Machine code .bin-file to ZX Spectrum .tap file converter written in Go.
This tool is handy in the workflow of creating a .tap file suited for loading in ZX Spectrum emulators or into a real ZX Spectrum. A .bin file contains the pure machine code as output by your favourite Z80 assembler. A .tap file contains in addition information like an original ZX Spectrum header as saved in tape files. In the main data chunk a .tap file can contain a BASIC program, numerical or alphanumerical arrays for use in BASIC programs, or finally, a machine code program. In case of the latter, the header in the .tap file will contain the start address and the length of the machine code.
bin2tap infile.bin [outfile.tap] -a=start_address
bin2tap --helpIf the outfile argument is omitted, the resulting file will be named infile.tap. The starting address is a mandatory parameter. It is a decimal number giving the base address of the machine code in the Z80 address space. The resulting .tap file can be loaded with a simple LOAD ""CODE command without any further parameters.
http://www.zx-modules.de/fileformats/tapformat.html https://faqwiki.zxnet.co.uk/wiki/TAP_format
- Basic .bin file reading
- Write correct .tap headers, including checksums and block legths
- Accept hex starting address on command line
- Size check of input file
- Allow input files bigger than 65534 bytes
- Add support for Spectrum 128K .tap files
- Allow .scr screen image files as input
- Allow combination of one .scr and of one or more .bin in a single .tap file
- Add verbose mode
- Add silent mode
- Add log to logfile capability
- More secure type conversions in the code
- Add support for other platforms (currently only Unix)
- Make source code more Go-like...
You are very welcome to contribute to this project, whether it be issue reports or new features. Please contact me before issueing pull requests.
While there surely are other ways to convert .tap files (I have been using a simple assembler file containing just an INCBIN directive and the pasmo assembler), I have finally decided to write a converter on my own. Partly to learn how to use Go and cobra, and to understand the inner workings of a .tap file. But also because I am a fan of "the Unix philosophy: Write programs that do one thing and do it well".