millfork/README.md

![](logo_transparent.png)

# Millfork

A middle-level programming language targeting 6502-based, 8080-based and Z80-based microcomputers. 

For binary releases, see: [https://github.com/KarolS/millfork/releases](https://github.com/KarolS/millfork/releases)
(latest: 0.3.16).  
For build instructions, see [Build instructions](./COMPILING.md).

## Features

* high performance, due to being designed and optimized for 8-bit microprocessors

* multiple targets:

    * Commodore 64 (the primary target)
    
    * Commodore 64 with SuperCPU (experimental, incomplete and very buggy)
    
    * other Commodore computers: C16, Plus/4, C128, PET, VIC-20 (stock or with RAM extensions)
    
    * other 6502-based machines: Famicom/NES, Atari Lynx, Atari 8-bit computers, BBC Micro, Apple II+/IIe/Enhanced IIe, Atari 2600 (experimental), Commander X16 (experimental)
    
    * Z80-based machines: ZX Spectrum 48k, NEC PC-88, Amstrad CPC, MSX
    
    * CP/M
    
    * Game Boy (experimental)
    
    * MS-DOS (very experimental, via 8080-to-8086 translation)

* multiple supported target processors:

    * well supported: MOS 6502, Ricoh 2A03/2A07, WDC 65C02, Intel 8080, Intel 8085, Zilog Z80
    
    * reasonably well supported: Sharp LR35902, CSG 65CE02
    
    * partially supported: Hudson Soft HuC6280, WDC 65816, Intel 8086, Motorola 6809

* inline assembly

* simple macros

* pay only for what you use: not a single byte of memory is used unless for code or explicitly declared variables

* a simple memory model that avoids using the stack

* multi-pass whole-program optimizer (that will even optimize your hand-written assembly if you ask it to)

* support for multi-file programs (Commodore only) and banked cartridges

## Licensing

The compiler is distributed under GPLv3 (see [LICENSE](LICENSE)).

The standard include files (located in the `include` directory) are distributed under a more permissive Zlib license (see [include/LICENSE](include/LICENSE)).
Therefore, no attribution is needed if you are developing and distributing Millfork programs.

The documentation is distributed under the [CC-0 license](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).

## More info

* [Documentation](docs/README.md) (external version: [https://millfork.readthedocs.io](https://millfork.readthedocs.io))

* [Example programs](examples/README.md)
Logo 2018-01-21 00:24:56 +00:00			`![](logo_transparent.png)`

Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00			`# Millfork`

Update readme and changelog 2018-12-19 18:04:19 +00:00			`A middle-level programming language targeting 6502-based, 8080-based and Z80-based microcomputers.`
Initial code upload 2017-12-06 23:23:30 +00:00
Docs: Make links always clickable 2019-07-15 12:41:19 +00:00			`For binary releases, see: [https://github.com/KarolS/millfork/releases](https://github.com/KarolS/millfork/releases)`
Version 0.3.16 2020-04-08 10:10:02 +00:00			`(latest: 0.3.16).`
Add build instructions 2019-06-28 16:43:24 +00:00			`For build instructions, see [Build instructions](./COMPILING.md).`
Version 0.1 2018-01-24 16:47:20 +00:00
Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00			`## Features`

Update readme and changelog 2018-12-19 18:04:19 +00:00			`* high performance, due to being designed and optimized for 8-bit microprocessors`

Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00			`* multiple targets:`

			`* Commodore 64 (the primary target)`

Preliminary support for 65816, 65CE02 and HuC6280 2018-03-03 00:21:57 +00:00			`* Commodore 64 with SuperCPU (experimental, incomplete and very buggy)`

