ZX81 STAR DEMO
Author: Laszlo Nickmann / NICKMANN Studio
Category: Christmas Challenge
System: ZX81
Language: Assembler
Len source code: 87 bytes
Len exe file: 230 bytes
Len code only: 81 bytes
Instructions:
Start: 'RAND USR 16514' after loading. ( press 't' and 'Ctrl' and 'l' and type 16514 and 'RETURN' )
EightOne https://sourceforge.net/projects/eightyone-sinclair-emulator/ Minimum 2k RAM Pack
Install your vise, load or drag the prg file into it.
Description:
The program reads the data from the database and decodes it and writes SPACE or * to the memory area of the screen. I used the RLE principle for coding. I optimized this method so that the 7th bit is used to mark SPACE/* and the other bits mark the amount to be written out. Thus, it can write 126 identical characters one after the other, because $FF marks the end of the image. The goal was to make the code and the database as small as possible.
Comments:
Even though the assembly code is 81 bytes, and with the BASIC token only 87 bytes, the size of the created file is 230 bytes, because the computer saved many system variables together with the program when saving. I hope that the 81-byte assembly code will be taken into account during the evaluation, because it is the source code itself. Everything else is only needed to fit the assembly program to the hardware and store it, which unfortunately adds so much data here.
If you have any problems trying the program, or if it doesn't meet the rules for some reason, please let me know. This is my first time participating in a competition like this.
Thanks.
Postscript:
Sorry for my bad English, I'm from Hungary and I don't speak perfect English.