Command reference¶
bin2tap.py¶
bin2tap.py converts a binary file produced by an assembler (see Supported assemblers) into a TAP file that can be loaded into an emulator. For example:
$ bin2tap.py game.bin
will create a file called game.tap. By default, the origin address (the address of the first byte of code or data), the start address (the first byte of code to run) and the stack pointer are set to 65536 minus the length of game.bin. These defaults can be changed by passing options to bin2tap.py. Run it with no arguments to see the list of available options:
usage: bin2tap.py [options] FILE.bin
Convert a binary snapshot file into a TAP file.
Options:
-o ORG, --org ORG Set the origin address (default: 65536 minus the
length of FILE.bin)
-p STACK, --stack STACK
Set the stack pointer (default: ORG)
-s START, --start START
Set the start address to JP to (default: ORG)
-t TAPFILE, --tapfile TAPFILE
Set the TAP filename (default: FILE.tap)
-V, --version Show SkoolKit version number and exit
Note that the ROM tape loading routine at 1366 ($0556) and the load routine used by bin2tap.py together require 14 bytes for stack operations, and so STACK must be at least 16384+14=16398 ($400E). This means that if ORG is less than 16398, you should use the -p option to set the stack pointer to something appropriate. If the main data block (derived from game.bin) overlaps any of the last four bytes of the stack, bin2tap.py will replace those bytes with the values required by the tape loading routine for correct operation upon returning. Stack operations will overwrite the bytes in the address range STACK-14 to STACK-1 inclusive, so those addresses should not be used to store essential code or data.
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 1.3.1 | New |
| 2.2.5 | Added the -p option |
| 3.4 | Added the -V option and the long options |
skool2asm.py¶
skool2asm.py converts a skool file into an ASM file that can be fed to an assembler (see Supported assemblers). For example:
$ skool2asm.py game.skool > game.asm
skool2asm.py supports many options; run it with no arguments to see a list:
usage: skool2asm.py [options] file
Convert a skool file into an ASM file, written to standard output. FILE may be
a regular file, or '-' for standard input.
Options:
-c, --create-labels Create default labels for unlabelled instructions
-d, --crlf Use CR+LF to end lines
-D, --decimal Write the disassembly in decimal
-f N, --fixes N Apply fixes:
N=0: None (default)
N=1: @ofix only
N=2: @ofix and @bfix
N=3: @ofix, @bfix and @rfix (implies -r)
-H, --hex Write the disassembly in hexadecimal
-i N, --inst-width N Set instruction field width (default=23)
-l, --lower Write the disassembly in lower case
-p, --package-dir Show path to skoolkit package directory and exit
-q, --quiet Be quiet
-r, --rsub Use relocatability substitutions too (@rsub) (implies
'-f 1')
-s, --ssub Use safe substitutions (@ssub)
-t, --tabs Use tab to indent instructions (default indentation is
2 spaces)
-u, --upper Write the disassembly in upper case
-V, --version Show SkoolKit version number and exit
-w, --no-warnings Suppress warnings
See ASM modes and directives for a description of the @ssub and @rsub substitution modes, and the @ofix, @bfix and @rfix bugfix modes.
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 1.1 | Added the -c option |
| 2.1.1 | Added the -u, -D and -H options |
| 2.2.2 | Added the ability to read a skool file from standard input |
| 3.4 | Added the -V and -p options and the long options |
skool2ctl.py¶
skool2ctl.py converts a skool file into a control file. For example:
$ skool2ctl.py game.skool > game.ctl
In addition to block types and addresses, game.ctl will contain block titles, block descriptions, registers, mid-block comments, block end comments, sub-block types and addresses, instruction-level comments, and some ASM directives.
To list the options supported by skool2ctl.py, run it with no arguments:
usage: skool2ctl.py [options] FILE
Convert a skool file into a control file, written to standard output. FILE may
be a regular file, or '-' for standard input.
