figured out that merlin has long modes which means i dont have to do crazy things to toggle softswitches anymore

src/main.S

@@ -9,83 +9,47 @@
 
             phk
             plb
-;;;;;
 
-; we're going to need this 
+; half bank for accumulator, you don't want to toggle them on then back off, right?
-entrydp     dw
-
-            phd
-            pla
-            sta   entrydp
-
-;;;;;;;;;
-
-            sep   #$30        ; a, m, x half bank
-
-            lda   #$00
-            pha
-            plb
-
-; slide direct page up
-
-            lda   #$0000
-            pha
-            pld
 
+            sep   #$30
 
 ; toggle the softswitches; they don't take any values. some are only triggered
 ; by writes, $C054 can be triggered by a read
+            stal  $00C000     ; disable 80 column store?
 
-            sta   $C000       ; disable 80 column store?
+            stal  $00C00C     ; disable 80 column hardware?!
-
+            stal  $00C050     ; set standard apple ii gfx mode
-            sta   $C00C       ; disable 80 column hardware?!
+            stal  $00C051     ; select text mode only. "only"?
-            sta   $C050       ; set standard apple ii gfx mode
+            ldal  $00C054     ; select text page 1 (there are 2)
-            sta   $C051       ; select text mode only. "only"?
+            ldal  $00C056     ; select "low res" graphics
-            lda   $C054       ; select text page 1 (there are 2)
-            lda   $C056       ; select "low res" graphics
 
 ; ok, we are done toggling switches, let's go make a string
-
             rep   #$30
 
             phk
-            plb
-            lda   entrydp
-            pha
-            pld
-
-; the first byte of the str is its length, we'll use that for cmp
-            ldx   #1
-
-atxt        str   "O SHIT"
-loopy       nop
-            clc
-            cpx   #4          ; compare with length, bail if too long
-            bcs   outbrk
-            ldy   atxt,x
-
-            lda   #$00
-            pha
-            plb
-
-            lda   #$0000
-            pha
-            pld
-
-            sty   $04,x
-
-            phk
-            plb
-            lda   entrydp
-            pha
             pld
 
+hithere     strl  "hello world"
+            ldx   #2
+:loopy      nop
+            lda   hithere,x
+            stal  $000400
+            cpx   hithere
             inx
+            bcs   outbrk
+            jmp   :loopy
 
-            jmp   loopy
+outbrk      brk
 
-outbrk      lda   #37
+; y u no work
-            brk
+*            ldx   hithere+2
+*            ldy   #$0400
+*            lda   hithere
+
+*            mvp   #$02,       #$00
+
+*            brk
 
 *            lda   #"H"
 *            sta   $0400
@@ -310,6 +274,122 @@ QP          adrl  $0000
 
 
 
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