Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!ncar!mailrus!iuvax!bsu-cs!cfchiesa
From: cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Christopher Chiesa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Relocatable file format?
Summary: Relocatable File Format
Message-ID: <3708@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 19 Aug 88 19:57:55 GMT
References: <387@ucrmath.UUCP>
Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana
Lines: 30

In article <387@ucrmath.UUCP>, hoser@ucrmath.UUCP (Mark Houser) writes:
> 
> I want to write
> a macro assembler/linker and I would like its relocatable files to conform
> to whatever the "standard" format is on the Atari 8-bit for relocatable files.

I think you're going to find that this is an in-house or "de facto," rather 
than "official," standard.  There is NO "official" relocatable file format;
Atari never supported or implemented any such thing, so it's pretty likely 
just ICD's brainchild.

Someone else on this net (was it John Dunning, of Kermit65 fame?  Forgive me
if it was someone else) mentioned to me a couple of months ago that he was 
trying to implement something along the lines of your idea: an assembler and
linker etc. to use, support, and manipulate relocatable code and files.  All
in all, I'll be glad to see it, but it sounds to me like it's going to be 
difficult, because of the 6502's lack of any PC offset register.  The idea of
relocatable code descended from mainframes and met the microprocessor indus-
try on its way up, so the "high end" micro CPUs can do this "no sweat."  On
the 6502, you'll have to relocate the code and resolve all address references
down to absolutes before ever giving control to the loaded code...  Like I 
said, I'll be impressed and GLAD to see this when it's ready!

Hope this helps.

  Chris Chiesa
    recent graduate, Ball State University, CS Dept. 
-- 
UUCP: !{iuvax,pur-ee,uunet}!bsu-cs!cfchiesa 
cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP