Z80 Simulator IDE

BASIC Compiler Reference Manual

Table Of Contents:

General info
Show Warnings, Do Not Compile Unused Code, Initialize Variables On Declaration,

About variables
Dim, As, Boolean, Short, Integer, Long, Single, True, False, Const, ASM,

Mathematical and logical operations

Mod, Sqr, Sin, Cos, Tan, Exp, Ln, Log, Not, And, Or, Xor, Nand, Nor, Nxor,

Standard Basic language elements

Goto, For, To, Step, Next, Exit For, While, Wend, If, Then, Else, Endif,

Memory access
Poke, Peek,

Subroutines
End, Gosub, Return,

Bit-oriented language elements

SetBit, ResetBit, TestBit, MakeBit,

Communication with I/O ports

Get, Put, Print, CrLf, Lf,

Structured language support (procedures and functions)

Proc, End Proc, Call, Exit, Function, End Function, Include,

● General info

Basic compiler editor is composed of editor panel (for user program editing) and source explorer (for
easy navigation through all elements of user program - variables, symbols, constants, subroutines,
procedures and functions). Editor formats and colorizes entered lines of user program, that
simplifies the debugging process.

The primary output of the compiler is an assembler source file. However, with an appropriate
command from the menu it can be assembled and even loaded in the simulator with a single click.
Menu commands and options are rich, as well as the commands from the right-click popup menus
for the editor and source explorer. Basic compiler's assembler output contains many useful
comment lines, that makes it very helpful for educational purposes, also.

Show Warnings
If Show Warnings option is enabled, in the Warnings window Basic compiler will show information
about unused declarations, subroutines, procedures and functions in the user basic program.

Do Not Compile Unused Code

If this option is enabled, Basic compiler will not compile unused declarations, subroutines,
procedures and functions, in order to save memory resources.

Initialize Variables On Declaration

If this option is enabled, Basic compiler will reset to zero all memory locations allocated for
variables, at the position of their declaration in the basic program. This option is useful for

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beginners, because RAM memory is filled with random values at device power-up, and it is easy to
make a mistake to assume that all variables are reset to zero at power-up. Experienced users can
save some program memory, by disabling this option and taking control of variable initial values by
user program where necessary.

● About variables

Five data types are supported:

Boolean - 1-byte, True or False
Short - 1-byte integers in the range -128 to 127
Integer - 2-byte integers in the range -32,768 to 32,767
Long - 4-byte integers in the range -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
Single - 4-byte single precision floating point numbers, 7 digits precision, IEEE754 standard

Variables can be global (declared in the main program, before the End statement) or local (declared
in subroutines, procedures and functions). Variable name used for a variable with global scope can
be used again for local variable names. The compiler will reserve separate memory locations for
them. There are no other limits for the total number of variables, but 64K memory. Variables are
declared using DIM statement:
Dim a As Boolean
Dim b As Short
Dim c As Integer
Dim d As Long
Dim e As Single

It is possible to use one-dimensional arrays for all variable types. For example:
Dim a(100) As Integer
declares an array of 100 Integer variables with array index in the range [0-99].

It is possible to make conversions between all data types (except Boolean) by simple assignment
statements:
Dim a As Long
Dim b As Single
b = 123.456
a = b
This will result in variable A holding integer value 123.

Constants can be used in decimal number system with no special marks, in hexadecimal number
system with leading 0x notation (or with H at the end) and in binary system with leading % mark (or
with B at the end). Keywords True and False are also available for Boolean type constants. For
example:
Dim a As Boolean
Dim b As Short
Dim c As Integer
a = True
b = %01010101
c = 0x55aa

Constants can be assigned to symbolic names using CONST directive. Constants can be global or
local. One example:
Dim a As Single
Const pi = 3.14159
a = pi

It is possible to use comments in basic source programs. The comments must begin with single
quote symbol (') and may be placed anywhere in the program.

Lines of assembler source code may be placed anywhere in basic source program and must begin
with ASM: prefix. For example:
ASM: NOP
ASM:LABEL1: LD A,(BC)

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Symbolic names of global declared variables can be used in assembler routines because proper
variable address will be assigned to those names by EQU directive:
Dim varname As Short
varname = 0
ASM: LD A,55H
ASM: LD (VARNAME),A

● Mathematical and logical operations

Five arithmetic operations (+, -, *, /, MOD) are available for integer data types. MOD operation is not
applicable for Single data type variables. The compiler is able to compile all possible complex
arithmetic expressions, including those containing math functions and user defined functions.
Arithmetic operations are allowed only in assignment statements and all variables in one such
statement must be of the same data type. For example:
Dim a As Long
Dim b As Long
Dim c As Long
a = 1234
b = 2345
b = a * b
c = a * 100 - (a + b)

There are seven single precision mathematical functions (SQR, SIN, COS, TAN, EXP, LN, LOG)
that can be used with Single data type variables. All math functions can also be used in complex
math expressions. For example:
Dim a As Single
a = 2
a = Sqr(a)

For Boolean and Short data type variables seven basic logical operations are supported. It is
possible to make only one logical operation in one single statement. Logical operations are allowed
only in assignment statements. For example:
Example 1:
Dim a As Boolean
Dim b As Boolean
Dim c As Boolean
a = True
b = False
c = Not a
c = a And b
c = a Or b
c = a Xor b
c = a Nand b
c = a Nor b
c = a Nxor b

Example 2:
Dim a As Short
a = 0x55
a = Not a

● Standard Basic language elements

Unconditional jumps are performed by GOTO statement. It uses line label name as argument. Line
labels can be global or local. Line labels must be followed by colon mark ':'. Here is one example:
Dim a As Long
a = 0
loop: a = a + 1
Goto loop

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Three standard BASIC statements are supported: FOR-TO-STEP-NEXT, WHILE-WEND and IF-
THEN-ELSE-ENDIF. In FOR-TO-STEP-NEXT statement all variables must be Integer data type.
Here are several examples:
Example 1:
Dim a As Integer
Dim b(100) As Single
For a = 0 To 99
b(a) = a
Next a

Example 2:
Dim a As Long
a = 100000
While a > 0
a = a - 1
Wend

Example 3:
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
For a = 0 To 10000
If a < 1000 Then
b = a
Else
b = 1000
Endif
Next a

For statement will accept all available variable types for the running variable. Exit For statement
provides a way to exit a For-Next loop. It transfers control to the statement following the Next
statement.

