how to make a tap file???

monkeybee11

hello dont know if monkey is putting this in the right place but

ive found a PDF of the basic computer game book online and ive typed out blackjack in a .txt and changed it to a .tap then loaded up VICE on my pc to test it and....nothing is monkey missing a step?? alt text

https://pastebin.com/anf74a8T <the blackjack code me copyed form the basic computer game book

plz and thanks :)

Ashpool

AFAIK .tap is a binary format for tape file images, so by simply renaming a windows textfile to *.tap won't do anything good. I am not sure if there are any utils out there to transfer a commodore BASIC Program from a textfile to something readable by any emulator.
Instead of typing load (*1) (or simply pressing shift+Run/Stop which will load the first program found on tape and then executes a run command), you type the lines of code you linked. Then with a writable disk image mounted save"filename",8 will write the ram to disk (If I remember it right). The 8 addresses the (default) Diskdrive.

... just like you would do it on the original hardware. I believe the CBM64 Manuals are to be found on a well known library archive side, just read 'em and you will be able to perform your first steps in BASIC on that "vintage" hardare. From them you actually may learn what load, load"",8, load"",8,1 and such actually does....

[1]: EDIT: Within the Emulator.... If you look at your screenshot posted, you may notice that the started hardware is telling you that you are right within its basic interpreter. Any BASIC Command entered will be executed once you press return... entering a number before a command means you are adding line number ### to the current basic code in memory and can executed (run) that code, save it to any device present , or you may load code into the ram from any device present. A classic example is:

10 print "RTFM"
20 goto 10
run

;) Sorry, those are all childhood memories... (PS: LIST will show you the code/lines present in RAM, if there is any TYPO within one line, AFAIK you have to retype the whole line to store it corrected/overwrite it)

P.P.S.: Load "Blackjack.tap",8,1 would tell the Interpreter to load File Blackjack.tap from Device 8 (Floppy) and it will be loaded into the absolute place of memory from whence it was saved (mostly important for assembler code, not for basic stuff).

monkeybee11

VICE put the
LOAD "BLACKJACK.TAP",8,1

by it self after using the "smart attach disk/tape ..." but thanks :)

BennyProfane

Hey I'm not affiliated but you may want to look into C64 studio which offers some tools like sprite editing etc

monkeybee11

oh thanks monkey is new to this :)

monkeybee11

ya im just getting confused ive still got no idea how to make a file so monkey can type out a basic program on my pc then run it in the vice emulator @_@

mitu

You can't make a file directly to be loaded, but you can save your program to a disk (.d64) image after you've typed it.

Vice can create a disk image and attach it to the emulator, then you can paste your program code (remember to lowercase the text, otherwise C64 will interpret the uppercase letters a special graphical characters).
After you 'typed' your program, then you can check it runs, then you can save it to your disk with

SAVE "BLACKJACK",8,1

if you named your disk image 'blackjack.d64', the vice will auto-load the program names blackjack on the disk next time you load the disk.

The program you linked has some errors and it will not run as is.

monkeybee11

monkey has recently found CBSstudio IDE witch can generate BASIC in to a PRG file and that runs the game just fine :) and yes ive found out not to type out with capslock on and ive got some syntax errors in it but using google doc and add-ons ive mannaged to convert it all to lower case and get everything working :)