Mastering Machine Code On Your Commodore 64

Book excerpt: First published in 1984, this highly-rated guide written by 8-bit expert Mark Greenshields helped Commodore 64 users take their skills further than ever before. It was designed to take 'bedroom coders' from a point where they were comfortable with the commands - and limitations - of BASIC, to having knowledge and experience of the home computer's far more powerful machine code. In addition to explaining the concepts of this more advanced language, the reader is provided with a number of example programs that not only help with learning, but are also of great practical use for both games and utilities. This book helped many a Commodore user with their first steps into the world of machine code and to this day remains an important reference for those interested in the world of retro games and programming. * * * As the original publisher Interface Publications wrote: Now, you can master machine code on the Commodore 64 quickly and easily. Say goodbye to jerky, slow-moving graphics in BASIC, and learn the secrets of professional, incredibly swift graphic production in machine code. You're holding the first complete tutorial on using assembly language on the Commodore 64. The book assumes that although you can program in BASIC, you know little or nothing of 6502/6510 machine code. Step by simple step the book progresses through the subject, until the whole instruction set of the 6510 has been covered. A large number of example programs - which are explained in detail - help make the learning simple. In section two of the book, you'll learn about practical applications of machine code use on the Commodore 64. High resolution graphics, scrolling, raster graphics, using interrupts and adding commands to BASIC - they're all here in a form you can readily understand and apply. This section of the book contains programs which put 24 sprites on the screen at once, programs to combine both text and high-resolution images on the same screen, function key programming and one key entry of commands. Written by Mark Greenshields, highly successful author of Mastering the Commodore 64, this book is your gateway into the exciting world of machine code programming on the Commodore 64. * * * Acorn Books is proud to present its Retro Reproduction Series, a collection of classic computing works from the 1980s and 90s, lovingly reproduced in the 21st century. From standards of programming reference no self-respecting microcomputer user would want to be without, to obscure works not found in print anywhere else, these modern reprints are perfect for any connoisseur of retro computing.