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https://github.com/imjasonh/nescript
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Re-adds `palette Name { colors: [...] }` and
`background Name { tiles: [...], attributes: [...] }` as first-class
declarations, plus `set_palette Name` and `load_background Name`
statements for runtime swaps. Unlike the previous iteration that
quietly no-op'd, this one is fully wired through the pipeline and
its behavior is pinned by both unit tests and an emulator golden.
Pipeline:
- Lexer: re-adds `palette`, `background`, `set_palette`,
`load_background` keywords and tokenizes them.
- AST: `PaletteDecl` (name + 1..=32 colour bytes) and `BackgroundDecl`
(name + 0..=960 tile bytes + 0..=64 attribute bytes) live in
`Program`. `Statement::SetPalette` and `Statement::LoadBackground`
name-reference these declarations.
- Parser: `palette Name { colors: [...] }` / `background Name
{ tiles: [...], attributes: [...] }` blocks and their statement
forms parse via the existing byte-array helper.
- Analyzer: validates colour indices ($00-$3F), palette length
(<=32), nametable length (<=960), attribute length (<=64), and
duplicate decl names. `set_palette` / `load_background` targets
must reference a declared name (E0502 otherwise). When a program
declares palette or background, the analyzer bumps the user
zero-page allocator's starting address from `$10` to `$18` to
reserve `$11-$17` for the runtime update handshake — programs
that don't use the feature keep the old layout so their emulator
goldens stay byte-exact.
- Assets: `PaletteData` and `BackgroundData` resolve declarations
into zero-padded fixed-size blobs (32 / 960 / 64 bytes) and
expose `label()` / `tiles_label()` / `attrs_label()` for codegen
to reference.
- IR: new `IrOp::SetPalette(String)` and
`IrOp::LoadBackground(String)`; lowering forwards the names
verbatim.
- Codegen: `gen_set_palette` writes the palette label pointer into
ZP `$12/$13` and ORs bit 0 into the update flags at `$11`;
`gen_load_background` does the same for tile/attribute pointers
at `$14/$15/$16/$17` with bit 1. Both emit a `__ppu_update_used`
marker so the linker splices in the NMI apply helper only when
the feature is actually used.
- Runtime: `gen_initial_palette_load` and
`gen_initial_background_load` write the first declared
palette/background at reset time (before rendering is enabled,
where PPU writes are safe). `gen_nmi(has_ppu_updates)` takes a
new flag; when true it splices `gen_ppu_update_apply` at the top
of the NMI body, which checks the `$11` flags byte and copies
pending palette / nametable data to `$3F00` / `$2000` inside
vblank. All helpers use only ZP $02/$03 as scratch at reset time
and never clobber ZP slots live across NMI.
- Linker: new `link_banked_with_ppu` takes slice of `PaletteData` /
`BackgroundData`; splices each blob as a labelled data block in
PRG ROM, picks the first-declared as the reset-time load target,
enables background rendering automatically when a background is
declared, and threads `has_ppu_updates` into `gen_nmi`. Old
`link_banked` remains as a thin wrapper for callers without
palette/background data so existing tests don't shift.
Tests:
- Lexer: tokenization of the 4 new keywords (single added test case).
- Parser: 5 new tests for `palette` / `background` decls with and
without attributes, plus `set_palette` / `load_background`
statements.
- Analyzer: 9 new tests covering acceptance of declared
palettes/backgrounds, E0502 for unknown names, E0201 for
out-of-range NES colors and oversized blobs, E0501 for duplicate
names, and the zero-page-layout guard (palette/bg decls bump ZP
start; no decls keeps it at $10).
- Resolver: 3 new tests for zero-padding, truncation of oversized
decls, and label derivation.
- IR: 2 new lowering tests for `set_palette` and `load_background`.
- Integration: 5 new tests — blob contents spliced verbatim into
PRG, `STA $12` / `STA $14` emitted by set_palette /
load_background codegen, and a regression guard that programs
without palette/background still land user vars at $10.
