Swordfish

My intention was not to imply that SF is not maintained, on the contrary, I did compliment the way it is. But there's a difference between product maintenance and expansion and last sentences of your previous message directly suggested that you see no need for changes. Even now, you write about chan...

It also doesn't help that the compiler uses the lowest part of memory (including access bank) for local variables, subroutine parameters and results thus pushing global variables higher in memory. In most cases that actually helps to reduce bank switching. Indeed, it's a good strategy for programs ...

I think it's safe to say that any code/variable placement hand-optimized by a human is going to beat the compiler 99% of the time. Probably depends on the human :wink: but even best compiler cannot produce optimal code for every conceivable case. That's why leaving a way to pass control over variab...

To illustrate the need of being able to distribute variables in a smart way here's a comparison of final code of just one Basic code line: - when compiler manages the variables distribution - and when some crucial variables are forced into access bank (just one in this case) ?I000585_F000_000256_P00...

Thanks Jerry, I actually thought about doing that, but continued thinking how to reserve upper part of access bank rather than the initial one. And it's obviously not a convenient method as it requires making changes to definition file for every project. Having the frame variables move out of the ac...

Incorrect. It places a variable at an absolute address. If it overlays another variable, then that may / may not be an unintended consequence. Generally though, it is used to map a variable onto a microchip SFR. This just confirms what I've stated. Apart from declarations of SFRs (which compiler is...

It appears that the keyword absolute was not intended as a directive for compiler to reserve space for a variable. It apparently acts only as another way to overlay a variable on another one(s) :( . I wish I was mistaken, but any attempts at declaring a variable in access bank ends with it being ove...

Do you know if the installation would work if the .jar file was in the MPLABX folder along with the .nbm plugin file, or does it have to be in the base swordfish folder? If so, I could have the installer put a copy of the .jar along with the .nbm just in case somebody else has the same issue. For m...

So, you're saying that you had to put a copy of the .jar file into the Swordfish folder to get it to work? Any particular place in the directory? Yes, without the toolchain .jar file in SF base directory I couldn't force MPLABX to add the toolchain, though the plugin was installed. But I just check...

Finally got it working :D . Tried everything, including editing Windows registry :roll: , while the solution was simple - MPLAB X had all the necessary data but the toolchain .jar file in Swordfish directory. Installing the MPLABX plugin resulted in placing the .jar file somewhere in AppData\Roaming...

Personally, I don't install any dev tools into "Program Files" or "Program Files(x86)", but looking at the .pdf It looks like octal (the guy who wrote the driver) does and it worked for him. Normally I don't do it either and had both MPLABX and Swordfish installed on another disc in dedicated direc...

I know you've tried most of this... I've already tried all of this and more :( . Deleted even more files, like history, and everything with 'Swordfish' in it. Previously I've even done clean installations of MPLABX - first v5.35 and then 5.45. But I agree that the reason is probably wrong directori...

Well, I nstalled full version of SF, uninstalled MPLABX plugin, deleted MPLABX user cache, installed the plugin again and still do not see SF Basic in toolchain list .

If there's anything else you care to share we'll be doing an update soon to add the "const data at address" feature, so now's a good time. That depends on how big changes are you willing to make :wink: . More seriously, as I doubted you'd be making any, I stopped mimicking present internal math rou...

Most of the multi-byte multiply routines in the library use a 'loop and add' algorithm instead of the hdw multiplier. So I've noticed. Additionally, signed 16-bit multiplication uses 32x32-bit routine and it takes 810 cycles to finish while specialised routine with hardware multiplication does it i...