Options:
-a, --no-asm-dirs Do not write ASM directives
-h, --hex Write addresses in hexadecimal format
-V, --version Show SkoolKit version number and exit
-w X, --write X Write only these elements, where X is one or more of:
b = block types and addresses
t = block titles
d = block descriptions
r = registers
m = mid-block comments and block end comments
s = sub-block types and addresses
c = instruction-level comments
If you need to preserve any elements that control files do not support (such as data definition entries and ASM block directives), consider using skool2sft.py to create a skool file template instead.
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 1.1 | New |
| 2.0.6 | Added the -h option |
| 2.2.2 | Added the ability to read a skool file from standard input |
| 2.4 | Added the -a option and the ability to preserve some ASM directives |
| 3.4 | Added the -V option and the long options |
skool2html.py¶
skool2html.py converts a skool file (and its associated ref files, if any exist) into a browsable disassembly in HTML format.
For example:
$ skool2html.py game.skool
will convert the file game.skool into a bunch of HTML files. If any files named game*.ref (e.g. game.ref, game-bugs.ref, game-pokes.ref and so on) also exist, they will be used to provide further information to the conversion process.
skool2html.py can operate directly on ref files, too. For example:
$ skool2html.py game.ref
In this case, the skool file declared in the [Config] section of game.ref will be used; if no skool file is declared in game.ref, game.skool will be used if it exists. In addition, any existing files besides game.ref that are named game*.ref (e.g. game-bugs.ref, game-pokes.ref and so on) will also be used.
If an input file’s name ends with ‘.ref’, it will be treated as a ref file; otherwise it will be treated as a skool file.
skool2html.py supports several options; run it with no arguments to see a list:
usage: skool2html.py [options] FILE [FILE...]
Convert skool files and ref files to HTML. FILE may be a regular file, or '-'
for standard input.
Options:
-a, --asm-labels Use ASM labels
-c S/L, --config S/L Add the line 'L' to the ref file section 'S'; this
option may be used multiple times
-C, --create-labels Create default labels for unlabelled instructions
-d DIR, --output-dir DIR
Write files in this directory (default is '.')
-D, --decimal Write the disassembly in decimal
-H, --hex Write the disassembly in hexadecimal
-l, --lower Write the disassembly in lower case
-o, --rebuild-images Overwrite existing image files
-p, --package-dir Show path to skoolkit package directory and exit
-P PAGES, --pages PAGES
Write only these custom pages (when '-w P' is
specified); PAGES should be a comma-separated list of
IDs of pages defined in [Page:*] sections in the ref
file(s)
-q, --quiet Be quiet
-t, --time Show timings
-T THEME, --theme THEME
Use this CSS theme
-u, --upper Write the disassembly in upper case
-V, --version Show SkoolKit version number and exit
-w X, --write X Write only these files, where X is one or more of:
B = Graphic glitches m = Memory maps
b = Bugs o = Other code
c = Changelog P = Custom pages
d = Disassembly files p = Pokes
G = Game status buffer t = Trivia
g = Graphics y = Glossary
i = Disassembly index
When skool2html.py is run, it looks for skool files, ref files, CSS files, JavaScript files and font files required by the disassembly in the following directories, in the order listed:
- The directory that contains the skool or ref file named on the command line
- The current working directory
- ./resources
- ~/.skoolkit
- /usr/share/skoolkit
- $PACKAGE_DIR/resources
where $PACKAGE_DIR is the directory in which the skoolkit package is installed (as shown by skool2html.py -p).
The -T option sets the CSS theme. For example, if game.ref specifies the CSS files to use thus:
[Paths]
StyleSheet=skoolkit.css;game.css
then:
$ skool2html.py -T dark game.ref
will use skoolkit-dark.css and game-dark.css if they exist, and fall back to skoolkit.css and game.css if they don’t.
