GBDK 2020 Docs 4.4.0 API Documentation for GBDK 2020

Migrating to new GBDK Versions

This section contains information that may be useful to know or important when upgrading to a newer GBDK release.

# GBDK-2020 versions

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.4.0

- GBDK now requires ~SDCC 4.5.0 or higher with GBDK-2020 patches for the z80 and NES
- Build Host:
  - Changed from building on MacOS 11 to MacOS 13 for 64 bit Intel
  - Changed from building on Ubuntu Linux 20.04 to 22.04 for 64 bit Intel
- NES
  - LCD bkg_scroll_y is now relative to the current scanline
    - This change creates higher compatibility with the Game Boy SCY_REG and makes it easier to re-use Game Boy LCD handlers
    - This behaves differently to 4.3.0 and affects LCD handlers that change the y scrolling coordinate mid-frame
  - Added makenes utility for finalizing NES rom headers (called automatically by lcc)
- SMS/GG
  - Changed from unsigned (`uint16_t`) to signed int16 (`int16_t`) for coordinates with the family of `...metasprite...()` functions
- SDCC
  - Changed to using the `-N` flag with sdas since the the `-n` flag was removed
- Changed lcc to use `--no-optsdcc-in-asm` for building user programs and the GBDK library
  - This removes some "O line" meta-data from object files to avoid false-positive linker errors
  - It is a workaround for SDCC now appending the calling convention to the "O Line" in the object files by default

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.3.0

- GBDK now requires ~SDCC 4.4.0 or higher with GBDK-2020 patches for the z80 and NES
- Changed to new calling convention for printf(), sprintf(), abs()
- Changed to new SDCC calling convention for set_bkg_tile_xy(), set_win_tile_xy()
- The SDCC object file format (`.o`, `.rel` files) changed from `XL3` (24 bit addresses) to `XL4` (32 bit addresses)
  - Bankpack now supports both
- Recommend using:
  - CURRENT_BANK instead of `_current_bank`
  - BANKED macro instead of `__banked`
- NES set_sprite_palette() now indexes from `0..3` instead of `4..7`
- png2asset:
  - If using either `-bpp 1` or `-pack_mode 1bpp` then the other is auto-enabled
  - Significant bug fixes and changes, check to make sure output is as expected

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.2.0

- GBDK now requires ~SDCC 4.3 or higher with GBDK-2020 patches for the z80 and NES
- The following new functions replace old ones:
  - While the old functions will continue to work for now, migration to new versions is strongly encouraged
  - vsync(): replaces wait_vbl_done()
  - set_default_palette(): replaces cgb_compatibility()
  - move_metasprite_flipy(): replaces move_metasprite_hflip()
  - move_metasprite_flipx(): replaces move_metasprite_vflip()
  - move_metasprite_flipxy(): replaces move_metasprite_hvflip()
  - move_metasprite_ex(): replaces move_metasprite()
- The unused `-DINT_16_BITS` argument was removed from the default SDCC compiler and preprocessor arguments (used in pre-GBDK2020 `gbdk/include-gb/types.h`)
- Removed legacy MBC register definitions `.MBC1_ROM_PAGE` and `.MBC_ROM_PAGE`
- SMS/GG
  - Swapped A and B buttons to match game boy buttons

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.1.1

- No significant changes required

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.1.0

- GBDK now requires SDCC 4.2 or higher with GBDK-2020 patches for the z80 linker
- The default calling convention changed in SDCC 4.2, see Calling Conventions for more details.
  - If you are linking to libraries compiled with an older version of SDCC / GBDK then you may have to recompile them.
  - If there are existing functions written in ASM which receive parameters they should also be reviewed to make sure they work with the new `__sdcccall(1)` calling convention, or have their header declaration changed to use `OLDCALL`.
  - If there are existing functions written in ASM which call other functions written in C the callee C function should be declared OLDCALL.
  - Function pointer declarations should be checked to see if they need OLDCALL added to the declaration.
    - Example (add OLDCALL at the end)
    - FROM: `typedef void (*someFunc)(uint8_t, uint8_t);`
    - TO: `typedef void (*someFunc)(uint8_t, uint8_t) OLDCALL;`
  - If you are using tools such as `rgb2sdas` (from hUGETracker/Driver) you may need to edit the resulting .o file and replace `-mgbz80` with `-msm83` in addition to using `OLDCALL`
- The SDCC `PORT` name for the Game Boy and related clones changed from `gbz80` to `sm83`.
  - Additional details in the Console Port and Platform Settings section and FAQ entry. lcc will error out if the old `PORT` name is passed in.
- The library base path changed from `lib/small/asxxxx/` to `lib/`.
  - For example `lib/small/asxxxx/gb` becomes `lib/gb`
- Allocations for ISR chain lengths were fixed.
  - Now they are VBL: 4 user handlers, LCD: 3 user handlers, SIO/TIM/JOY: 4 user handlers

