4.2. Variables, Constants and User Defined Labels

With variables you can store data for later use. Before you can use a variable you have to declare it. You do this with the .var directive: 

        .var x=25
        lda #x    // Gives lda #25

If you want to change x later on you write:

        .eval x=x+10
        lda #x    // Gives lda #35

This will increase x by 10. The .eval directive is used to make Kick Assembler evaluate expressions. In fact, the .var directive above is just a convenient shorthand of ‘.eval var x =25’, where ‘var’ is subexpression that declares a variable (this will come in handy later when we want to define variables in for-loops).

Other shorthands exist. The operators ++, --, +=, -=, *= and /= will automatically call a referenced variable with +1,-1, +y, -y, *y and /y. For example: 

        .var x = 0
        .eval x++    // Gives x=x+1
        .eval x--    // Gives x=x-1
        .eval x+=3   // Gives x=x+3
        .eval x-=7   // Gives x=x-7
        .eval x*=3   // Gives x=x*3
        .eval x/=2   // Gives x=x/2

Experienced users of modern programming languages will know that assignments return a value, e.g. x = y = z = 25 first assigns 25 to z, which returns 25 that is assigned to y, which returns 25 that is assigned to x. Kick Assembler supports this as well. Notice that the ++ and -- works as real ++ and –- postfix operators, which means that they return the original value and not the new (Ex: .eval x=0 .eval y=x++, will set x to 1 and y to 0)

You can also declare constants:

.const c=1              // Declares the constant c to be 1
.const name = "Camelot" // Constants can assume any value, for example string

A constant can't be assigned a new value, so .eval pi=22 will generate an error. Note that not all values are immutable. If you define a constant that points to a list, the content of the list can still change. If you want to make a mutable value immutable, you can use its lock() function, which will lock it's content: 

.const immutableList = List().add(1,2,3).lock()

After this you will get an error if you try to add an element or modify existing elements.

With the .enum statement you can define enumerations, which are series of constants: 

.enum {singleColor, multiColor}      // Defines singleColor=0, multiColor=1
.enum {effect1=1,effect2=2,end=$ff}  // Assigns values explicitly 
.enum {up,down,left,right, none=$ff} // You can mix implicit and explicit 
                                     // assignment of values

Variables and constants can only be seen after they are declared while labels can be seen in the entire scope. You can define a label with the .label directive like you define variables and constants: 

        // This fails
        inc myLabel1
        .const myLabel1 = $d020

        // This is ok
        inc myLabel2
        .label myLabel2 = $d020
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