1 Introduction
2 ------------
3
4 Micropython is a language environment incorporating a compiler for a
5 simplified version of the Python programming language which targets a simple
6 instruction set supported by a virtual machine known as RSVP (a Really Simple
7 Virtual Processor).
8
9 The RSVP instruction set is intended to map relatively closely to instructions
10 employed by real processors, with only a few "macroinstructions" which would
11 probably be implemented as short macros or library routines in programs
12 translated to the instruction set of a real target processor.
13
14 Quick Start
15 -----------
16
17 Currently, the test.py program is the principal means of compiling and running
18 code. For example, to inspect the logical.py test program (with all
19 optimisations enabled)...
20
21 python -i test.py tests/logical.py -m -omax
22
23 ...will provide a number of objects which can then be inspected, notably the
24 rm (RSVP machine) object which provides the following methods:
25
26 * show - reveals the contents of the machine's memory
27 * run - starts execution of the code in the memory
28 * step - steps through the code one instruction at a time
29 * dump - shows the machine's registers
30
31 To run a test and check the output, specify the -t option:
32
33 python test.py tests/logical.py -t -omax
34
35 To run all tests, use the test_all.py program:
36
37 python test_all.py -omax
38
39 Both programs support optimisations either using the -o flag immediately
40 followed (no space or separator) by a comma-separated list of options (defined
41 in the docs/optimisations.txt document) or by specifying -omax to apply all
42 possible optimisations.
43
44 It is generally recommended to apply all possible optimisations when
45 generating programs as this dramatically reduces the size of the program and
46 accompanying structures, and it also makes the code generation process
47 substantially faster. Optimisations should not cause programs to fail: they
48 should all always be "safe" to apply.
49
50 Contact, Copyright and Licence Information
51 ------------------------------------------
52
53 The current Web page for micropython at the time of release is:
54
55 http://www.boddie.org.uk/python/micropython.html
56
57 Copyright and licence information can be found in the docs directory - see
58 docs/COPYING.txt and docs/gpl-3.0.txt for more information.
