Ernest <ernestls@home.NOSPAM.com> wrote:

> I have no real experience programming but I've decided to try to teach
> myself a little on my apple IIe. My first question is about what software I
> need to do this. I'll start with Basic but I would like to try out Assembly
> to. I have a bunch of books on Apple Basic, and Assembly, and a few programs
> like:
> 
> Orca/C

This is an Apple IIgs native application, which won't work on a IIe.

> Orca/M

There are two versions of this program: one is IIgs native, while the
other will work on 8-bit models such as the IIe.

I've used the IIgs version, but never seen the 8-bit one.

> Merlin 8/16
> Merlin Pro
> Big Mac.C (Merlin)
> Big Mac/Ted
> Big Mac.LC (language card supplement)

The Big Mac assembler and Merlin assembler are different versions of the
same program.  Big Mac came first, and was renamed as Merlin.  I think
this happened with the release of Merlin Pro.

I haven't heard of the ".C and /Ted" variants.

Big Mac only runs under DOS 3.3.  Merlin Pro runs under either DOS 3.3
or ProDOS (it comes with two variants of the program).  You need 128K of
RAM to use the ProDOS version (extended 80-column card), but the DOS 3.3
version will run in 64K.

Merlin 8/16 is an updated version of Merlin Pro.  It adds support for
the 65816 processor (used on the IIgs) and the 65802 processor (which
used to be available as a user-installable option for 8-bit Apple II
models).  In addition to DOS 3.3 and ProDOS 8-bit versions (Merlin 8),
Merlin 8/16 includes Merlin 16, which runs under ProDOS and assembles
about five times faster than Merlin 8, but it requires a 65816 or 65802
processor.

My recollection is that Merlin 8 has several improvements over Merlin
Pro, so Merlin 8 is your best choice from among these programs.

There is also a later program Merlin 16+, included with the Merlin 8/16+
package.  Merlin 16+ is even faster than Merlin 16, but is a native
Apple IIgs application and runs under GS/OS, so it won't work on a IIe.

> GPLE

I never used this, but I believe it is an improved editing environment
for use with Applesoft BASIC.

> Microsoft Compiler System

Presumably an Applesoft BASIC compiler.  The main advantage of using
this would be to increase the execution speed of programs written in
Applesoft BASIC.

> These all have manuals and disks. Is there anything else that you would
> recommend for a beginner?

I started by being taught Pascal at high school (Apple II Pascal), which
was a big help as it established good programming discipline.

I then taught myself BASIC (Applesoft), 6502 machine code, then started
using assemblers (the mini-assembler, LISA, Big Mac, Merlin Pro and
ultimately Merlin 8/16+).

I'd strongly recommend getting hold of Pascal and learning that first.
If you can't manage that, then BASIC is your next best choice.  I
wouldn't suggest trying to anything major in assembly language until you
are a confident BASIC programmer.

The difficulty with starting by learning programming with old versions
of BASIC (like Applesoft) is that you are likely to pick up bad habits.
The main reason is that it forces you to use the GOTO statement, which
can make a complicated program very hard to understand unless it is used
carefully.