simpler format for pages of text

bin/converthelp.sh

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-tr "\*\~\<\>\$\%" "\020\021\010\025\016\017" < "$1" | sed '/^\[/d' > "$2"
-dd if=/dev/zero bs=1 count=1 2>/dev/null >> "$2"
+tr "\*\~\<\>\$\%" "\020\021\010\025\016\017" < "$1" | \
+    awk '!/^\[/ { printf "%c%s", length, $0 } END { printf "\xFF" }' > "$2"

res/_FileInformation.txt

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ FX.ALL=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
 DFX.IDX=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
 DFX.ALL=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
 GAMEHELP.IDX=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
-GAMEHELP.ALL=Type(04),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
+GAMEHELP.ALL=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
 SLIDESHOW.IDX=Type(06),AuxType(4000),Access(C3)
 SLIDESHOW.ALL=Type(06),AuxType(0800),Access(C3)
 PRELAUNCH.IDX=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ PRELAUNCH.ALL=Type(06),AuxType(0106),Access(C3)
 COVER=Type(06),AuxType(2000),Access(C3)
 TITLE=Type(06),AuxType(2000),Access(C3)
 HELP=Type(06),AuxType(2000),Access(C3)
-CREDITS=Type(04),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
-HELPTEXT=Type(04),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
+CREDITS=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
+HELPTEXT=Type(06),AuxType(6000),Access(C3)
 DECRUNCH=Type(06),AuxType(0200),Access(C3)
 JOYSTICK=Type(06),AuxType(0800),Access(C3)
 Finder.Data=Type(C9),AuxType(0000),Access(E7)

src/constants.a

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 ; D000..D3FF - ProRWTS data
 ; D400..D66F - ProRWTS code
 ; D670..DB91 - HGR font code & ProRWTS glue code
-; DB72..DB81 - backup of stack (during gameplay and self-running demos)
+; DB61..DB70 - backup of stack (during gameplay and self-running demos)
 ; ...unused...
 ; DBB4..DBFF - (de)acceleration function
 ; DC00..DFFF - HGR font data

src/ui.font.lc2.a

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ;license:MIT
-;(c) 2018-2020 by 4am
+;(c) 2018-2021 by 4am
 ;
 ; hi-res font drawing routines
 ;
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 ;
 
 DrawPageInternal
-; A/Y contains address of character buffer
+; A/Y contains address of array of length-prefixed strings
+; length #$FF terminates
 ; X contains 0-indexed left margin (HTAB)
 ; carry bit clear -> draw on page 1
 ; carry bit set   -> draw on page 2
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ DrawPageInternal
 ; clobbers PTR
 ; clobbers $FF
 ; clobbers A/X/Y
-; preserves all flags, by a quirk of implementation
+; preserves all flags
          php
          stx   $FF
          ldx   #0
@@ -28,32 +29,22 @@ DrawPageInternal
          lda   $FF
          sta   HTAB
          ldy   #0
-@parseLine
-         lda   (PTR), y
-         beq   @donePage
-         cmp   #$0A
-         beq   @doneParsingLine
-         iny
-         bne   @parseLine
-@doneParsingLine
-         sty   SAVE
-         tya
-         beq   @skip
-         ldx   SAVE
-         +LD16 PTR
+         lda   (PTR), y              ; A = length of line, or #$FF
+         bmi   PLP_AND_RTS           ; if #$FF then we're done
+         tax                         ; X = length of line
          plp
-         php
-         jsr   DrawBufferInternal
-@skip    inc   SAVE                  ; skip carriage return
-         lda   SAVE                  ; advance PTR to start of next line
-         clc
+         php                         ; C = whatever was passed in
+         pha                         ; save length
+         jsr   DrawStringSuperInternal
+         pla                         ; A = length of line
+         clc                         ; advance PTR to start of next line
          adc   PTR
          sta   PTR
          bcc   +
          inc   PTR+1
-+        inc   VTAB                  ; this will print 255 lines if you give it
-         bne   @drawLine             ; 255 lines, so don't do that
-@donePage
++        inc   VTAB                  ; this will print 255 lines if you give
+         bne   @drawLine             ; it 255 lines, because this is assembly
+PLP_AND_RTS
          plp
          rts
 
@@ -82,7 +73,6 @@ DrawCenteredStringInternal
 ; clobbers A/X/Y
 ; clobbers PTR/PTR+1
          +ST16 PTR
-
          ldy   #0
          php
          lda   #40
@@ -102,10 +92,10 @@ DrawStringInternal
 ; clobbers A/X/Y
 ; clobbers PTR/PTR+1
          +ST16 PTR
-
          ldy   #0
 +        lda   (PTR),y
          tax
+DrawStringSuperInternal
          inc   PTR
          bne   +
          inc   PTR+1
@@ -115,7 +105,7 @@ DrawStringInternal
 
 DrawBufferInternal
 ; A/Y contains address of character buffer
-; X contains buffer length (1..40)
+; X contains buffer length (0..40)
 ; carry bit clear -> draw on page 1
 ; carry bit set   -> draw on page 2
 ; characters MUST have high bit off (0x00..0x7F)
@@ -129,6 +119,7 @@ DrawBufferInternal
          +ST16 DBISrc+1
          php
          dex
+         bmi   PLP_AND_RTS           ; empty string
          lda   VTAB
          asl
          asl