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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND LEGAL TERMS
Introduction
A86 is the finest assembler available, at any cost under any
terms, for the 86-family of microprocessors (IBM-PC, compatibles,
and not-so-compatibles). In contrast to software firms who
attempt to restrict the distribution of their products via
protection-schemes, I encourage free distribution, and trust that
those who use my products will pay for them.
Please keep in mind the fundamental good spirit of
free-distribution software as you endure the following barrage of
legalities. Then evaluate the outstanding value that the A86
package offers you. I assure you that you will not be
disappointed.
Legal Terms and Conditions
This package is provided to you under the following conditions:
1. You may copy the A86Vxxx.ZIP and D86Vxxx.ZIP files, and give
them to anyone who accepts these terms. The copies you
distribute must be complete and unmodified. You do not have
to be registered to distribute this package.
2. Even if you have not yet obtained full execution rights, you
may execute the programs in this package, in order to evaluate
them. If you decide that any of this package is of use to
you, you must become a registered user by sending $50 US ($52
if you are outside North America) to:
Eric Isaacson
416 E. University Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47401-4739
For your convenience, I now accept Visa and MasterCard, by
telephone. My number is (812)339-1811.
For the convenience of users in Great Britain, I have
authorized the firm Shareware Marketing to collect
registrations for me. We'll try to keep the prices about the
same whether you register through me or through them; it's
your choice. Their address is 87 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent
TN9 1RX; telephone 0732 771344. They'll send me a list of
registered users at the end of every month, and I'll send an
acknowledgement to each user when I get the list. So if you
haven't heard from me by the end of the month following your
registration with them, please let me know.
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Your registration includes a single update diskette (5.25
inch, double density), that also includes the A86LIB tool
available to registered users only. You may order further
updates for $10 US, or $12 US if you are overseas. Once you
register for this package, you are registered for all future
versions-- you have permanent rights to execute A86 on one
computer. As long as I'm in business, you can get the latest
version for just the update fee.
I have a combination offer for the A86 and D86 packages.
Instead of $50 + $50 = $100, I charge $80 ($82 overseas) for
both.
I also offer a printed version of this manual, covering both
A86 and D86. The manual is printed on sheets 8.5 inches high
and 7 inches wide, with a plastic ring-style binding so the
book can lay flat. If you order with your registration the
manual is an extra $10 to the U.S., $15 overseas. If you've
already registered and now want the manual, add another $10
($12 overseas) for the update disk that the manual is bundled
with. There is a limit of one manual per computer registered
(except you may reorder when there is a substantial revision
to the manual).
Indiana residents need to add sales tax. At the current rate
of 5%, the prices for Indiana residents are $52.50 for one
product, $63 one product with manual, $84 both products,
$94.50 both products with manual, $21 manual if already
registered.
Educational institutions and training facilities MUST be
registered in order to use A86 in courses. Contact me for
special terms.
Companies and government agencies MUST be registered in order
to use A86 for their work. Again, contact me for special
terms.
3. This package may not be sold to anyone. If the package is
distributed this package on a diskette, any fees collected
must be specified as materials/handling, and may not exceed
$10 for the diskette.
4. The user is completely responsible for determining the fitness
or usability of this package. I will not be liable for any
damages, of any kind, arising from any failure of any programs
in this package to perform as expected.
5. Only permanent registered users can sell or distribute any
programs that you have written or modified using this
assembler. If you do sell or distribute such programs, you
must insure that your registered name (company or individual)
will always be distributed with the program, so that I can
verify your registration. Any individual or company found to
be violating these terms will be liable for triple
registration fees for every machine they own capable of
running my assembler (plus any legal and court costs).
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NOTE that the only computers that need to be registered are
those executing the program A86.COM. The programs produced by
A86 are entirely yours-- there are no "run-time royalties".
6. A86 takes advantage of situations in which more than one set
of opcodes can be generated for the same instruction. (For
example, MOV AX,BX can be generated using either an 89 or 8B
opcode, by reversing fields in the following ModRM byte. Both
forms are absolutely identical in functionality and execution
speed.) A86 adopts an unusual mix of choices in such
situations. This creates a code-generation "footprint" that
occupies no space in your program file, but will enable me to
tell, and to demonstrate in a court of law, if a non-trivial
object file has been produced by A86. The specification for
this "footprint" is sufficiently obscure and complicated that
it would be impossible to duplicate by accident. I claim
exclusive rights to the particular "footprint" I have chosen,
and prohibit anyone from duplicating it. This has at least
two specific implications:
a. Any assembler that duplicates the "footprint" is mine. If
it is not identified as mine and issued under these terms,
then those who sell or distribute the assembler will be
subject to prosecution.
b. Any program marked with the "footprint" has been produced
by my assembler. It is subject to condition 5 above.
Registration Benefits
Thank you for enduring the legalities. They are there to protect
me, and also to convince you that this is my business, from which
I expect to make a living. I'll now return to a softer sell, to
try to make you want to register for my products.
There is a certain amount of ambiguity about when you're still
evaluating A86, and when you're really using A86 and should
register for it. Some cases are clear (e.g., you're a school
using A86 to teach a course); but many are not. In practical
reality, it up to you to decide: you are "on your honor". Also in
practical reality, most users who ought to register haven't, yet.
For most, it's not dishonesty but merely procrastination. So I
have provided some incentives, to prod you into registering.
One incentive is the printed manual, which only registered users
can purchase. I haven't left anything out of the disk version of
the manual, but the printed version is formatted and bound much
more nicely than if you print it yourself.
Another incentive is the tool A86LIB.COM, that lets you create
libraries of source files, to be automatically searched by A86
whenever your program has undefined symbols. This means you can
effectively add procedures of arbitrary power and complexity to
A86's language.
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Also, when you register you're on my mailing list. I'll
occasionally send you notices about what I've added to A86 and
D86 since the last notice. When I bring out new products, you'll
hear about them. (I'm working on a library of source files for
A86, and also a 386 assembler-debugger package.)
Finally, there are the intangible incentives. You know you've
done the right thing. You're letting me know that you appreciate
what I've done. You're letting the world know that quality
software can succeed when distributed as shareware.
Overview of A86
A86 accepts assembly language source files, and transforms them
directly into either: (1) .COM files executable under MS-DOS,
starting at offset 0100 within a code segment; (2) .OBJ files
suitable for feeding to a linker; or (3) object files starting at
offset 0, suitable for copying to ROMs. A86 is a full featured,
professional quality program. I designed A86 to be as closely
compatible to the standard Intel/IBM assembly language as
possible, given that I insisted upon making design and language
enhancements necessary to make A86 the best possible assembler.
Some of A86's most notable features are: