HiSoft-C

Disassembled code of HiSoft C compiler version 1.3 for ZX Spectrum

1. Introduction

HiSoft C is c compiler available for ZX Spectrum and Amstrac CPC. The compiler uses old K&R notation so you can use ansi2kr converter for conversion of your ANSI C source code into K&R version. Then you can use c2tap utility for conversion of your source to tap file format.

An interesting fact is HiSoft C was written in BDS C of Leor Zolman and then disassembled and optimized manually.

There are various libraries for HiSoft C. For example:

• Standard C library from HiSoft: stdio.h and stdio.c
• Library for working with real numbers: real.c

2. Resources

• Original HiSoft C manual for ZX Spectrum in PDF
• Original HiSoft C manual for Amstrad CPC in PDF
• Article ZX Magazín - HiSoft C 1.1 in PDF
• Article Historické kompilátory jazyka C na vlastní kůži (2)

3. How to compile

3.1 Prerequisities

• z80asm
• skoolkit 6.4
• ZX spectrum emulator, ZEsarUX recommended

3.2 Compilation

z80asm cc.asm -o cc-tmp.bin ; bin2tap.py -o 25200 cc-tmp.bin cc.tap

4. Original process of disassembling

4.1 Decompilation

z80dasm -a -t -l -g 25200 -b blocks.txt code.bin > code.asm

4.2 Recompilation

z80asm code.asm -o code-tmp.bin ; bin2tap.py -o 25200 code-tmp.bin cc.tap

5. HiSoft Editor usage

To start editor press capshift 1 and ENTER (or EDIT)

5.1 File operations

• p [m,n,s] put into cassette
• g [,,s] get from cassette

5.2 Compiler

• c enter back to compiler
• #include [file name] compile program
• symbolshift i run program
• #error to sacrifice error messages and yield more memory

5.3 Basic

• b enter go to basic
• RANDOMIZE USR 25200 back to compiler

5.4 Editor commands

• i [m,n] insert text
• l [m,n] list
• k n set number of lines listed on screen
• w [m,n] write text to printer
• d [m,n] delete lines
• m [m,n] move line
• n [m,n] renumber line
• e n edit line
• v view defaults

5.5 Special keys

• SS F {
• SS G }
• SS I EOF
• SS Q <=
• SS W <>
• SS E >=