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Jaguar Developer Weekly     September 8, 1995              Vol.1, No.12
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XMAS Season Deadlines for Jaguar Software Titles
------------------------------------------------
The production deadlines for the Christmas selling season are
approaching quickly.  Developers and publishers should keep in mind that
all cartridge-based products must be fully-tested and released into
production by October 5, and CD-based products by October 31, in order
to insure that your product is shipping in time for the Thanksgiving
sales weekend, the beginning of the Christmas selling season.  Remember
to allow at least 4 weeks for final testing.


Updated Jaguar Synth & Music Driver Samples
-------------------------------------------
The three sample programs that demonstrate the use of the Jaguar Synth &
Music Driver have been updated to run more reliably and be easier to
understand.

First, the samples now use the standard Jaguar Startup Code.  Previous
versions did not contain proper startup code, which resulted in
inconsistent operation in many cases.

Second, the synthesizer patch info for each sample program was stored in
subdirectories of the main project file, but the exact layout was
different for each sample.  Now each sample's project directory contains
a single PATCHES directory which contains all of the various synthesizer
patch files required for the project.

Third, the filenames and file extensions used for the patch information
were not consistent from one sample program to the next, or even from
one patch to the next.  This has been reorganized so that the filenames
and file extensions are now consistent with each other and from program
to program.

Download the JAGSYN.ZIP archive file to get the new versions of the
sample programs.  Note also that the MUSIC.TXT file in the MUSICP.ZIP
archive has been updated to reflect the changes to the sample programs.


Correction to Jaguar Technical Note #0005
-----------------------------------------
The Jaguar Technical Note #0005 included with the August 25 edition of
the Jaguar Developer Weekly contained a typographical error.  Where it
said:

	8 — WinOnCD To Go 1.3 w/WR_YAM.DLL 4/5/95

It should have said instead:

	8 — WinOnCD To Go 1.3 w/WR_YAM.DLL 6/7/95

This has been changed in the TECHNT.ZIP archive.  We apologize for any
inconvenience.


Update To MAKETRK CD Track File Creator Utility
-----------------------------------------------
MAKETRK is designed to quickly and easily create CD Track files ready
for CD mastering or for using with the Jaguar CD Emulator.  It takes a
single file or a list of files and creates a new CD Track File with the
proper Jaguar CD track header and tailer information.  It also allows
you to specify the 4-byte code used to create the 64-byte partition
marker used to distinguish the beginning of the data from each of your
source files.

The MAKETRK utility writes out a MADMAC source code file containing a
data table with an entry for each of your original files.  Each entry
specifies the track number, block offset, length, and partition marker
for one of your source data files.  It also writes out both MADMAC and C
include files with definitions that can be used in your programs to
reference the entries in the table.

You can specify the minimum length for the track file or insert a dummy
word at the start of the file (to satisfy the requirements of some CD
Writer / Mastering software combinations).  There are many other options
as well.  See the JAGUAR\DOCS\MAKETRK.TXT file for details.

The MAKETRK utility can be obtained by downloading the
CDROM.ZIP archive available online.


Windows 95 & Jaguar Developer Tools
-----------------------------------
Developers who upgrade their PC to Windows 95 may have questions
regarding the operation of the various tools in the Jaguar Developer's
Kit.

Atari's Jaguar Developer Support department was a Windows 95 beta-test
site.  While some tools did have problems at first, we are not aware of
any problems with any of the current versions of the Jaguar development
tools.  If you have problems, you may simply need to update to the
current versions of the tools.  (Of course, now that it is available,
you should also be using the release version of Windows 95, not a beta
version.)

Keep in mind that while the tools are known to work under Windows 95,
they do not take advantage of new features such as long filenames.

Should you have problems that you suspect are related to running under
Windows 95, please make sure that you are using the most recent version
of the Jaguar tools involved.  If the problem persists, then please
contact Atari immediately.


Using the Jaguar Developer Tools Under MS Windows
-------------------------------------------------
In the Jaguar Developer Support department here at Atari, we've come to
agree that the advantages of running the Jaguar Development tools under
Windows outweigh any disadvantages.  If you are not currently running
Windows then you may wish to consider the following arguments:

Multitasking — The ability to have multiple programs, running at the
same time is probably the main advantage to running under Windows.  The
ability to switch back and forth may not seem like a big deal at first,
but when you do it all the time it becomes second nature and you wonder
how you got along without it.

If you've been dissatisfied with the multitasking capabilities of
Windows in the past, consider that Windows 95 offers significant
improvements over Windows 3.1 in this area.  Windows 3.1 used
cooperative multitasking, which didn't work very well for DOS programs.
Windows 95 has switched to preemptive multitasking, which works much
better with DOS programs.

