_                 _   _
| |               | | | |
| |__   ___   ___ | |_| |     ___   __ _  ___
| '_ \ / _ \ / _ \| __| |    / _ \ / _` |/ _ \
| |_) | (_) | (_) | |_| |___| (_) | (_| | (_) |
|_.__/ \___/ \___/ \__\_____/\___/ \__, |\___/
                                __/ |
                               |___/

bootLogo interpreter in 512 bytes (boot sector or COM file)

by Oscar Toledo G. Mar/18/2024

http://nanochess.org

https://github.com/nanochess

This is a small interpreter of Logo language.

It's compatible with the 8088 processor (the original IBM PC), and it even works on CGA mode!

If you want to assemble it, you must download the Netwide Assembler (NASM) from www.nasm.us

Use this command line:

nasm -f bin bootlogo.asm -Dcom_file=1 -o bootlogo.com
nasm -f bin bootlogo.asm -Dcom_file=0 -o bootlogo.img

Tested with VirtualBox for macOS running Windows XP running this interpreter, it also works with DOSBox and probably with QEMU:

qemu-system-x86_64 -fda bootlogo.img

You can set also the following labels:

• video_mode. This sets the video mode used for bootLogo (default = 4 for CGA mode 320x200x4 colors). A good alternative is 13 (EGA/VGA 320x200x16 mode).
• color1. This sets the color for the letters in the command line (default = 1 for CGA mode)
• color2. This sets the color for line drawing (default = 3 for CGA mode)

Enjoy it!

User's manual

Line entry is done with the keyboard, finish the line with Enter.

Backspace can be used to correct mistakes.

The following commands are implemented:

CLEARSCREEN

Clears the screen and returns the turtle to the center, and pointing to the north. This command can only be used alone.

FD 40

Move the turtle 40 pixels ahead. Caveat: If you use zero, it will be taken as 65536 pixels.

BK 40

Move the turtle 40 pixels backward. Caveat: If you use zero, it will be taken as 65536 pixels.

RT 25

Rotate the turtle 25 degrees clockwise.

LT 25

Rotate the turtle 25 degrees counterclockwise.

REPEAT 10 FD 10

Repeat 10 times FD 10

REPEAT 10 [FD 10 RT 20]

Repeat 10 times FD 10 RT 20. REPEAT can be nested. If you somehow miss the final ] character then bootLogo will crash.

PU

Pen up. The turtle doesn't draw for following commands.

PD

Pen down. The turtle draws again.

SETCOLOR 2

Set color for pen. Only 0-3 available in CGA, and 0-15 for EGA/VGA.

TO [name] [command or list of commands] END

This command allows you to define procedures. All the definition should fit inside one line (120 characters).

A single command could be a REPEAT. Several commands can be grouped using [ and ].

Only the two first letters of the name are taken in account. The predefined commands have priority (so you cannot define them out). Also, once defined a procedure, it cannot be edited again (sorry, lack of space).

For example:

TO CURVE REPEAT 4 [LT 10 FD 10] END
TO PETAL [CURVE LT 140 CURVE] END
TO FLOWER REPEAT 4 [PETAL LT 50] END
FLOWER
RT 180
FD 50
RT 140
PETAL
PU
FD 50

QUIT

Exit to command line (only .COM version)

Examples

Acknowledgments

• jcmeyrignac for an idea to make smaller the number decoding.
• Jim Leonard (MobyGamer) for making me thinking about a higher-precision sin function, and suggesting me the use of the Set Pixel BIOS service.
• raulamd for reminding me that cubicDoom had a smaller sin function.

More on this?

Do you want to learn 8086/8088 assembler? Get my book Programming Boot Sector Games containing an 8086/8088 crash course!

Now available from Lulu:

Paperback book

Hard-cover book

eBook

These are some of the example programs documented profusely in the book:

• Guess the number.
• Tic-Tac-Toe game.
• Text graphics.
• Mandelbrot set.
• F-Bird game.
• Invaders game.
• Pillman game.
• Toledo Atomchess.
• bootBASIC language.