Setup NeoVim for ZX Spectrum development

Definitely, typing on the original ZX Spectrum keyboard gives a romantic retro charm. That’s not arguable. But if you want to speed up development, testing, and overall DX, it makes sense to use modern environments like today’s text editors and operating systems. Here’s my humble attempt to set up NeoVim and terminal for a simple workflow with minimal effort. With this setup, you can enjoy the spirit of the 1980s while using the comfort of modern development tools.

Requirements

We will need three things.

1. NeoVim – it can usually be installed with your package manager, such as dnf, apt, apk, etc.
2. Emulator – nowadays, there are plenty of ZX Spectrum emulators.
   Here I use fbzx, simply because it’s free and released under the GPL license.
3. BASIC to .TAP file compiler – I use the simplest one I could find on the web: zmakebas. It’s very easy to build using: bash make make install This software has no external dependencies, only the standard C library.

Workflow Overview

The idea is stupid simple:

• Write your BASIC program in NeoVim.
• Convert it into a .TAP file using zmakebas with a shortcut.
• Run the generated .TAP in fbzx emulator.

Configuration

If you struggle with setup NeoVim there are plenty resources on the web how to do this, or check my setup NeoVim IDE.

Compile zmakbase

You need any C compiler. On Linux it is straightforward, download the source code and run:

make
make install

NeoVim setup

Set up BASIC syntax through NeoVim/Vim’s autocommand feature. Add the snippet below to your init.lua, and you’re ready to go.

-- ZX emulator. Here I use fbzx; replace it if you different one.
local zxEmulator = "fbzx"

-- Command to run the zmakebas compiler.
local zmakebasCmd = "<cmd>!zmakebas -o %<.tap %"

-- Command to run the emulator. It may differ for other emulators;
-- adjust as needed.
local zxCmd = "<cmd>!" .. zxEmulator .. " %<.tap"

vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({ "FileType" }, {
    pattern = { "basic" },
    callback = function(args)
        -- In BASIC, we usually type line numbers manually.
        -- Set this to true if you want automatic line numbering,
      -- during compilation.
        vim.opt.number = false

        -- Map the F5 key to save and compile.
        vim.keymap.set(
            "n",
            "<f5>",
            "<cmd>w<cr>" .. zmakebasCmd .. "<cr>"
        )

        -- Map the F6 key to save, compile and run.
        vim.keymap.set(
            "n",
            "<f6>",
            zmakebasCmd .. "<cr>" .. zxCmd .. "<cr>"
        )
    end,
})

Usage

• Open neovim nvim test.bas.
• Type i 10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD".
• Hit F6; NeoVim saves the file, compiles it to .TAP and run tape in emulator.

In emulator type LOAD "" and hit F6

That’s all. Easy.

Feedback

For feedback, please check the contacts section. Before writing, please specify where you came from and who you are. Sometimes spammers go insane. Thank you in advance for your understanding.