After IF-THEN statement in the same line can be placed almost every other possible statement and
then ENDIF is not used. Six standard comparison operators are available: =, <>, >, >=, <, <=. There
are no limits for the number of nested statements of any kind.

● Memory access

Standard BASIC elements for accessing memory are available: POKE statement and PEEK
function. They can be used with integer constants and also with variables of Short, Integer or Long
data type. For example:
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
Dim c As Integer
For a = 0 To 15
b = Peek(a)
c = 240 + a
Poke c, b
Next a

● Subroutines

Structured programs can be written using subroutine calls with GOSUB statement that uses line
label name as argument. Return from a subroutine is performed by RETURN statement. User need
to take care that the program structure is consistent. When using subroutines, main routine need to
be ended with END statement. Here is an example:
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer

b = 100
Gosub fillmemory

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 b = 101
Gosub fillmemory
End

fillmemory:
For a = 20000 To 21000
Poke a, b
Next a
Return

● Bit-oriented language elements

SETBIT and RESETBIT statements can be used to set or reset the individual bits in Short data type
variables. The first argument is a Short variable that will be the target of the operation, and the
second argument is target bit number and it must be a constant in the range 0-7.
Dim a As Short
a = 0xf0
SetBit a, 0
ResetBit a, 7

By using TESTBIT and MAKEBIT functions it is possible to assign a Boolean data type variable the
value contained in the specific bit of a Short data type variable, and vice versa, to copy the value of
a Boolean data type variable to the specific bit of a Short data type variable. The first argument of
these functions is target bit number and it must be a constant in the range 0-7. For example:
Dim a As Boolean
Dim b As Short
a = TestBit(0, b)
b = MakeBit(7, a)

● Communication with I/O ports

The communication with the outside world is done using GET function and PUT and PRINT
statements. The argument of the GET function is port number and must be a constant value in the
range [0-255]. It can be used to assign the value received on the port to a variable of Short, Integer
or Long data type. For example:
Dim a As Integer
a = Get(10)

PUT statement can be used to send data to the specified port. The data can be a constant value in
the range [0-255] or contained in a variable of Short, Integer or Long data type. Only the lowest byte
of the variable is sent to the port. For example:
Dim a As Integer
a = 200
Put 10, a

PRINT statement can be used in three different ways. It is possible to use it to send a constant
string , to send a variable of any supported data type or to send the LF (Line Feed) character or
CRLF (Carriage Return - Line Feed) sequence to the specified port. Here is an example:
Dim a As Single
a = 123.456
Print 10, "THE NUMBER IS "
Print 10, a
Print 10, CrLf

This can also be done using only one PRINT statement:

Print 10, "THE NUMBER IS ", a, CrLf

● Structured language support (procedures and functions)

Procedures can be declared with PROC statement. They can contain up to 5 arguments (comma
separated list) and all available data types can be used for argument variables. Argument variables

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are declared locally, so they do not need to have unique names in relation to the rest of user basic
program, that makes very easy to re-use once written procedures in other basic programs. The
procedures can be exited with EXIT statement. They must be ended with END PROC statement and
must be placed after the END statement in program. Calls to procedures are implemented with
CALL statement. The list of passed arguments can contain both variables and numeric constants.
For example:
Dim x As Integer
For x = 0 To 255
Call port_display(x)
Next x
End

Proc port_display(arg1 As Integer)

Print 10, "THE NUMBER IS ", arg1, CrLf
End Proc

All facts stated for procedures are valid for functions, also. Functions can be declared with
FUNCTION statement. They can contain up to 5 arguments and argument variables are declared
locally. Functions can be exited with EXIT statement and must be ended with END FUNCTION. The
name of the function is declared as a global variable, so if the function is called with CALL
statement, after its execution the function variable will contain the result. Standard way of function
calls in assignment statements can be used, also. One simple example:
Dim x As Integer
Dim y As Integer
For x = 0 To 100
y = square(x)
Next x
End

Function square(arg1 As Integer) As Integer

square = arg1 * arg1
End Function

Basic source code from an external file can be included to the current program by using INCLUDE
directive. Its only argument is a string containing the path to the external .BAS file. This can be the
full path or only the file name, if the external file is located in the same folder as the current basic
program file. During the compilation process the external basic source will be appended to the
current program. Multiple files can be included with separate INCLUDE directives. To maintain the
overall basic code structure, it is strongly suggested that the external file contains global
declarations, subroutines, procedures and functions, only. Here is one very simple example for the
demonstration:
main.bas:
Dim i As Integer
Dim j As Integer

Include "inc1.bas"
Include "inc2.bas"

For i = 1 To 10
j = func1(i, 100)
Call proc1(j)
Next i
End

inc1.bas:
Dim total As Integer

Proc proc1(i As Integer)

total = total + i
End Proc

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inc2.bas:
Function func1(i As Integer, j As Integer) As Integer
func1 = i + j
End Function