I "THINK" that if you are VERY careful,
you "could" use libraries for families of processors.
EX: Polled mode SPI routines "should" be the same for
all mid-range processors that include the SSP module.
So assuming the above EXample, then that lib with SPI
stuff in it, would be (basically) processor independant
across those mid-range processors that include the SSP
module.  So once the processor is configured to use
the SPI then you could just call the various SPI 
routines.  I use SPI as an example because I think
I am very close to having a set of rountines that
I could make into a library (read: I havn't changed
code in a long time.)

I think some careful examination of libraries may be
in order.  I think they don't get used as we change
code so much that it is not really that practical.
Also, since PICs are VERY memory constrained you 
don't want to link in things you don't use.  Although,
libs may not link in unused modules.  I don't know 
at this second.

This topic may require a bit more time and thought, 
which I don't have for this issue.  Although it
is an interesting one.

-Walt...

-----Original Message-----
From: Martin SchŠfer [mailto:schaefer@ELEKTRONIK21.DE]
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2000 7:45 AM
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: relocatable code for different processors


Hi Walter,

your advice is quite nice. But if you use 'if'-statements, you cant compile
a module one time and link it than as object (.o). You have to recompile it
for every new processor-project. You cant either put it in a library.

I thought of a kind of include file for multiple processors. But I think
this is not working because MPASM needs for every compiling session one
single 'processor'-statement.

This means, that libraries are only useful, if you program mainly one
processor. Or you create for every processor one special library. But then
you have a lot to do.

Am I right?

martin

;**********************************************
;**   name:      Martin Schaefer             **
;**   company:   elektronik 21 GmbH, Germany **
;**   e-mail:    schaefer@elektronik21.de    **
;**********************************************