Performance — Yes, your programs will run slower under Windows.  The big
question is, how much slower?  If you're talking about running the same
DOS-based program under both DOS and Windows, we haven't seen a big
difference.  For something like a program build using MAKE, MADMAC, and
ALN, running in a DOS window under Windows 3.1 was only about 5% slower
than running under just MS-DOS.  If you have other programs running in
the background, then of course you should expect a bigger difference,
but a 5% difference shouldn't be a major problem for anybody.

Keep in mind that running under Windows doesn't necessarily mean running
in a window.  Some DOS-based programs which do a lot of screen output
will be noticeably slower if you run them in a window next to other
programs.  That's because Windows has to do a fair amount of work to
emulate a character-mode screen inside a window, and that does slow
things down a bit.  If you have a program where this is a problem, then
the solution is simply to run that particular program full-screen.  That
will eliminate any speed loss due to screen updates, but you will still
have all of the other advantages of running under Windows.

Tuning Your System For Windows — The key to decent performance is having
Windows set up in a reasonable way for your system.  Aside from
processor speed, the main things that affects performance is the amount
of RAM you have and the size of your Windows virtual memory swap file.
Windows likes having a lot of memory, and at a minimum, you should have
8mb of RAM if you want to do more than one thing at a time.

Regardless of the amount of RAM you have, avoid having a large swap
file.  A large swap file means that your system will slow down whenever
Windows has to read and write it.  And having a large swap file really
won't give you any advantage for DOS applications (such as the majority
of the Jaguar Developer Tools).

Windows normally suggests a swap file size based on free disk space, but
for the best performance, it should be no larger than the amount of RAM
you have installed.  This will keep the swap file access down to a
minimum, and your processing speed at maximum.


Use Atari's Standard Startup Code...
------------------------------------
Developers who are not already using Atari's standard startup code with
their projects need to be aware that failure to do so may result in
their software failing to work properly on the next-generation Jaguar
machines currently in development.

Atari's standard startup code initializes the Jaguar GPU & DSP,
interrupt vectors, and other hardware in a way that is known to be safe
on current and future machines.  It displays a simple opening graphic,
and jumps to your main program code, which would display any additional
title screens, play a introductory Cinepak film, or whatever else is
appropriate for your program.

Avoid making changes to the startup code.  In most cases, the only
acceptable modification is changing the startup picture.  If you think
further modifications are required, please bring them to Atari's
attention at the earliest possible stage of development so that either
they can be approved or an alternate method found.

Atari's startup code can be found in the SOURCE.ZIP archive available
online.  After you've decompressed the archive contents, the source
files will be in the \JAGUAR\SOURCE\STARTUP directory.


And Use Our Current EEPROM Code Too!
------------------------------------
Atari supplies standard routines for accessing a Jaguar cartridge's
EEPROM to store or retrieve high score info, user preferences, etc.  If
you are not using Atari's most current version of these routines, then
your program may not function correctly with new cartridge EEPROM
hardware which will soon be used on Jaguar cartridges.

The EEPROM routines are found in the SOURCE.ZIP archive, available for
downloading online.  The latest revision is from March 14, 1995.  This
extracts to the directory \JAGUAR\SOURCE\EEPROM.


Bitfield Definitions For MADMAC Assembler
-----------------------------------------
A new version of MADMAC features bitfield definitions.  Bitfield
definitions make it possible to easily predefine values for things like
bitmapped hardware registers, object processor object fields, and so on.
To define a bitfield for a branch object structure for the object
processor, you would do this:

bfield branchobj.p
	63:43,0	; UNUSED, default value 0
	42:24,0	; LINK, default value 0
	23:17,0	; UNUSED, default value 0
	16:14,0	; CC, default value 0
	13:3,50	; YPOS, default value 50
	2:0,3	; TYPE, default value 3
.endbf

This would define a new bitfield type named "bitmapobj".  The ".d" at
the end of the name indicates that it is a double phrase in length (128
bits).  Each field is specified by a line of the format
startbit:endbit,defaultvalue.  So in this example, the YPOS field is
bits 3 to 13, with a default value of 50.  To use this definition to
generate code, you would do something like this:

my_branch:
	branchobj ,,,1,80,

Note that we do not have to supply a value for each field.  If none is
specified, the default value from the definition is used instead.  Since
we did not specify values, the default value would be used for the LINK
and both UNUSED fields.  The CC field would get a value of 1, and the
YPOS field would get a value of 80.  Finally, the TYPE field would
receive the default value of 3 (which indicates a BRANCH object to the
object processor).

Note that when you declare a bitfield, you can not specify a symbol that
won't be resolved until link time.  Only absolute values known at
assembly time can be used.  Using link-relative symbols will generate an
error.

See Jaguar Tool Updates for further information.


