> Hi Olin, the linker is a nice tool for the serious
> professional who works with modules on larger projects.
> Wasn't this whole thread about *beginners* who were
> inconvenienced by lack of info on the F628 compared to
> all the easy code around for 16F84??
>
> By the same "beginner" argument then absolute mode is
> the preferred mode, not the linker. I believe that YOU
> are more productive in linker mode, but not that any
> PIC beginners are. ;o)

Beginners should learn the right way from the start before bad habits become
difficult to break.  Most programming environments don't offer an absolute
mode.  MPLAB does for backward compatibility.  The concept of compiling to
relocatable code and using a linker is pretty universal and basic, and
MPLINK is a rather straight forward linker.  If a beginner doesn't
understand such a basic concept, then they will be well served by learning
it as soon as possible.  Linking is one of the fundamentals of computer
science.  I wouldn't want a beginner trying do design a simple circuit
without understanding Ohm's law either.

I see code with ORG directives on this list way too often.  I think this is
because many people started with absolute code, perhaps just to "get
started", but then never left that mode.  Worse yet, they then post their
absolute code, which causes more beginners to start that way, which
causes...  Starting right is the only way to avoid that trap.


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