Command reference

bin2tap.py

bin2tap.py converts a binary file produced by an assembler (see Supported assemblers) into a TAP file that can be loaded into an emulator. For example:

$ bin2tap.py game.bin

will create a file called game.tap. By default, the origin address (the address of the first byte of code or data), the start address (the first byte of code to run) and the stack pointer are set to 65536 minus the length of game.bin. These defaults can be changed by passing options to bin2tap.py. Run it with no arguments to see the list of available options:

Usage: bin2tap.py [options] FILE.bin

  Convert a binary snapshot file into a TAP file.

Options:
  -o ORG      Set the origin (default: 65536 - length of FILE.bin)
  -s START    Set the start address to JP to (default: ORG)
  -p STACK    Set the stack pointer (default: ORG)
  -t TAPFILE  Set the TAP filename (default: FILE.tap)

Note that the ROM tape loading routine at 1366 ($0556) and the load routine used by bin2tap.py together require 14 bytes for stack operations, and so STACK must be at least 16384+14=16398 ($400E). This means that if ORG is less than 16398, you should use the -p option to set the stack pointer to something appropriate. If the main data block (derived from game.bin) overlaps any of the last four bytes of the stack, bin2tap.py will replace those bytes with the values required by the tape loading routine for correct operation upon returning. Stack operations will overwrite the bytes in the address range STACK-14 to STACK-1 inclusive, so those addresses should not be used to store essential code or data.

skool2asm.py

skool2asm.py converts a skool file into an ASM file that can be fed to an assembler (see Supported assemblers). For example:

$ skool2asm.py game.skool > game.asm

skool2asm.py supports many options; run it with no arguments to see a list:

Usage: skool2asm.py [options] FILE

  Convert a skool file into an ASM file, written to standard output. FILE may
  be a regular file, or '-' for standard input.

Options:
  -q   Be quiet (don't show timings)
  -v   Be verbose (show instruction substitutions)
  -w   Suppress warnings
  -e   Write processed lines to stderr (implies -w)
  -d   Use CR+LF to end lines
  -t   Use tab to indent instructions (default indentation is 2 spaces)
  -l   Write disassembly in lower case
  -u   Write disassembly in upper case
  -D   Write disassembly in decimal
  -H   Write disassembly in hexadecimal
  -iN  Set instruction field width to N (default=23)
  -fN  Apply fixes:
         N=0: None (default)
         N=1: @ofix only
         N=2: @ofix and @bfix
         N=3: @ofix, @bfix and @rfix (implies -r)
  -c   Create default labels for unlabelled instructions
  -s   Use safe substitutions (@ssub)
  -r   Use relocatability substitutions too (@rsub) (implies -f1)

See ASM modes and directives for a description of the @ssub and @rsub substitution modes, and the @ofix, @bfix and @rfix bugfix modes.

skool2ctl.py

skool2ctl.py converts a skool file into a control file. For example:

$ skool2ctl.py game.skool > game.ctl

In addition to block types and addresses, game.ctl will contain block titles, block descriptions, registers, mid-block comments, block end comments, sub-block types and addresses, instruction-level comments, and some ASM directives.

To list the options supported by skool2ctl.py, run it with no arguments:

Usage: skool2ctl.py [options] FILE

  Convert a skool file into a control file, written to standard output. FILE
  may be a regular file, or '-' for standard input.

Options:
  -wX  Write only these elements, where X is one or more of:
         b = block types and addresses
         t = block titles
         d = block descriptions
         r = registers
         m = mid-block comments and block end comments
         s = sub-block types and addresses
         c = instruction-level comments
  -h   Write addresses in hexadecimal format
  -a   Do not write ASM directives

If you need to preserve any elements that control files do not support (such as data definition entries and ASM block directives), consider using skool2sft.py to create a skool file template instead.

skool2html.py

skool2html.py converts a skool file (and its associated ref file, if one exists) into a browsable disassembly in HTML format.

For example:

$ skool2html.py game.skool

will convert the file game.skool into a bunch of HTML files. If any files named game*.ref (e.g. game.ref, game-bugs.ref, game-pokes.ref and so on) also exist, they will be used to provide further information to the conversion process.

skool2html.py can operate directly on ref files, too. For example:

$ skool2html.py game.ref

In this case, the skool file declared in the [Config] section of game.ref will be used; if no skool file is declared in game.ref, game.skool will be used if it exists. In addition, any existing files besides game.ref that are named game*.ref (e.g. game-bugs.ref, game-pokes.ref and so on) will also be used.

skool2html.py supports several options; run it with no arguments to see a list:

Usage: skool2html.py [options] FILE [FILE...]

  Convert skool files and ref files to HTML. FILE may be a regular file, or '-'
  for standard input.

Options:
  -V       Show SkoolKit version number and exit
  -q       Be quiet
  -d DIR   Write files in this directory (default is '.')
  -o       Overwrite existing image files
  -i LIB   Use this image library ('gd' or 'PIL'; default is 'gd')
  -l       Write disassembly in lower case
  -u       Write disassembly in upper case
  -D       Write disassembly in decimal
  -H       Write disassembly in hexadecimal
  -P LIST  Write only these custom pages (when '-wP' is specified)
  -wX      Write only these files, where X is one or more of:
             B = Graphic glitches
             b = Bugs
             c = Changelog
             d = Disassembly files
             G = Game status buffer
             g = Graphics
             i = Disassembly index
             m = Memory maps
             o = Other code
             P = Pages defined in the ref file
             p = Pokes
             t = Trivia
             y = Glossary

The -P option takes a comma-separated list of page IDs; page IDs are declared in the names of the [PageContent:*] sections in the ref file.

skool2sft.py

skool2sft.py converts a skool file into a skool file template. For example:

$ skool2sft.py game.skool > game.sft

To list the options supported by skool2sft.py, run it with no arguments:

Usage: skool2sft.py [options] FILE

  Convert a skool file into a skool file template, written to standard output.
  FILE may be a regular file, or '-' for standard input.

Options:
  -h  Write addresses in hexadecimal format

sna2skool.py

sna2skool.py converts a binary (raw memory) file or a 48K SNA or Z80 snapshot into a skool file. For example:

$ sna2skool.py game.z80 > game.skool

Now game.skool can be converted into a browsable HTML disassembly using skool2html.py, or into an assembler-ready ASM file using skool2asm.py.

sna2skool.py supports several options; run it with no arguments to see a list:

Usage: sna2skool.py [options] file

  Convert a binary (raw memory) file or a 48K SNA or Z80 snapshot into a skool
  file.

Options:
  -c FILE  Use FILE as the control file (default is file.ctl)
  -T FILE  Use FILE as the skool file template (default is file.sft)
  -g FILE  Generate a control file in FILE
  -h       Write hexadecimal addresses in the generated control file
  -H       Write hexadecimal addresses and operands in the disassembly
  -L       Write the disassembly in lower case
  -s ADDR  Specify the address at which to start disassembling (default=16384)
  -o ADDR  Specify the origin address of file.bin (default: 65536 - length)
  -t       Show ASCII text in the comment fields
  -r       Suppress addition of comments listing entry point referrers
  -n N     Set the max number of bytes per DEFB statement to N (default=8)
  -m M     Group DEFB blocks by addresses that divide M
  -z       Write bytes with leading zeroes in DEFB statements
  -l L     Set the max number of characters per DEFM statement to L (default=66)

To convert a snapshot into an assembler-ready ASM file without producing an intermediate skool file, the output of sna2skool.py can be fed directly into skool2asm.py thus:

$ sna2skool.py game.z80 | skool2asm.py - > game.asm

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