A question for the Macro experts....

[mister_e]

Good job guy. i just want to remind you something. Every time a macro is called, that duplicate his whole code. so, by using the following

asm
TX_Sample macro index
	MOVE?WW index, TXIndex
    L?CALL TXnow
	endm
TXnow
    ENDASM
	TXData = TXArray[TXIndex]
	Hserout [TXData / 100, TXData // 100]
    RETURN

this will generate less code everytime you call the macro.

Here's another method to send a specific index of Word array var.

DEFINE LOADER_USED 1
DEFINE OSC 20
DEFINE HSER_RCSTA 90h
DEFINE HSER_TXSTA 24h
DEFINE HSER_SPBRG 129 ' 9600 Bauds

TXData  var WORD SYSTEM   
aVar    var word[4] SYSTEM

avar[0]=0
avar[1]=100
avar[2]=1000
avar[3]=10000
goto start

asm
Usend macro index
	MOVE?WW aVar + (index*2) , TXData
    L?CALL TXnow
	endm
TXnow
    ENDASM
	Hserout [dec TXData,13,10]
    RETURN
start:
      @ Usend 0
      @ Usend 1
      @ Usend 2
      @ Usend 3
      pause 500
      goto start

there's probably tons of way like using AOUT?xxx macro too.. well still unsure of that one AOUT?xxx

[Darrel Taylor]

Macro's can be usefull.  But, they're not always the best choice.

TRANSMIT:
    Temp = Sample_Array(Index)
    HSEROUT [Temp / 100, Temp // 100]
RETURN

Index = 2 : GOSUB TRANSMIT

<br>

[forgie]

Yes, I was aware of that after reading one of your earlier posts. I am sitting slightly under 50% of my available code space (on an 18f452), and on top of that the data sending routines are used in a part of the code where speed is preferable (but not critical). To use the fastest method I would have to find out what macros HSEROUT calls, and call them directly somehow.... and the smallest code version would be something along the same lines using gosubs. Anyway if the timing becomes more important or code space is an issue then I will rewrite the macro. But for the meantime, I have improved readability by a large degree. Thanks for the ideas/wisdom guys, it's great to know that there's such a concentrated pool of knowledge in this forum to ask when I have a tough PBP question.....

[forgie]

Also.... the macro method makes me feel like my code is more 'modular,' and more like a functional language, which makes me feel warm inside

[mister_e]

If you want to shrink your code, the best way is to see if you can use the internal ressource instead of the PBP pre-made function.

By example, instead of using ADCIN, write/read directly to the register, same for HSEROUT, HSERIN and how much others.

For a simple HSEROUT

DEFINE LOADER_USED 1
DEFINE OSC 20
RCSTA =$90
TXSTA =$24
SPBRG= 129 ' 9600 Bauds

aVar    var BYTE[7]
a       var byte

avar[0]="H"
avar[1]="E"
avar[2]="L"
avar[3]="L"
avar[4]="O"
AVAR[5]=13
AVAR[6]=10
A=0
start:
    REPEAT
        TXREG=AVAR[A]
        NotEmpty: if TXSTA.1=0 then notempty
        A=A+1
        UNTIL A=7
        A=0
        PAUSE 500  
      goto start

compile 89 words

DEFINE LOADER_USED 1
DEFINE OSC 20
RCSTA =$90
TXSTA =$24
SPBRG= 129 ' 9600 Bauds

aVar    var BYTE[7]

avar[0]="H"
avar[1]="E"
avar[2]="L"
avar[3]="L"
avar[4]="O"
AVAR[5]=13
AVAR[6]=10

start:
    HSEROUT[STR AVAR]
    PAUSE 500  
    goto start

compile 103 words.

DEFINE LOADER_USED 1
DEFINE OSC 20
DEFINE HSER_RCSTA 90h
DEFINE HSER_TXSTA 24h
DEFINE HSER_SPBRG 129 ' 9600 Bauds

aVar    var BYTE[7]

avar[0]="H"
avar[1]="E"
avar[2]="L"
avar[3]="L"
avar[4]="O"
AVAR[5]=13
AVAR[6]=10

start:
    HSEROUT[STR AVAR]
    PAUSE 500  
    goto start

almost the same as the previous but using PBP DEFINE HSER compile 95 words

No big improvement so far... i should find a better example next time

BTW it's always case by case. Scroll your program and look wich statement you call the most, do a SUB with them and TADA. Just be sure to avoid too much nested gosub and it should gives you good results.

BUT there's always a midpoint between a readable code, and a tight one. Choose your own comfort zone and work with.