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Preface
This is the first complete reference manual for the AppleIIAsm macro and subroutine library. Currently, this library is in the alpha stages of development: not all disks (collections) are complete, there may be some bugs here and there, and major workflow decisions might still be in flux. However, this version, 0.7.0, represents a major step forward in functionality, optimization and standardization, and at least for what is complete--the first eleven disks, the technical manual, AppleChop introduction as well as some demos--the collection can be reasonably considered to be stable. That does not, of course, mean that there are any guarantees.
I started this project as research into how the Apple II works as a platform for another book I am writing, and eventually became interested in the cohesive technical documentation (or sometimes lack thereof) that was available to beginning coders in the heyday of the Apple II as well as those looking to learn Apple II (6502) Assembly today. Having no prior experience with Assembly language, I began coding these libraries as part of my own learning process while trying to write subroutines that provided much of the functionality afforded by Applesoft BASIC. Eventually, this became a beast of its own, and what you’re reading here is (part) of the result.
As the library collections grow and morph, so will this document. If nothing else, I hope that the collection and its accompanying documentation helps hobbyists, researchers, and otherwise self-hating hopeless nerds learn and accomplish what they want or need---at least as much as it has helped, and harmed, me.
Nathan Riggs