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8bitworkshop IDE
The 8bitworkshop IDE is a browser-based development environment for micro computers and consoles. The IDE compiles or assembles your source code while you type, then the emulator runs your code. This all happens locally in your web browser.
Choosing a platform
First, choose a hardware platform using the green Platform Selector to the right of the main menu. This reloads the IDE with the appropriate emulator and toolchain.
Each platform has several example programs that you can view and edit. Use the Project Selector drop-down (next to the menu icon) to choose one.
Editing files
Edits are persisted in browser local storage and survive closing the
tab. To restore an example to its original state, choose
File » Revert to Original…. To start from scratch, choose
New Project… and enter a filename (typically .c for C, or
.asm for assembly).
Each platform has its own virtual file system in the browser, so edits and new files are only visible to the current platform.
See Managing Files for how to export and import files, share playable links and videos, sync projects to GitHub, and pull projects from GitHub.
Emulators
Every platform includes a built-in emulator that runs your code on simulated hardware. Click the emulator screen to give it keyboard focus. The IDE shows the key bindings used by the current platform; some platforms also support gamepads.
Compilers
C compilers and assemblers for most platforms run in the browser. Each time you change the code it is recompiled automatically. Errors appear in a list in the upper-right corner of the page; click the link beside an error to jump to the offending source line.
If the build succeeds, the emulator restarts with the new ROM image, so you see changes near-instantly.
See Build Directives for information on multi-file projects, compiler/linker directives, and file extensions.
See Toolchains & Platforms for the full list of tools and the complete platform × extension → tool reference.
Debugger
The IDE includes a debugger for stepping through machine code, viewing memory, and starting/stopping the program. The buttons at the top of the screen perform these functions:
- Reset: hard-reset the emulator, then single-step to the first instruction.
- Pause: stop the emulator.
- Run: resume the emulator after pausing.
- Single Step: execute the next CPU instruction.
- Step Over: execute until the next source line, or step over a subroutine, then break.
- Next Frame/Interrupt: run until the next video frame starts, then break.
- Run To Line: set a breakpoint on the current source line (or click the gutter to the left of a line). The emulator stops when execution reaches that instruction.
- Step Out of Subroutine: run until the current subroutine returns, then break.
- Step Backwards: step back a single CPU instruction.
Some platforms also offer:
- Analyze Timing: perform a flow analysis of your code and compute timing values for each instruction.
- Highlight Executed Lines: highlight lines of source code as they are executed by the emulator.
- Start Recording: enable the replay feature, which lets you rewind the emulator and scroll to arbitrary frames and CPU cycles.
When the IDE hits a breakpoint or a single-step, a debug window appears in the lower-right showing the CPU state. Click the links at the bottom of the window for more detail. See Breakpoints.
Sidebar windows
The sidebar to the left of the editor lists every source file in your project — the main file (shown in the pulldown), any included or linked files, and any generated listings. Depending on the platform, additional tools appear:
| Window | Description |
|---|---|
| Editor | Edit source files; read-only listings, headers, and binary views |
| Disassembly | Disassemble the program around the program counter |
| Memory Browser | Hex dump of CPU memory |
| Memory Map | Map of memory areas, linker segments and large variables |
| VRAM Browser | Hex dump of video memory (systems with a separate VDP) |
| Memory Probe | Heat map of memory read/write activity |
| CRT Probe | Memory activity laid out by raster position |
| Probe Log | Textual log of CPU/memory activity |
| Scanline I/O | I/O and VRAM access per scanline |
| Symbol Profiler | Read/write counts per symbol |
| Call Stack | Call graph reconstructed from the stack |
| Debug Tree | Hierarchical view of platform debug info |
| Breakpoints | Add and edit breakpoints |
| Asset Editor | Edit bitmaps, tilemaps, and palettes embedded in source |
Keyboard Shortcuts
mod below is Ctrl on Windows/Linux and Cmd on macOS.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
F1 |
Help for the active view |
F8 |
Pause / resume |
mod+Shift+F |
Search symbols, files, and docs |
mod+Shift+G |
Go To Address |
mod+Shift+R |
Reset and run |
mod+Shift+D |
Reset and break |
mod+Shift+L |
Single step |
mod+Shift+K |
Step over |
mod+Shift+I |
Step out of subroutine |
mod+Shift+J |
Step backwards |
mod+Shift+X |
Next frame/interrupt |
mod+Shift+A |
Restart at cursor |
mod+Shift+Y |
Run to line |
The context-sensitive shortcuts are also shown as clickable chips in the status bar at the bottom of the window (toggle it under Settings » Show keyboard shortcuts / status bar).
See Editor for editor-specific shortcuts.