A new software and firmware release for the ZX-24e, ZX-24ae, ZX-24pe, ZX-24ne has been issued by Elba Corporation that includes an updated version of the ZBasic installer for the compiler and update to the ZBasic firmware and library.

The new ZBasic installer version 2.7 is available from the our ZBasic Software Downloads page. The updated ZBasic compiler version 2.7 has following new System Library routines, enhancements and bug fixes:

• Added support for SearchQueue() to allow byte and pattern searches in a queue.
  
• Added support for passing arrays by value (not supported in BasicX mode). When this is done, the array is read-only in the called procedure.
  
• Added code to emit a definition for F_CPU on the back-end build command lines. This allows C and assembly language code to be aware of the operating frequency.
  
• Added support for generating an additional entry point declaration in native code for functions having an Alias attribute. This provides an alternate way to refer to a particular function in C and assembly code.
  
• Added code to detect running on Wine. In this case the back-end build for native mode is handled differently to work around a problem with mingw make on Wine.
  
• Added support for GetDayNumber(year, month, day).
  
• Added support for structure assignment where the structure contains allocated strings.
  
• Added a warning for unused procedures (off by default, --warning+=unused-procedure).
  
• Improved the error recovery for badly formed Enum definitions.
  
• Improved the native code generated for strings passed By Value.
  
• Corrected a native mode regression related to code generation for passing a variable ByRef when it has a constant value.
  
• Corrected a native mode code generation problem with arrays of BoundedString type.
  
• Corrected code generation problems for accessing structure elements.
  
• Corrected a problem with processing conditionals. The _expression_s in conditionals in a "no pass" block were erroneously being processed.
  
• Corrected a native mode code generation issue with Shr() and Shl().
  
• Corrected a problem where a structure member, itself a structure, wasn't being allowed to be passed to a subroutine.
  
• Corrected native mode code generation issues with unreferenced procedures having the Used attribute.
  
• Corrected optimization issues with Asc() and StrFind().
  
• Corrected a problem where procedure attributes weren't being applied correctly.
  
• Corrected a problem with native mode code generated for s.DataAddress when s is a String vector.
  
• Corrected an internal error that would occur with functions of an unknown type.
  
• Corrected an optimization problem relating to the use of GoTo statements.
  
• Changed the naming convention in the generated C code for native mode to prevent namespace conflicts. Functions and variables that are private to a module now have the prefix mzf_ or mzv_ while public functions/variables continue to use the prefix zf_ or zv_, respectively.
  

See the ZBasic website for the complete history of ZBasic compiler changes.

The updated firmware version 2.7 for the ZX-24e, ZX-24ae, and ZX-24pe is available from the ZBasic Firmware page. The following fixes have been incorporated into the firmware:

• Added support for pattern searches via SearchQueue().
  
• Added support for half duplex and bussed Tx line in the software UART.
  
• Added support for GetDayNumber(year, month, day).
  
• Added support for active high chip select in OpenSPI() and SPICmd().
  
• Corrected a string corruption problem that would occur if an allocated string variable is assigned to itself.
  
• Corrected an error in the implementation of Boolean negation.
  

See the ZBasic website for the complete history of ZBasic firmware changes.

The updated ZBasic library version 2.7 for the ZX-24ne is available in the ZBasic installer version 2.7. The following fixes have been incorporated into the library:

• Added support for SearchQueue().
  
• Added support for half duplex and bussed Tx line in the software UART.
  
• Added support for GetDayNumber(year, month, day)
  
• Corrected a problem in strCopy() which would occur when assigning an allocated string to itself.
  
• Corrected atomicity issues in rnd() and randomize().
  

See the ZBasic website for the complete history of ZBasic library changes.

Mike