Lost Art of Code Optimization (or why you should grok Commodore 64)

I know you!

You craft beautiful object-oriented and functional code every day. I don't need to tell you how to test and maintain it well.
But I want to show you something different...

Remember Commodore 64? The highest selling computer model of all time?

Even though it's not produced anymore for more than two decades, each year at least seventy new games are released!
Every new C64 program is faster and prettier, even though it's processor can't even multiply.
Meanwhile, your smartphone gets slower with every update...

This talk will show you how Commodore 64 programmers 'break' hardware constraints to create jaw-dropping demos.
It will show you an easy and fun way to practice writing low-level code.

Something you'll never do at your day job!

Transcript

1. Lost Art of Code Optimisation or why you should grok the
2. I don’t let old computers die mehowte  Michał Taszycki at
3. I’m making weekly video course on programming Commodore64 64bites.com
4. Commodore 64 is dead
5. Today
6. Back Then
7. Today
8. Back Then
9. Back Then
10. Back Then?
11. Today!
12. Today!
13. How many games?! 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 games demos source - http://csdb.dk
14. How many releases?! source - http://csdb.dk 0 210 420 630 840 1050 1260 1470 1680 1890 2100 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 all releases
15. How many years?!
16. How many years?!
17. How many years?!
18. How many years?!
19. Commodore 64 8 bit registers 64 KB RAM 1 Mhz CPU
20. Commodore 64 legendary sound chip 320x200 resolution 8 hardware sprites
21. Commodore 64 it can’t even multiply
22. Modern DEMO! Edge of Disgrace by Booze Design
23. Coma Light 13 by Oxyron Modern DEMO!
24. Comaland by Censor Design & Oxyron Modern DEMO!
25. Pixel Shader varying vec3 N; varying vec3 v; void main(void) { vec3 L = normalize(gl_LightSource[0].position.xyz - v); vec4 Idiff = gl_FrontLightProduct[0].diffuse * max(dot(N,L), 0.0); Idiff = clamp(Idiff, 0.0, 1.0); gl_FragColor = Idiff; }
26. “Raster Shader” irq: lda #$ff sta $d019 ldx #$05 d: dex bne d ldx #$00 c: ldy #$08 a: lda colors,x sta $d020 sta $d021 inx dey beq c txa ldx #$07 b: dex bne b tax cpx #$8c bcc a
27. Enough Talking!
28. Let’s code!
29. Minimal program :BasicUpstart2(main) main: rts
31. LDA address LDA #value Pamięć RAM ➞ Rejestr A STA address Rejestr A ➞ Pamięć RAM Most important instructions
32. rts main: lda # sta background_color lda # sta border_color GRAY DARK_GRAY Border & Background .label border_color = $d020 .label background_color = $d021 :BasicUpstart2(main)
33. Macros rts main: lda # sta background_color lda # sta border_color GRAY DARK_GRAY
34. rts main: lda # sta background_color lda # sta border_color GRAY DARK_GRAY .macro background(color) { } Macros
35. lda # sta background_color rts main: :background( ) color lda # sta border_color GRAY DARK_GRAY .macro background(color) { } Macros
36. lda # sta background_color rts main: :background( ) color lda # sta border_color GRAY DARK_GRAY .macro background(color) { } Macros
37. lda # sta background_color rts main: .macro border(color) { } :background( ) color lda # sta border_color GRAY DARK_GRAY .macro background(color) { } Macros
38. :border( ) .macro background(color) { } lda # sta background_color rts main: .macro border(color) { } :background( ) color lda # sta border_color GRAY DARK_GRAY color Macros
40. Raster Bar // long delay :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY)
41. Delay :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) nop
42. :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) nop nop Delay
43. :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) nop nop nop Delay
44. :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) nop // ... many more nops nop nop Delay
45. :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) .for (var i = 0; i < ; i++) { nop } 230 Delay
46. .macro nops( ) { } .for (var i = 0; i < ; i++) { nop } :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) 230 count Delay
47. :nops( ) .macro nops( ) { } .for (var i = 0; i < ; i++) { nop } :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) 230 count count Delay
48. Interrupts raster_bars_irq: jmp irq_handler :nops( ) :background(BLACK) :background(DARK_GRAY) 230
49. // Disable IRQ handling sei // inject the handler lda #<raster_bars_irq sta irq_vector lda #>raster_bars_irq sta irq_vector + 1 // Enable IRQ handling cli Interrupts
51. // inject the handler lda #<raster_bars_irq sta irq_vector lda #>raster_bars_irq sta irq_vector + 1 Turn off timer cli sei
52. cli sei Turn off timer
53. cli sei // Disable the interrupt generated by timers lda #%01111111 sta cia1_interrupt_control_register sta cia2_interrupt_control_register // Negate already scheduled interrupts lda cia1_interrupt_control_register lda cia2_interrupt_control_register Turn off timer
54. Turn on raster cli sei // Disable the interrupt generated by timers lda #%01111111 sta cia1_interrupt_control_register sta cia2_interrupt_control_register // Negate already scheduled interrupts lda cia1_interrupt_control_register lda cia2_interrupt_control_register // Enable raster interrupts lda #%00000001 sta vic2_interrupt_control_register
55. Choose raster line cli sei // Disable the interrupt generated by timers lda #%01111111 sta cia1_interrupt_control_register sta cia2_interrupt_control_register // Negate already scheduled interrupts lda cia1_interrupt_control_register lda cia2_interrupt_control_register // Enable raster interrupts lda #%00000001 sta vic2_interrupt_control_register :request_raster_irq(106, raster_bars_irq)
56. .macro request_raster_irq(line_number, handler) { } Choose raster line
57. .macro request_raster_irq(line_number, handler) { } lda #<handler sta irq_vector lda #>handler sta irq_vector + 1 Choose raster line
58. .macro request_raster_irq(line_number, handler) { } lda #<handler sta irq_vector lda #>handler sta irq_vector + 1 lda #line_number sta vic2_rasterline_register Choose raster line
59. .macro request_raster_irq(line_number, handler) { } lda #<handler sta irq_vector lda #>handler sta irq_vector + 1 .if (line_number > 255) { :set_bits(screen_control_register, %10000000) } else { :clear_bits(screen_control_register, %10000000) } lda #line_number sta vic2_rasterline_register Choose raster line
60. .macro set_bits(address, bit_mask) { lda address ora #bit_mask sta address } .macro clear_bits(address, bit_mask) { lda address and #255 - bit_mask sta address } Choose raster line
61. Interrupt handled? jmp irq_handler raster_bars_irq: :background(BLACK) :nops(230) :background(DARK_GRAY)
62. raster_bars_irq: :background(BLACK) :nops(230) :background(DARK_GRAY) lda #%00000001 sta vic2_interrupt_status_register jmp irq_handler Interrupt handled?
63. raster_bars_irq: :background(BLACK) :nops(230) :background(DARK_GRAY) :exit_irq_handler() .macro exit_irq_handler() { } lda #%00000001 sta vic2_interrupt_status_register jmp irq_handler Interrupt handled?
65. Stabilization :exit_irq_handler() raster_bars_irq: :nops(14) :background(BLACK) :nops(230) :background(DARK_GRAY)
67. Raster Bars! :exit_irq_handler() raster_bars_irq: