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@setfilename index.texi
@settitle vasm manual
@setchapternewpage odd

@ifinfo

This is the manual for the vasm assembler system.

Copyright 2002-2014 Volker Barthelmann

@end ifinfo

@titlepage
@title vasm assembler system
@author Volker Barthelmann

@page

@end titlepage

@paragraphindent 0

@contents

@chapter General

@section Introduction

vasm is a portable and retargetable assembler able to create linkable
objects in different formats as well as absolute code.
Different CPU-, syntax and output-modules are supported.

Many common directives/pseudo-opcodes are supported (depending on the
syntax module) as well as CPU-specific extensions.

The assembler supports optimizations and relaxations (e.g. choosing
the shortest possible branch instruction or addressing mode as well as
converting a branch to an absolute jump if necessary).

The concept is that you get a special vasm binary for any combination of
CPU- and syntax-module. All output modules, which make sense for the
current CPU, are included in the vasm binary and you have to make sure to
choose the output file format you need (refer to the next chapter and look for
the @code{-F} option). The default is a test output, only useful for debugging
or analyzing the output.


@section Legal

    vasm is copyright in 2002-2014 by Volker Barthelmann.

    This archive may be redistributed without modifications and used
    for non-commercial purposes.

    Distributing modified versions and commercial usage needs my written
    consent.

    Certain modules may fall under additional copyrights.


@section Installation

The vasm binaries do not need additional files, so no further
installation is necessary. To use vasm with vbcc, copy the
binary to @file{vbcc/bin} after following the installation instructions
for vbcc.

The vasm binaries are named @code{vasm<cpu>_<syntax>} with 
@code{<cpu>} representing the CPU-module and @code{<syntax>}
the syntax-module, e.g. vasm for PPC with the standard syntax
module is called @code{vasmppc_std}.

Sometimes the syntax-modifier may be omitted, e.g. @code{vasmppc}.

Detailed instructions how to build vasm can be found in the last chapter.

@node The Assembler
@chapter The Assembler
@include vasm_main.texi

@node Standard Syntax Module
@chapter Standard Syntax Module
@include syntax_std.texi

@node Mot Syntax Module
@chapter Mot Syntax Module
@include syntax_mot.texi

@node Oldstyle Syntax Module
@chapter Oldstyle Syntax Module
@include syntax_oldstyle.texi

@node Simple binary output module
@chapter Simple binary output module
@include output_bin.texi

@node Test output module
@chapter Test output module
@include output_test.texi

@node ELF output module
@chapter ELF output module
@include output_elf.texi

@node a.out output module
@chapter a.out output module
@include output_aout.texi

@node TOS output module
@chapter TOS output module
@include output_tos.texi

@node vobj output module
@chapter vobj output module
@include output_vobj.texi

@node Amiga output module
@chapter Amiga output module
@include output_hunk.texi

@node m68k cpu module
@chapter m68k cpu module
@include cpu_m68k.texi

@node PowerPC cpu module
@chapter PowerPC cpu module
@include cpu_ppc.texi

@node c16x/st10 cpu module
@chapter c16x/st10 cpu module
@include cpu_c16x.texi

@node 6502 cpu module
@chapter 6502 cpu module
@include cpu_6502.texi

@node ARM cpu module
@chapter ARM cpu module
@include cpu_arm.texi

@node 80x86 cpu module
@chapter 80x86 cpu module
@include cpu_x86.texi

@node z80 cpu module
@chapter z80 cpu module
@include cpu_z80.texi

@node 6800 cpu module
@chapter 6800 cpu module
@include cpu_6800.texi

@node Jaguar RISC cpu module
@chapter Jaguar RISC cpu module
@include cpu_jagrisc.texi

@node Interface
@chapter Interface
@include interface.texi

@bye
