★ AMSTRAD CPC ★ SOFTOGRAPHIE ★ BO JANGEBORG ★ ★ |
| Bo Jangeborg | Games - Auteurs |
"I started learning Basic on a Swedish computer called the ABC - it was a Z80 based thing with 8K. that was in about 1978. That led on to the Spectrum and as I began to realise how slow Spectrum Basic was I started to learn machine code. Most of my knowledge of machine code came from the Spectrum manual and a book called Spectrum Machine Code for Absolute Beginners, neither of which was very good. Later on I got hold of a small reference manual put out by Zilog which had lists of commands with the time they take and how the registers are affected - that was more useful. Most of my coding experience grew out of necessity. I think what I need to do and then find a way. My program, The Artist, began as a drawing program in Basic and gradually was turned into machine code to cfet the speed. My advice to any would-be machine code programmers is to begin with one very simple objective, even something like putting a dot on the screen. If you see results quickly it encourages you to try something a little more complicated next time. I wouldn't necessarily get the Zaks reference manual - it's very academic and would probably put most people off. When coding I mostly use my own utilities like The Artist but I also have Hisoft's Devpac which 1 find very good. The only programmer I can think of that I admire is Mike Singleton. With Lords of Midnight he created so many elements that fitted together in a perfect whole and each one was original. I also admire the Ultimate programming team and I was amazed when I first saw Knight Lore. I think my own programming achievement was to create a really fast fill routine for graphics over a year ago. It has been equalled since but at the time it was the fastest. If I had the perfect hardware I'd like to create a 3D high res world with full perspective - it'd be like an intelligent 'world'inside the computer."
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