A-code source

Logically, an A-code source is a single file, usually with the .acd suffix. (The suffix is optional; if present, it can be omitted when nominating to acdc the A-code file to be processed.

In practice, A-code source can be split into a number files, which are incorporated in the "main" one by means of the A-code include major directive. Again, such include files are conventionally suffixed with .acd, which suffix may be omitted in include statements.

Obtaining and building the acdc translator

Running acdc

The acdc executable optionally takes some command line arguments (in any order):

• The name of the main A-code source file. If omotted, this is prompted for. The source file may be specified by a pathname. Any include statements are taken to be relative to the directory in which the main source file is located.
• The -xref keyword, which requests that a cross-reference file of the A-code source be created. This file will bear the name of the main A-code source file (less the .acd suffix, if present), and suffixed with .xrf. The file is not sorted and can be processed further with the sortref Perl utility, supplied as a part of the acode package.
• The -plain keyword, which causes the text data to remain un-encrypted.
• The -preload keyword, which causes the game data file to be preloaded into the game executable via a header file with a whopping big data initialisation in it. The C-source created this way may be too big to compile or run on some machines, but it avoids having a data file separate from the executable.
• The -debug keyword. which has several effects:
  1. The DEBUG macro will be defined in the kernel source.
  2. Lines of A-code source will be included as comments in the derived C-source, making it easy to work out the details of the translation to C.
  3. Every time a distinct chunk of A-code source is entered, its identity will be displayed to the player.

Derived ANSI C sources are created in the directory from which acdc is run, except that if a sub-directory called C is found, the derived sources are placed in there.

Adding kernel source files

The A-code kernel consists of one source file adv00.c and one header file adv0.h. Both can be found in the above linked A-code tarball. Copy them alongside the C sources created by acdc, and you'll have the complete C source required to build an executable.

NB: The kernel sources as supplied are equivalent to, but not compatible with the "uglified" sources which I distribute as A-code game C sources. Do not mix them!

Building an executable