8BP

[Sykobee (Briggsy)]

I guess the BASIC interpreter overhead is a real killer even with fast RSXs!


Just need a decent BASIC compiler that can support RSXs now... or just use C.

[sigh]

I guess the BASIC interpreter overhead is a real killer even with fast RSXs!


Just need a decent BASIC compiler that can support RSXs now... or just use C.

The speed is amazing when they are compiled:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ifIjdjgkEc&feature=emb_logo

[asertus]

I guess the BASIC interpreter overhead is a real killer even with fast RSXs!


Just need a decent BASIC compiler that can support RSXs now... or just use C.

Actually, José Javer has announced that there will be a C wrapper in the next version

Por último, a los que deseáis programar con 8BP en C, os diré que el wrapper de C ( un 8bp.h) lo tengo a medias y funciona perfectamente, de modo que podréis disfrutar de esta capacidad en la próxima versión V40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBvkoLRrwo0

[XeNoMoRPH]

https://youtu.be/YPQaANI5nUM

[XeNoMoRPH]

https://twitter.com/8bitsdepoder/status/1248965359912312834

[SkulleateR]

Will there be a decent english translation soon ? love to get into 8bp but google translation is a bit ..... weird 

[jjaranda13]

Will there be a decent english translation soon ? love to get into 8bp but google translation is a bit ..... weird 

for sure. I am preparing 8BP V40 with C support. in coming weeks, 8BP will be accessible through BASIC , C and mix both (making a C routine for the game cycle will accelerate a lot your games, keeping simplicity for the rest of the game code). I am finishing it , and after I will start working on a REAL and QUALITY translation of the full manual, including a new chapter for 8BP programming using C

[SkulleateR]

Since I'm not into C I will only use the Basic Part ....


Anyway awesome work when I look at the demos 

[AMSDOS]

Since I'm not into C I will only use the Basic Part ....


Anyway awesome work when I look at the demos 

The alternative here for you would be CPC BASIC 3.


It isn't Locomotive BASIC, since it compiles into a very optimised assembly, the differences outlined on the website:


I'm unsure why @Sykobee (Briggsy) is saying there are no decent BASIC compilers which don't handle RSXes. CPC BASIC 3 handles them very well and earlier in this thread 8BP was tested with CPC BASIC 3 to produce a Mini Invaders game along with Video. I don't know if the source was released.
There was discussion about CPC BASIC 3 having limited memory space and I've noticed CPC BASIC 3 reserves area below &4000 for something else, I can't remember though what it was for.  
CPC BASIC 3 is limited to Windows, though I think others have used it using a Windows Emulation on Linux and MacOS systems.


I created a number of samples and posted them on the CPC BASIC 3 Forum


https://cpcbasic.activo.mx/f1-cpc-basic

[SkulleateR]

The alternative here for you would be CPC BASIC 3.

No it isn´t ... I´m on Mac here 
Besides that, I´m programming on real hardware here and I don´t need speed in particular since I won´t code action games 

[AMSDOS]

8BP's function is for coding action games...

[SkulleateR]

8BP's function is for coding action games...

Since I allready did some google translations ... yes it is but you can code a lot of other things with it 

[Sykobee (Briggsy)]

I wasn't aware of CPC BASIC 3.

[AMSDOS]

I wasn't aware of CPC BASIC 3.

It's one of the lesser known Cross Compiler Languages which has been around since 2012 I think. @Morri wrote Let's Go with it and Sean McManus' Easi Sprite Driver Advance which is a great example of what can be produced with it. The earlier CPC BASIC has been documented on CPC Wiki with a Link to CPC BASIC 3 which has the frontend editor.


Here's the original thread for it:
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/programming/cpc-basic-3/

[jjaranda13]

The problem with CPC BASIC 3 is that:

- CPC BASIC 3 uses 5KB extra (apart from your program) for your code
- additionally ,CPC BASIC 3 uses 16KB extra for work area

in total, a program of 5KB is converted into a 26 KB !!!! This is the reason why i don't recommend the use of BASIC 3

8BP uses only 8KB . And the news: in 8BP v40 you can  mix BASIC and C only consuming 2KB extra, including all 8BP commands which are available now in C and a reduced set of BASIC commands available from C (such as INKEY, PRINT, LOCATE, PLOT, DRAW ,SOUND  etc). These 2KB includes all 8BP and this mini BASIC. Your programs have 22 KB free for your code + 8.5 KB for graphics + 1.4 KB for music. You can develop a game in BASIC and when it is finished translate directly (very very easy) the "game cycle" (only the game cycle)  into C , compile it and obtain a great & fast professional game. This game is a mix between LOCOMOTIVE BASIC and C (only for game cycle)

in 8BP v40 if you want to use only BASIC, you continue having 24 KB free for your BASIC code, like in V39

[GUNHED]

Back the day when German company Vortex released their 512 KB RAM expansion for CPC464 (1985 IIRC), it was already possible to use 256 KB for BASIC programs. Ok, you had to divide them into parts of 32 KB max. but there were RSX commands like !goto and !gosub and so on.

Now today, we're back to 20 or 30 KB? Come on, lets start to use expansion RAM too. 

[AMSDOS]

The problem with CPC BASIC 3 is that:

- CPC BASIC 3 uses 5KB extra (apart from your program) for your code
- additionally ,CPC BASIC 3 uses 16KB extra for work area

in total, a program of 5KB is converted into a 26 KB !!!! This is the reason why i don't recommend the use of BASIC 3

8BP uses only 8KB . And the news: in 8BP v40 you can  mix BASIC and C only consuming 2KB extra, including all 8BP commands which are available now in C and a reduced set of BASIC commands available from C (such as INKEY, PRINT, LOCATE, PLOT, DRAW ,SOUND  etc). These 2KB includes all 8BP and this mini BASIC. Your programs have 22 KB free for your code + 8.5 KB for graphics + 1.4 KB for music. You can develop a game in BASIC and when it is finished translate directly (very very easy) the "game cycle" (only the game cycle)  into C , compile it and obtain a great & fast professional game. This game is a mix between LOCOMOTIVE BASIC and C (only for game cycle)

in 8BP v40 if you want to use only BASIC, you continue having 24 KB free for your BASIC code, like in V39

Sounds like you should be writing your own language? Make it available on the web so there's no memory limitations and no systems prejudices or problematic installations or lack of documentation to deal with and watch the ASM games come pouring in. 

[XeNoMoRPH]

New game created with 8bp:

https://youtu.be/cFEr7KAiLTQ
info / download ( in spanish ) - https://auamstrad.es/videojuegos/zampa-manzana-divertimento-asegurado/

[XeNoMoRPH]

if someone wants a cassette, fill in the form: https://auamstrad.es/retroescena/edicion-fisica-eridu/

[XeNoMoRPH]

New game:  Dogfight

https://youtu.be/JhZ3kUnTlT0

https://amstrad.es/doku.php?id=juegos:dogfight

[jjaranda13]

8BP includes a 8BP wrapper (8bp.h) and a "minibasic" (minibasic.h) to make easier (like basic) develop games using C


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Svxl4Gqzng

[eto]

I was looking for the draft version of the documentation but I can't find it. It says in the ZIP, but where can I find this?

I would love to try this for my next game but my Spanish is too bad to understand the docs.

[asertus]

I was looking for the draft version of the documentation but I can't find it. It says in the ZIP, but where can I find this?

I would love to try this for my next game but my Spanish is too bad to understand the docs.

I am afraid José Javier has forgotten it in the latest version, and past versions are not in GIT. If he does not mind I share the manual of an older version of 8bp in English. Of course, quite outdated but @eto may try the basics, until last version manual is available in English.


To me it is a very good documentation. In most of the chapters you can learn a lot of CPC development even if you are not going to use 8bp... A very good job.

[tjohnson]

Hi All, does anyone know if a newer version of the English manual is available and what has changed since the English manual was created, Spanish is completely alien to me, while I did a tiny bit of French at school I never had a single Spanish lesson  and I feel like having a go at creating a new game using 8bp.

[funkheld]

Hi good afternoon.
the inventions for the cpc don't stop there.
thank you.
i have a cpc6128.
how can you use your programs if i want to have the range 0x4000 to 0x7fff myself?
So if the sdcc programs start at 0x8000?
does your basic also work with 0x8000?


greeting