How to configure a text editor for a convenient use of xasm

This document describes, how to setup a text editor to:

• highlight xasm mnemonics
• invoke the assembler with a single keystroke
• place the cursor where an assembly error occured

Of course these features are not available in the Windows Notepad, so you must pick another text editor. Fortunately there are many general-purpose text editors for Windows. I'll focus on the following:

• EditPlus (www.editplus.com)
• ConTEXT (www.context.cx)
• Code-Genie (www.code-genie.com, looks like the editor is no longer supported)
• PSPad (www.pspad.com)
• Programmers Notepad 2 (www.pnotepad.org)
• Crimson Editor (www.crimsoneditor.com)
• SciTE (www.scintilla.org), also available for Linux

Highlighting xasm mnemonics

In the syntax subdirectory you'll find xasm syntax definitions for all of these editors.

• EditPlus: Select Tools/Preferences, then Files/Settings & syntax, then Add. Type Description (xasm), File extensions (asx), click ... next to Syntax file and locate the xasm.stx file. Then click Syntax colors and select your favourite colors.
• ConTEXT: Just copy xasm.chl to the Highlighters subdirectory of the ConTEXT directory.
• Code-Genie: Copy xasm.cgsyn to the syn subdirectory in the Code-Genie directory. Edit cgenie.conf, you can do it by selecting View/Settings. Type:
  DefaultSyntax xasm asx
  near other DefaultSyntax lines.
• PSPad: Copy xasm.ini to the Syntax subdirectory of the PSPad directory. Edit PSPad.ini. In the [Config] section set:
  UserHighLighterName=xasm
  In the [General] section set:

  Filter=xasm (*.asx)|*.asx
  HLTabWidth=0
  IndentChar= 
  UnIndentChar= 
  Comment=0000800080000005000
  Identifier=8000000880000005000
  Key=00FF000080000005000
  Label=0000000080000005000
  Number=8000000880000005000
  Preprocessor=0080800080000005010
  Reserved word=00FF000080000005000
  Space=0080800080000005000
  String=0080008080000005000
  Symbol=8000000880000005000
  

• Programmers Notepad 2: Copy xasm.scheme to the schemes subdirectory of the Programmers Notepad directory. You have to select the xasm scheme each time you open a source file, as I don't know how to associate the scheme with the asx extension.
• Crimson Editor: Copy xasm.key and xasm.spc to the spec subdirectory of the Crimson Editor. Copy extension.asx to the link subdirecory of the Crimson Editor.
• SciTE: Copy xasm.properties to the SciTE directory. Add the following line to menu.language in SciTEGlobal.properties:

  xasm|asx||\
  

  Add the following line at the end of SciTEGlobal.properties:

  import xasm
  

Single-keystroke assembly

• EditPlus: Select Tools/Configure User Tools. Then click Add Tool, type Menu text (xasm), command (path to xasm.exe), Argument ($(FilePath)) and Initial directory ($(FileDir)). Check Capture output.
• ConTEXT: Select Options/Environment Options, then the Execute Keys tab. Click Add, type asx, click e.g. F9, locate xasm.exe by pressing the ... button in the top-right corner. Type Start in (%p) and parameters (%n). Check Use short DOS names and Capture console output. Type Compiler output parser rule (%n (%l)).
• Code-Genie: Select View/Settings, type:
  AddUserTool xasm xasm.exe /p\s$FP CaptureOutput $FD
  near other AddUserTool lines (if xasm.exe is not on your PATH, then you must type full path to it).
• PSPad: Edit the [General] section of PSPad.ini:

  Compilator File=C:\U\XASM.EXE
  Compilator Param=/q /o:%Dir%%Name%.xex %File%
  Compilator LOG=
  Compilator Run=C:\Atari\a800win\Atari800Win.exe -run %Dir%%Name%.xex
  Compilator Help=
  Compilator SaveAll=1
  Compilator ParsLog=%F (%L) *
  Compilator Capture=1
  

  (replace the paths to xasm and the emulator).
• Programmers Notepad 2: Select Tools/Add tools. Select Scheme: xasm. Click Add. Fill: Name, Command, Folder (%d) and Parameters (%f). For error parsing, you should fill a custom pattern on the Console I/O tab. However, PN 2.0.5.48 crashes when entering "(" !
• Crimson Editor: Select Tools/Conf. User Tools. Select an empty slot, fill Menu Text, Command, Argument and Initial Dir. Check Capture output.
• SciTE: The configuration is already in xasm.properties.

Placing the cursor where an assembly error occured

This works same for all these editors: just double-click the line with the error message.