- Emulator: new `examples/palette_and_background.ne` driven by a
frame counter that toggles between `CoolBlues` / `WarmReds` and
`TitleScreen` / `StageOne` every 90 frames. Golden PNG and audio
hash checked in under `tests/emulator/goldens/` and verified via
`node run_examples.mjs` — rendered image shows the blue
`CoolBlues` palette with the nametable populated from
`TitleScreen`.
Docs:
- `README.md` adds the feature to the headline list and the example
table.
- `docs/language-guide.md` restores the palette/background sections
with the full 32-byte layout table and `set_palette` /
`load_background` statement references.
- `docs/future-work.md` replaces the "removed as dead code" entry
with the remaining gaps (PNG-sourced palette and nametable
assets, cross-vblank large background updates, memory-map
reporting).
- `spec.md` restores the grammar productions and usage examples.
- `examples/README.md` lists the new demo.
All 497 unit + integration tests pass. Clippy clean. All 21
emulator goldens match after the update pass.
https://claude.ai/code/session_012fKB251HvEUQwG3tizFyqt
|
||
|---|---|---|
| .. | ||
| arrays_and_functions.ne | ||
| audio_demo.ne | ||
| bitwise_ops.ne | ||
| bouncing_ball.ne | ||
| coin_cavern.ne | ||
| comparisons.ne | ||
| function_chain.ne | ||
| hello_sprite.ne | ||
| inline_asm_demo.ne | ||
| logic_ops.ne | ||
| loop_break_continue.ne | ||
| match_demo.ne | ||
| mmc1_banked.ne | ||
| mmc3_per_state_split.ne | ||
| palette_and_background.ne | ||
| README.md | ||
| scanline_split.ne | ||
| sprites_and_palettes.ne | ||
| state_machine.ne | ||
| structs_enums_for.ne | ||
| two_player.ne | ||
| uxrom_banked.ne | ||
NEScript Examples
Quick Start
# Build the compiler
cargo build --release
# Compile all examples
for f in examples/*.ne; do cargo run -- build "$f"; done
# Or compile one
cargo run -- build examples/hello_sprite.ne
Open any .nes file in an NES emulator (Mesen, FCEUX, etc.)
Examples
| File | Features | Description |
|---|---|---|
hello_sprite.ne |
input, draw | Move a sprite with the d-pad |
bouncing_ball.ne |
if/else, variables | Auto-bouncing sprite with edge detection |
coin_cavern.ne |
states, functions, constants | 3-state game with gravity and coin collection |
arrays_and_functions.ne |
arrays, functions, while | Enemy array with collision detection |
state_machine.ne |
on enter/exit, transitions | Multi-state flow with timers |
sprites_and_palettes.ne |
sprites, scroll, cast | Inline CHR data, PPU scroll writes, type casting |
mmc1_banked.ne |
MMC1, banks, multiply | Banked mapper with software multiply |
palette_and_background.ne |
palette, background, set_palette, load_background | Reset-time initial load plus vblank-safe runtime swaps |
Emulator Controls
| NES Button | Typical Key |
|---|---|
| D-pad | Arrow keys |
| A | Z |
| B | X |
| Start | Enter |
| Select | Right Shift |
About Sprites
Sprite names in draw Player at: (x, y) are parsed and recorded in the AST.
You can define sprites with inline CHR tile data:
sprite Player {
chr: [0x3C, 0x42, 0x81, 0x81, 0x81, 0x81, 0x42, 0x3C,
0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00]
}
If no matching sprite declaration exists, the draw uses the built-in default
tile (a smiley face). See sprites_and_palettes.ne for a full example.
Compiler Commands
# Compile to ROM
cargo run -- build game.ne
# Custom output path
cargo run -- build game.ne --output my_game.nes
# Type-check only
cargo run -- check game.ne
# View generated 6502 assembly
cargo run -- build game.ne --asm-dump
# Debug mode
cargo run -- build game.ne --debug