NASM-IDE Version 1.4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Readme file, Rob Anderton, 20th July 1999
-----------------------------------------


Contents
--------

1. Disclaimer and license
2. What is NASM-IDE?
3. System requirements
4. Installation
5. Contacting the author
6. Bugs, limitations and the future
7. Revision history



1. Disclaimer and license
-------------------------

Please see LICENSE.TXT.

2. What is NASM-IDE?
--------------------

NASM-IDE is a DOS based system providing a front-end to the Netwide Assembler 
(NASM). NASM-IDE has been designed to provide an interface which should be
as easy to use as possible for beginners and experts alike, especially those
who are familiar with Borland development products.


3. System requirements
----------------------

NASM-IDE requires the following minimum system specification:

- 8086 or higher CPU
- Colour monitor
- 1.2 megabytes (approximately) minimum hard disk space
- 450K minimum conventional memory with 512K or more XMS or EMS
- DOS 3.3 or higher (NASM-IDE will run under Windows95/98 and NT)
- Mouse
- NASM version 0.98 executable for DOS (or Win32 if running in a DOS box)

4. Installation
---------------

The NASM-IDE archive is zipped using PKZIP. To use NASM-IDE, create a
directory and unzip the entire archive to that directory (making sure you
unzip with the '-d' option to create the required directory structure). At
the command prompt, change to your NASM-IDE directory and type NASMIDE,
followed by return.

Note: in order to use NASM-IDE you will need to download the NASM 0.98
      package for DOS from the NASM website (http://www.cryogen.com/nasm/) 
      and copy the NASM 16-bit executable into the NASM-IDE directory.

********* I M P O R T A N T ***********

Before you can assemble code you need to type the full path and file name of 
the NASM executable in the 'NASM location' text box of the 'Assembler Options'
dialog. If the path and file name does not exist, any attempt to assemble
code will give the following error message: 'Unknown SPAWNO error code 2'.

***************************************


5. Contacting the author
------------------------

email : rob@inglenook.co.uk
www   : http://www.inglenook.co.uk/rob/index.html


6. Bugs, limitations and the future
-----------------------------------

This is version 1.4 of NASM-IDE. As far as I am aware there are no bugs in
this release. If you should discover a problem, please do not hesitate to
contact me (see section 5).

Features currently planned for NASM-IDE 2.0 include:

- protected mode operation using FPK-Pascal and FreeVision
- further enhancements to the syntax highlighting editor
- keyboard macros (not to be confused with NASM macros)
- projects
- user defined tools
- large file editing
- any other suggestions then send them to me!


6. Revision history
-------------------

Key:

Symbol 	Description

+	New feature
- 	Removed feature
*	Bug fix
@	Optimisation/updated feature


Version 1.0

Programmed using Turbo Pascal 7.0 and Turbo Vision 2.0, NASM-IDE was released to the
world back in May 1997.


Version 1.1

After large amounts of user feedback, including bug reports and suggestions for new
features, NASM-IDE 1.1 is released in December 1997, with the following additions and
changes.

@ now uses the standard NASM 0.96 (no modified version is required)

@ modified method used to call NASM

+ a recently used file list is now available via the File|Reopen command

+ a Save all command has been added

+ the clipboard uses the syntax highlighting editor

+ the use of a Primary file as the target Build and Run commands has been added

+ the OS/2 and COFF output formats are now supported

+ the NASM warnings can now be enabled/disabled

+ Include and output directories can now be specified

+ 80x43 / 80x50 screen modes are now supported

+ the startup logo can be disabled for systems which have trouble displaying it

+ a Close All command has been added

* the Error information viewer now displayed the correct error log

+ the Error information viewer allows an error to be selected so that the
  appropriate source code file is opened and the cursor is position on the line
  containing the error

+ commands that are not available in the current context are now disabled

@ the NASM-IDE help has been completely rewritten and now incorporates the
  NASM 0.95 documentation

+ a full 80x86 opcode reference with MMX and Pentium Pro instruction is included

+ a full 80x87 floating point reference is included

- the Previous help topic command is not available in this version

@ the clock now correctly handles midnight (for all you coders who don't sleep!)

@ dialog boxes now update the status line and contain online help

+ double clicking on the cursor position indicator in an edit window displays the
  jump to line dialog

@ the syntax highlighting editor code has been cleaned up, removing 5000 lines of
  unnecessary code and speeding it up enough to allow 80x50 mode to become
  bearable

+ new example code has been included to show off NASM's features

@ configuration settings are now stored in a Windows style INI file

@ my brother drew me a nice new logo!


There are bound to be more changes that I've forgotten, but I think that's enough for
now!


Version 1.2

@ Syntax highlighting can now be turned off (which should be good news for those with
  older computers)

@ Supports new features of NASM 0.97

* Help button in the 'Go to line' dialog now works (thanks to David Moerman for reporting
  this bug)

+ Added desktop autosave feature to allow window positions to be saved/restored between
  sessions (as suggested by Mark Junker)

@ Changed old style 'Output Format' radio buttons in the 'Assembler Options' dialog to a
  new user configurable 'Target' list. This allows you to add support for new
  NASM formats as required (as suggested by Mark Junker)

+ Added NASM listing file support (-l parameter)

* Fixed 'Unable to initialise file' message when starting the IDE from a
  directory other than the NASM-IDE directory (thanks to Shaun for pointing
  out this error)

+ Added support for command line parameters to allow file names to be
  specified on the command line

Version 1.3

+ Added support for NASM 0.98 response files. This helps when you are using
  long path names.

@ Updated the language definition to add new NASM opcodes, registers and
  macros.

+ Removed the graphics logo, allowing NASM-IDE to be compiled to run on
  8086 processors.

Version 1.4

* Fixed missing response file error caused when assembling from a directory
  other than the NASM-IDE directory.

@ Added checks for INI file corruption to remove Runtime error 213 problems
  when accessing the Assembler Options.

+ Added ability to specify the path and file name of the NASM executable.
  NASM-IDE no longer expects it to be called NASM.EXE.