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 1.4 | Added the -V option |
| 2.1 | Added the -o and -P options |
| 2.1.1 | Added the -l, -u, -D and -H options |
| 2.2 | No longer writes the Skool Daze and Back to Skool disassemblies by default; added the -d option |
| 2.2.2 | Added the ability to read a skool file from standard input |
| 2.3.1 | Added support for reading multiple ref files per disassembly |
| 3.0.2 | No longer shows timings by default; added the -t option |
| 3.1 | Added the -c option |
| 3.2 | Added ~/.skoolkit to the search path |
| 3.3.2 | Added $PACKAGE_DIR/resources to the search path; added the -p and -T options |
| 3.4 | Added the -a and -C options and the long options |
skool2sft.py¶
skool2sft.py converts a skool file into a skool file template. For example:
$ skool2sft.py game.skool > game.sft
To list the options supported by skool2sft.py, run it with no arguments:
usage: skool2sft.py [options] FILE
Convert a skool file into a skool file template, written to standard output.
FILE may be a regular file, or '-' for standard input.
Options:
-h, --hex Write addresses in hexadecimal format
-V, --version Show SkoolKit version number and exit
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 2.4 | New |
| 3.4 | Added the -V option and the long options |
sna2skool.py¶
sna2skool.py converts a binary (raw memory) file or a SNA, SZX or Z80 snapshot into a skool file. For example:
$ sna2skool.py game.z80 > game.skool
Now game.skool can be converted into a browsable HTML disassembly using skool2html.py, or into an assembler-ready ASM file using skool2asm.py.
sna2skool.py supports several options; run it with no arguments to see a list:
usage: sna2skool.py [options] file
Convert a binary (raw memory) file or a SNA, SZX or Z80 snapshot into a skool
file.
Options:
-c FILE, --ctl FILE Use FILE as the control file
-g FILE, --generate-ctl FILE
Generate a control file in FILE
-h, --ctl-hex Write hexadecimal addresses in the generated control
file
-H, --skool-hex Write hexadecimal addresses and operands in the
disassembly
-l L, --defm-size L Set the maximum number of characters per DEFM
statement to L (default=66)
-L, --lower Write the disassembly in lower case
-m M, --defb-mod M Group DEFB blocks by addresses that are divisible by M
-M FILE, --map FILE Use FILE as a code execution map when generating a
control file
-n N, --defb-size N Set the maximum number of bytes per DEFB statement to
N (default=8)
-o ADDR, --org ADDR Specify the origin address of a binary (.bin) file
(default: 65536 - length)
-p PAGE, --page PAGE Specify the page (0-7) of a 128K snapshot to map to
49152-65535
-r, --no-erefs Don't add comments that list entry point referrers
-R, --erefs Always add comments that list entry point referrers
-s ADDR, --start ADDR
Specify the address at which to start disassembling
(default=16384)
-t, --text Show ASCII text in the comment fields
-T FILE, --sft FILE Use FILE as the skool file template
-V, --version Show SkoolKit version number and exit
-z, --defb-zfill Write bytes with leading zeroes in DEFB statements
The -M option may be used (in conjunction with the -g option) to specify a code execution map to use when generating a control file. The supported file formats are:
- Profiles created by the Fuse emulator
- Code execution logs created by the SpecEmu, Spud and Zero emulators
- Map files created by the Z80 emulator
If the file specified by the -M option is 8192 bytes long, it is assumed to be a Z80 map file; otherwise it is assumed to be in one of the other supported formats.
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 1.0.4 | Added the -g and -s options |
| 1.0.5 | Added the -t option |
| 2.0 | Added the -n, -m and -z options |
| 2.0.1 | Added the -o, -r and -l options, and the ability to read binary files |
| 2.0.6 | Added the -h option |
| 2.1 | Added the -H option |
| 2.1.2 | Added the -L option |
| 2.4 | Added the -T option |
| 3.2 | Added the -p option, and the ability to read SZX snapshots and 128K Z80 snapshots |
| 3.3 | Added the -M option, along with support for code execution maps produced by Fuse, SpecEmu, Spud, Zero and Z80; added the ability to read 128K SNA snapshots |
| 3.4 | Added the -V and -R options and the long options |