Here are some examples for Zeus's "output_tzx" command.

Everything here also applies to Zeus's "output_tap" command, but note
that *.TAP files cannot be longer than 64K, which limits the size of the
data you can include in *,TAP files. TZX files do not have this limit.

These examples just scratch the surface, really.

Zeus can also output over a dozen other kinds of file, see the history
text for details.

--- Mode 0 is trivial and outputs a block of code, to be loaded with LOAD "" CODE.

--- Mode 1 uses a custom loader to load a loading screen as the data loads.

Back in 1983 this loader was the first ever tape loader. We invented them
because I regarded tape loading screens as a bit of a joke, they just
wasted time loading crap onto the screen... but people insisted that we
had to have a loading screen for "Halls of the Things" and I wasn't about
to load something in as ugly a way as the normal screen mapping does. So
the tape loader was born... you can think of it as a very ornate progress
bar...

You load these with LOAD "".

--- Mode 2 puts your code inside a REM statement and builds a basic loader.

If your code starts at $5BC0 Zeus puts it straight in the REM statement.
If your code starts anywhere else Zeus adds some code to move it into place.

You load these with LOAD "".

--- Mode 3 uses a different custom loader.

Mode 3 loads a screen as does mode 1, but mode 3 can also scatterload more than
one block of memory. As many as you like, actually, and as short or long as you
like too... and they can be in any memory page of a 128K machine, or even cross
page boundaries... it's ideal for loading 128K applications and games neatly.

You load these with LOAD "".

--- Mode 4 lets you provide your own custom loader, and Zeus will generate files
with embedded data in them for it to use during loading.

This could, for example, be used to write a loader that played a game while
loading... or loaded blocks of the screen in random order, or ran a counter.

It's fairly complicated to use, because what it does isn't trivial. The files
here are all the documentation I have written for it at present. If you are
an experienced programmer and Zeus user you could PM me with questions about mode 4
loaders and I'll try to answer them, but no novices, please... this is complicated
shit ;)

Have fun...





  

