ZX Spectrum System Tour: Text Mode – Bumbershoot Software

3 hours ago

Sinclair BASIC can coexist with machine code via SAVE/LOAD with CODE, CLEAR to reserve memory, and USR function to call routines.
The Z80 memory map on 48K Spectrum: ROM at $0000-$3FFF, graphics RAM at $4000-$5AFF, and the rest is RAM; IY register points to system variables at $5C3A and must not be modified.
Text output uses RST $10 to print characters; control codes $10-$17 replicate BASIC text commands (INK, PAPER, etc.) and AT takes two arguments.
User-defined graphics (UDG) are stored at the address pointed by IY+65; you can load custom character data (8 bytes each) into that area.
System variables ATTR-T, MASK-T, ATTR-P, MASK-P, and P-FLAGS control text attributes; the ROM routine CLS at $0D6B clears the screen and resets temporary colors.
Keyboard input can be read via interrupt-driven scanning (LAST-K, FLAGS) or direct I/O port reading; joystick reading uses port $1F for Kempston.
A complete example program demonstrates clearing the screen, loading custom graphics, printing formatted text, and waiting for a keypress, producing a smaller binary than the BASIC equivalent.

PL/CBMBASIC allows PostgreSQL to run functions written in Commodore 64 BASIC V2, using the actual 1982 interpreter compiled into C.
It features line numbers starting at 10, mandatory for code, with function arguments injected as BASIC variables in lines 0-9.
Includes a validator that enforces C64 BASIC naming rules, preventing variables with embedded keywords (e.g., 'TOTAL' contains 'TO').

Mathup translates simple mathematical expressions into structured MathML.
It supports installation via npm, as a client-side script, or as a command-line tool.
Custom HTML element <math-up> allows embedding math in web pages.

Go 1.27 introduces type parameters on methods, allowing generic operations on types to be defined as methods instead of package-level functions.
Struct literal keys can now use promoted fields from embedded structs directly, simplifying initialization syntax.
Function type inference is generalized to work in conversions, composite literals, and other contexts, reducing the need for explicit type arguments.

Tungsten is an object-oriented language designed for clarity and mathematical expression, with syntax that resembles whiteboard pseudocode.
It compiles to native binaries via LLVM and GPU kernels via Metal, using a self-hosted compiler.
Key features include first-class support for currency (dollars, cents, percentages) and units (meters, kilograms) with automatic conversion and dimensional analysis.

<antirez>7 days ago

Redis introduced a new BITFIELD command for its 7th anniversary, allowing operations on arbitrary-sized integers stored at bit offsets.
The command supports subcommands: SET, GET, INCRBY, and an OVERFLOW meta-command for controlling overflow behavior (SAT, WRAP, FAIL).
Integer types are defined with 'u' (unsigned) or 'i' (signed) followed by bit count (e.g., u8, i5, u20, i53), with u64 excluded due to protocol limits.

PL/CBMBASIC allows PostgreSQL to run functions written in Commodore 64 BASIC V2, using the actual 1982 interpreter compiled into C.
It features line numbers starting at 10, mandatory for code, with function arguments injected as BASIC variables in lines 0-9.
Includes a validator that enforces C64 BASIC naming rules, preventing variables with embedded keywords (e.g., 'TOTAL' contains 'TO').

Mathup translates simple mathematical expressions into structured MathML.
It supports installation via npm, as a client-side script, or as a command-line tool.
Custom HTML element <math-up> allows embedding math in web pages.

Go 1.27 introduces type parameters on methods, allowing generic operations on types to be defined as methods instead of package-level functions.
Struct literal keys can now use promoted fields from embedded structs directly, simplifying initialization syntax.
Function type inference is generalized to work in conversions, composite literals, and other contexts, reducing the need for explicit type arguments.

Tungsten is an object-oriented language designed for clarity and mathematical expression, with syntax that resembles whiteboard pseudocode.
It compiles to native binaries via LLVM and GPU kernels via Metal, using a self-hosted compiler.
Key features include first-class support for currency (dollars, cents, percentages) and units (meters, kilograms) with automatic conversion and dimensional analysis.

<antirez>7 days ago

Redis introduced a new BITFIELD command for its 7th anniversary, allowing operations on arbitrary-sized integers stored at bit offsets.
The command supports subcommands: SET, GET, INCRBY, and an OVERFLOW meta-command for controlling overflow behavior (SAT, WRAP, FAIL).
Integer types are defined with 'u' (unsigned) or 'i' (signed) followed by bit count (e.g., u8, i5, u20, i53), with u64 excluded due to protocol limits.

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