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.0.6

- Renamed `bgb_emu.h` to `emu_debug.h` and BGB_* functions to EMU_*
  - Aliases for the BGB_* ones and a `bgb_emu.h` shim are present for backward compatibility, but updating to the new naming is recommended

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.0.5

- GBDK now requires SDCC 12259 or higher with GBDK-2020 patches
- Variables in static storage are now initialized to zero per C standard (but remaining WRAM is not cleared)
- png2asset is the new name for the `png2mtspr` utility
- lcc : Changed default output format when not specified from `.ihx` to `.gb` (or other active rom extension)
- The `_BSS` area is deprecated (use `_DATA` instead)
- The `_BASE` area is renamed to `_HOME`
- Variables in static storage are now initialized to zero per C standard (but remaining WRAM is not cleared)
- itoa(), uitoa(), ltoa(), ultoa() all now require a radix value (base) argument to be passed. On the Game Boy and Analogue Pocket the parameter is required but not utilized.
- set_bkg_1bit_data has been renamed to set_bkg_1bpp_data
- The following header files which are now cross platform were moved from `gb/` to `gbdk/`: `bcd.h`, `console.h`, `far_ptr.h`, `font.h`, `gbdecompress.h`, `gbdk-lib.h`, `incbin.h`, `metasprites.h`, `platform.h`, `version.h`
  - When including them use `#include <gbdk/...>` instead of `#include <gb/>`

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.0.4

- GBDK now requires SDCC 12238 or higher
- Made sample.h, cgb.h and sgb.h independent from gb.h

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.0.3

- No significant changes required

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.0.2

- The default font has been reduced from 256 to 96 characters.
  - Code using special characters may need to be updated.
  - The off-by-1 character index offset was removed for fonts. Old fonts with the offset need to be re-adjusted.

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.0.1

- Important! : The `WRAM` memory region is no longer automatically initialized to zeros during startup.
  - Any variables which are declared without being initialized may have indeterminate values instead of 0 on startup. This might reveal previously hidden bugs in your code.
  - Check your code for variables that are not initialized before use.
  - In BGB you can turn on triggering exceptions (options panel) reading from unitialized RAM. This allows for some additional runtime detection of uninitialized vars.
- In .ihx files, multiple writes to the same ROM address are now warned about using ihxcheck.
- `set_*_tiles()` now wrap maps around horizontal and vertical boundaries correctly. Code relying on it not wrapping correctly may be affected.

## Porting to GBDK-2020 4.0

- GBDK now requires SDCC 4.0.3 or higher
- The old linker `link-gbz80` has been REMOVED, the linker sdldgb from SDCC is used.
  - Due to the linker change, there are no longer warnings about multiple writes to the same ROM address.
- GBDK now generates .ihx files, those are converted to a ROM using makebin (lcc can do this automatically in some use cases)
- Setting ROM bytes directly with `-Wl-yp0x<address>=0x<value>` is no longer supported. Instead use makebin flags. For example, use `-Wm-yC` instead of `-Wl-yp0x143=0xC0`. See faq_gb_type_header_setting.
- OAM symbol has been renamed to `_shadow_OAM`, that allows accessing shadow OAM directly from C code

## Porting to GBDK-2020 3.2

- No significant changes required

## Porting to GBDK-2020 3.1.1

- No significant changes required

## Porting to GBDK-2020 3.1

- Behavior formerly enabled by USE_SFR_FOR_REG is on by default now (no need to specify it, it isn't a tested `#ifdef` anymore). check here why: https://gbdev.gg8.se/forums/viewtopic.php?id=697

## Porting to GBDK-2020 3.0.1

- LCC was upgraded to use SDCC v4.0. Makefile changes may be required
  - The symbol format changed. To get bgb compatible symbols turn on `.noi` output (LCC argument: `-Wl-j` or `-debug`) and use `-Wm-yS`
  - ?? Suggested: With LCC argument: `-Wa-l` (sdasgb:`-a All user symbols made global`)
  - In SDCC 3.6.0, the default for char changed from signed to unsigned.
    - If you want the old behavior use `--fsigned-char`.
    - lcc includes `--fsigned-char` by default
    - Explicit declaration of unsigned vars is encouraged (for example, '15U' instead of '15')
  - `.init` address has been removed

# Historical GBDK versions

## GBDK 1.1 to GBDK 2.0

- Change your int variables to long if they have to be bigger than 255. If they should only contain values between 0 and 255, use an unsigned int.
- If your application uses the delay function, you'll have to adapt your delay values.
- Several functions have new names. In particular some of them have been changed to macros (e.g. show_bkg() is now SHOW_BKG).
- You will probably have to change the name of the header files that you include.