169).

If / appears anywhere in pattern or repl, then an alternative separator should be used; for example:

@replace=|n/a|not applicable

As a convenience for dealing with decimal and hexadecimal numbers, wherever \i appears in pattern, it is replaced by a regular expression group that matches a decimal number or a hexadecimal number preceded by $. For example:

@replace=/#udg\i,\i/#UDG(\1,#PEEK\2)

This @replace directive would replace #udg$a001,40960 with #UDG($a001,#PEEK40960).

Note that string replacements specified by @replace directives are made before skool macros are expanded, and in the order in which the directives appear in the skool file. For example, if we have:

@replace=/#foo\i/#bar\1
@replace=/#bar\i/#EVAL\1,16

then #foo31 would be replaced by #EVAL31,16, but if these directives were reversed:

@replace=/#bar\i/#EVAL\1,16
@replace=/#foo\i/#bar\1

then #foo31 would be replaced by #bar31.

See also the #DEF macro, which is more flexible than @replace for defining new macros.

Version

Changes

6.0

Replaces strings in ref file section names

5.1

New

@rfix

The @rfix directive replaces, inserts or removes a label, instruction and comment in @rfix mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix directive.

Version

Changes

7.1

Added support for the + marker (to insert an instruction after the current one)

7.0

Added support for specifying the replacement comment over multiple lines, replacing the label, and inserting, overwriting and removing instructions

6.4

Added support for replacing the comment

5.2

New

@rfix block directives

The @rfix block directives define a block of lines that will be inserted or removed in @rfix mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix block directives.

@rom

The @rom directive inserts a copy of the 48K ZX Spectrum ROM into the internal memory snapshot constructed from the contents of the skool file.

@rom

Some reasons why you might want to do this are:

  • to simulate the execution of ROM code (whether called by game code or otherwise) with the #SIM macro

  • to create a WAV file of the ROM’s ‘BEEPER’ subroutine in action with the #AUDIO macro

  • to gain access to the Spectrum character set at 0x3D00 for the purpose of creating images of text

Version

Changes

8.7

New

@rsub

The @rsub directive replaces, inserts or removes a label, instruction and comment in @rsub mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @rfix directive.

Version

Changes

7.1

Added support for the + marker (to insert an instruction after the current one)

7.0

Added support for specifying the replacement comment over multiple lines, replacing the label, and inserting, overwriting and removing instructions

6.4

Added support for replacing the comment

@rsub block directives

The @rsub block directives define a block of lines that will be inserted or removed in @rsub mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix block directives.

@set

The @set directive sets a property on the ASM writer.

@set-name=value

  • name is the property name

  • value is the property value

@set directives must be placed somewhere after the @start directive, and before the @end directive (if there is one).

Recognised property names and their default values are:

  • bullet - the bullet character(s) to use for list items specified in a #LIST macro (default: *)

  • comment-width-min - the minimum width of the instruction comment field (default: 10)

  • crlf - 1 to use CR+LF to terminate lines, or 0 to use the system default (default: 0)

  • handle-unsupported-macros - how to handle an unsupported macro: 1 to expand it to an empty string, or 0 to exit with an error (default: 0)

  • indent - the number of spaces by which to indent instructions (default: 2)

  • instruction-width - the width of the instruction field (default: 23)

  • label-colons - 1 to append a colon to labels, or 0 to leave labels unadorned (default: 1)

  • line-width - the maximum width of each line (default: 79)

  • tab - 1 to use a tab character to indent instructions, or 0 to use spaces (default: 0)

  • table-border-horizontal - the character to use for the horizontal borders of a table defined by a #TABLE macro (default: -); if two characters are specified, the first is used for the external borders and the second is used for the internal borders

  • table-border-join - the character to use for the horizontal and vertical border joins of a table defined by a #TABLE macro (default: +)

  • table-border-vertical - the character to use for the vertical borders of a table defined by a #TABLE macro (default: |)

  • table-row-separator - the character used to separate non-header cells in adjacent rows of a table defined by a #TABLE macro; by default, such cells are not separated

  • warnings - 1 to print any warnings that are produced while writing ASM output (after parsing the skool file), or 0 to suppress them (default: 1)

  • wrap-column-width-min - the minimum width of a wrappable table column (default: 10)

For example:

@set-bullet=+

This @set directive sets the bullet character to ‘+’.

Version

Changes

8.1

Added the table-row-separator property

8.0

Added the table-border-horizontal, table-border-join and table-border-vertical properties

3.4

Added the handle-unsupported-macros and wrap-column-width-min properties

3.3.1

Added the comment-width-min, indent, instruction-width, label-colons, line-width and warnings properties

3.2

New

@ssub

The @ssub directive replaces, inserts or removes a label, instruction and comment in @ssub mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix directive.

Version

Changes

7.1

Added support for the + marker (to insert an instruction after the current one)

7.0

Added support for specifying the replacement comment over multiple lines, replacing the label, and inserting, overwriting and removing instructions

6.4

Added support for replacing the comment

@ssub block directives

The @ssub block directives define a block of lines that will be inserted or removed in @ssub mode.

The syntax is equivalent to that for the @bfix block directives.

Version

Changes

4.4

New

@start

The @start directive indicates where to start parsing the skool file for the purpose of generating ASM output. Everything before the @start directive is ignored by skool2asm.py.

See also @end.

@writer

The @writer directive specifies the name of the Python class to use to generate ASM output. It must be placed somewhere after the @start directive, and before the @end directive (if there is one).

@writer=package.module.classname

or:

@writer=/path/to/moduledir:module.classname

The second of these forms may be used to specify a class in a module that is outside the module search path (e.g. a standalone module that is not part of an installed package).

The default ASM writer class is skoolkit.skoolasm.AsmWriter. For information on how to create your own Python class for generating ASM output, see the documentation on extending SkoolKit.

Version

Changes

3.3.1

Added support for specifying a module outside the module search path

3.1

New