A-code documentation and tools

(A-code version 12.74)

I don't seriously expect anybody to be greatly interested in using A-code to develop adventures. Still, you never know. The built-in browser mode might attract a brave soul or two. Hence this page.

Not included are a few things, which as a putative user you are expected to provide on your own:

• A text editor of your choice
• An ANSI C compiler
• Most important of all: a dash of creative imagination.

(NB: Depending on your browser's setup, you may need to hold down the shift key when clicking on the link of any bundle to be downloaded.)

• Converting A-code source into ANSI C source
  The main job is done by the acdc utility, which translates A-code source into ANSI C. But you also need to combine the derived C source files with the A-code kernel ones. This document tells all, as well as providing links for acdc and the kernel source files.
• Building an executable from derived ANSI C source
  Having converted the A-code source to ANSI C, you'll now want to build an executable. This document explains how.
• Command line options for A-code game executives
  The A-code kernel understands a number of command line options, though some of these need active support from the A-code source. E.g. adv550 won't understand the name of a save file to restore being supplied on the command line, and will land the player in limbo, with no source of light.
• A-code 12 texts explained
  This document explains the details of A-code texts in all their non-standard glory. A minimal understanding of the A-code language is helpful but not essential.
• A-code 12 vocabulary explained
  This document explains the details of A-code vocabulary handling.
• A-code 11 guide (Fairly obsolete, needs version 12 re-write)
  Explains the concepts of the language and provides a reference guide to its commands. The best way to learn A-code beyond that is to look at the provided A-code sources. This document is really describing version 10 of A-code, though mixing in some of the version 11 enhancements. It needs to be brought up-to-date with the current A-code version (11.90 at the time of writing).
• A-code 12 minor directives
  Because the A-code guide is by now grossly out of date, this document gives a terse summary of the minor A-code directives as of A-code version 12.74.
• A-code 12 exec codes
  Because the A-code guide is by now grossly out of date, this document gives a terse summary of code values supported by the EXEC minor directive as of A-code version 12.74.
• Game-level entities known to the A-code 12 kernel.
  This document lists all game-level entities (i.e. objects, locations, variables and flags), which are known to the A-code kernel (version 12.74 at the time of writing). They are either used by the kernel to pass information to the level of the game program, or can be used by the program to modify the behaviour of the kernel.
• ANSI C sources of the A-code 12 engine (1.0 MB)
  This tarball contains sources of the A-code to C translator acdc version 12.36 (28 Dec 2016), A-code kernel version 12.74 (30 Dec 2016).
• A-code 11 adventure skeleton template (34.7 KB)
  This template already codes for adventure basics. New adventure can be built from it by adding your own code and customizing the template one. NB: This is just an A-code version 10 toolkit. It'll work with version 11 acdc and kernel, but I really must re-write it, so that it takes advantage of the A-code features new in versions 11 and 12.
• A demo adventure inplemented using the template (20.1 KB)
  This is a different A-code implementation of the "Cloak of Darkness" demo adventure, from the one to be found on the sources downloads page. This one uses the skeleton template, thereby immediately providing a much richer functionality than the ab initio implementation, while also reducing to the minimum the amount of additional code.