Update readme and changelog 2018-12-19 18:04:19 +00:00			`* other Commodore computers: C16, Plus/4, C128, PET, VIC-20 (stock or with RAM extensions)`
Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00
Document Lynx 2019-09-19 23:44:18 +00:00			`* other 6502-based machines: Famicom/NES, Atari Lynx, Atari 8-bit computers, BBC Micro, Apple II+/IIe/Enhanced IIe, Atari 2600 (experimental), Commander X16 (experimental)`
Famicom support 2018-03-15 22:46:16 +00:00
Many big important things: – Add support for undocumented 8085 instructions – Convert undocumented 8085 instructions to 8086 – Add new CPU types and categorize CPU types correctly – Fix macro expansion in some situations – Improve 8080 optimizations – Improve documentation – Other improvements 2019-06-12 10:06:02 +00:00			`* Z80-based machines: ZX Spectrum 48k, NEC PC-88, Amstrad CPC, MSX`
Preliminary MSX support 2019-06-05 11:31:43 +00:00
Preliminary CP/M support 2018-07-30 23:02:55 +00:00			`* CP/M`
Update readme and changelog 2018-12-19 18:04:19 +00:00
Update documentation 2019-03-18 22:15:28 +00:00			`* Game Boy (experimental)`
Add 8080-to-8086 translation 2019-05-31 15:03:35 +00:00
			`* MS-DOS (very experimental, via 8080-to-8086 translation)`
Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00
Many big important things: – Add support for undocumented 8085 instructions – Convert undocumented 8085 instructions to 8086 – Add new CPU types and categorize CPU types correctly – Fix macro expansion in some situations – Improve 8080 optimizations – Improve documentation – Other improvements 2019-06-12 10:06:02 +00:00			`* multiple supported target processors:`

			`* well supported: MOS 6502, Ricoh 2A03/2A07, WDC 65C02, Intel 8080, Intel 8085, Zilog Z80`

			`* reasonably well supported: Sharp LR35902, CSG 65CE02`

Version 0.3.16 2020-04-08 10:10:02 +00:00			`* partially supported: Hudson Soft HuC6280, WDC 65816, Intel 8086, Motorola 6809`
Many big important things: – Add support for undocumented 8085 instructions – Convert undocumented 8085 instructions to 8086 – Add new CPU types and categorize CPU types correctly – Fix macro expansion in some situations – Improve 8080 optimizations – Improve documentation – Other improvements 2019-06-12 10:06:02 +00:00
Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00			`* inline assembly`

Version 0.2 2018-03-17 17:21:50 +00:00			`* simple macros`

Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00			`* pay only for what you use: not a single byte of memory is used unless for code or explicitly declared variables`

Many big important things: – Add support for undocumented 8085 instructions – Convert undocumented 8085 instructions to 8086 – Add new CPU types and categorize CPU types correctly – Fix macro expansion in some situations – Improve 8080 optimizations – Improve documentation – Other improvements 2019-06-12 10:06:02 +00:00			`* a simple memory model that avoids using the stack`
Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00
Update readme and changelog 2018-12-19 18:04:19 +00:00			`* multi-pass whole-program optimizer (that will even optimize your hand-written assembly if you ask it to)`
Empty repo initialization 2017-12-06 21:00:04 +00:00
Many big important things: – Add support for undocumented 8085 instructions – Convert undocumented 8085 instructions to 8086 – Add new CPU types and categorize CPU types correctly – Fix macro expansion in some situations – Improve 8080 optimizations – Improve documentation – Other improvements 2019-06-12 10:06:02 +00:00			`* support for multi-file programs (Commodore only) and banked cartridges`

Less restrictive licensing for the standard library 2018-06-22 16:16:10 +00:00			`## Licensing`

			`The compiler is distributed under GPLv3 (see [LICENSE](LICENSE)).`

			The standard include files (located in the `include` directory) are distributed under a more permissive Zlib license (see [include/LICENSE](include/LICENSE)).
			`Therefore, no attribution is needed if you are developing and distributing Millfork programs.`

Add CONTRIBUTING.md 2019-09-17 22:48:33 +00:00			`The documentation is distributed under the [CC-0 license](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).`

Readme update 2018-01-21 20:55:44 +00:00			`## More info`

Documentation overhaul 2019-07-15 11:52:05 +00:00			`* [Documentation](docs/README.md) (external version: [https://millfork.readthedocs.io](https://millfork.readthedocs.io))`
Readme update 2018-01-21 20:55:44 +00:00
Documentation improvements 2018-04-02 22:21:26 +00:00			`* [Example programs](examples/README.md)`
Readme update 2018-01-21 20:55:44 +00:00