CD Debugging Scripts
--------------------
There are a couple of scripts for the DB debugger now available that are
designed to streamline the process of debugging and development of
CD-based titles.

The MAKETOC script automatically loads the CD BIOS into the Jaguar, and
then runs a program to load the current table of contents information
into memory from the current CD or emulator setup, finally, it writes
the table of contents information to a data file for future use.

The USETOC script automatically loads the CD BIOS into the Jaguar, and
then loads the table of contents data file previously created by the
MAKETOC script.

After using either MAKETOC or USETOC, the system is ready for you to
start your own program.  This is available in the CDROM.ZIP archive
available online..


New BBS Number
--------------
The Atari Software Development BBS is now running as a two line system.
The new number for both lines is (408) 541- 9164.


When Signing Onto the BBS For the First Time
--------------------------------------------
The very first time you log onto the Atari Software Development BBS, you
won't have access to the message bases or the file libraries with the
updates to the Jaguar developer kit files.  This is because the Atari
SDBBS is a closed system for developers only, and everybody who calls
must individually be given clearance before they can access these areas.

To get full access, it is imperative that you leave a detailed message
to the sysop that includes your full name, your company, telephone
number, and the name of the Jaguar project you are working on.

Failure to provide the proper information will result in your access
being delayed indefinitely.  So if you log on and leave a message that
just says something like "Hi, I'm Joe and I need access to the Jaguar
developer areas", you won't get it, because we will not have any means
of verifying who you are.  On the other hand, if you do leave the proper
information, full access should be granted within a day or two at most.


Jaguar Tool Updates
-------------------
The Jaguar Developers Kit tools and related files listed below have been
updated recently.  You can download them from the Atari Software
Development BBS or from the Jaguar Developer library in the Atari Gaming
forum on Compuserve.

Jaguar Library Archive — September 8, 1995.  The JAGLIB.ZIP archive has
been updated to remove the older version of the 3D Graphics Library.  If
you haven't switched to the new library yet, give it a look.  The new 3D
library and sample code are in the JAGUAR\3D directory contained in
JAGLIB.ZIP

Jaguar Synth & Music Driver — September 8, 1995.  Download JAGSYN.ZIP
for the new sample programs.  See the related article for further info.

Jaguar CDROM Files — September 8, 1995.  This features the newest
version of the MAKETRK utility (see article) as well as a new version of
the CD BIOS (v4.5) as well as some changes to the included CDROM sample
reader program, and changes to the CD Boot Emulator.  Download CDROM.ZIP

MADMAC Macro Assembler — September 1, 1995.  New version of MADMAC
includes Bitfield definitions.  See article for details.  Download
MACALN.ZIP for the MS-DOS version, STTOOLS.ZIP for the Atari version, or
LINUX.ZIP for the PC Linux version.

DB Debugger — September 1, 1995.  New versions of WDB and RDBJAG fixes a
problem reading COF files with very long symbol names.  Download
DBPC.ZIP for the MS-DOS version, STTOOLS.ZIP for the Atari version, or
LINUX.ZIP for the PC Linux version.

FILEFIX Utility — September 1, 1995.  New version of FILEFIX changes no
longer gives an error if program does not start at $802000.  Download
UTILPC.ZIP for the MS-DOS version, STTOOLS.ZIP for the Atari version.


Dev Kit Roadmap
---------------
To keep track of recent updates to the Jaguar Developer's Kit tools,
libraries, and other components, Atari maintains the file ROADMAP.TXT.
This file is posted online and is updated at the same time any of the
standard distribution archives from the Jaguar Developer's kit are
updated.


If you've missed previous issues...
-----------------------------------
then it's possible that we may not have a current fax number for you.
Just in case, please contact us with your current address, telephone and
fax numbers.  Also, consider that the better solution would be to
subscribe to the Jaguar Developer Weekly Via EMAIL.

The preferred method for Atari to send out the Jaguar
Developer Weekly is via EMAIL, but unfortunately, we don't
have a database of everybody's EMAIL addresses.  If you have
a current Internet or Compuserve EMAIL address, please send
a message to mfulton@atari.com so that we can add you to the
list of developers that receive the Jaguar Developer Weekly
via EMAIL instead of fax.  What you get each week will be
the ASCII text of the issue, plus an online readable version
(if there are graphics to go along with any of the
articles).


Back Issues Available
---------------------
Back-issues of the Jaguar Developer Weekly are available online in the
DEVNEWS.ZIP archive.  This archive file contains text-only versions of
all of the issues since the first edition.  This archive will be updated
with new issues as they come out.





+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| If you have comments, questions, or suggestions regarding the Jaguar |
| Developer Weekly, please call Mike Fulton at Atari Corporation at    |
| (408) 745-8821, send a fax to (408) 745-2088, or send EMAIL to       |
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| "mfulton@atari.com".                                                 |
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