[Coco] Rainbow IDE 2.0 Basic and Gold in the works

[Robert Gault]

Stephen H. Fischer wrote:

> Hi,

> 

> I think that the OP is talking about a disassembler that is part emulator.

> 

> Starting at an entry point or other point that is suspected is code, the CPU

> registers are set up with normal initial contents and the code sequence is

> followed,  all branches are remembered and are followed taken in turn until

> all possible code sequences are found.

> 

> This allows the code and data parts of the program to be identified without

> the user doing anything other than saying "do it".

> 

> Instruction types for data access effective addresses are marked as data.

> 

> The closer to a real emulator, the better the automated process.

> 

> This is a much harder process than any of the 6x09 disassemblers I have

> seen. No grease required and this will produce better results for most all

> people without them being an really good expert programmer, of which there

> are fewer and fewer today.

> 

> Stephen H. Fischer

> 

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "Roger Taylor" <webmaster at coco3.com>

> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>

> Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2006 4:18 PM

> Subject: Re: [Coco] Rainbow IDE 2.0 Basic and Gold in the works

> 

> 

> 

>>At 02:29 PM 12/30/2006, you wrote:

>>

>>>Cool! How about a disassembler of the same class as "The Source III"

>>>for the CoCo?

>>>

>>>Cheers,

>>>Fedor

>>

>>

>>A partial and incomplete interactive disassembler exists in the

>>current Rainbow IDE versions, but no documentation or support is

>>provided because it's totally useless at this point.  It's easier for

>>me to just hide those features for now while I keep working on it.

>>

>>The idea is to let the IDE import a binary such as a CoCo game, which

>>produces a .dsm file containing intermediate code (not .asm source at

>>this point) that the IDE can understand and display in an

>>editor.  The dsm editor will let the programmer set label points and

>>names, mark data sections, etc. then the disassembler can be called

>>again and again on this intermediate file to produce more correct dsm

>>files.  The dsm files will be turned into asm files in the end, and

>>if they can be reassembled with CCASM and run then the disassembly

>>process was successful.  I want to make the whole process seamless...

>>binary to dsm, dsm to asm, asm to bin, in one click of the Disassemble

>>button.

>>

>>While the intermediate code editor is up you can make on-the-fly

>>changes and then try to rebuild each time until you see the game or

>>program running in the emulator.  Keep in mind that the game or

>>program that you see running is not the original binary, but the

>>disassembled and reassembled binary.  Wow.  If it crashes then

>>something is wrong in the intermediate code.

>>

>>Ofcourse, I'm talking in the future tense on some of these ideas

>>because that is what my goal is and where it's heading now.  I'll try

>>to put as many automatic features in the intermediate code generator

>>as possible, but anybody who's tried to disassemble code before knows

>>that it's 50% elbow grease no matter how ya cut it.  :)

>>

>>

>>-- 

>>Roger Taylor

> 

> 

> 


That's a great idea but far far beyond what SourceIII does if the OP is 
Fedor.