HC SDK for Retro Computing

A complete cross-development toolkit for vintage microprocessors. Write B language programs, assemble, link, and run on Z80, 8080, 8085, and 8086 targets - all from your modern machine.

Quick Facts
Version	2.1	Supported Hosts macOS (ARM/x86_64) Linux x86_64 Windows 64-bit Windows 32-bit DOS (DJGPP) FreeBSD / OpenBSD
License	BSD 4-Clause
Language	B (typeless, predecessor of C)
Target CPUs	Z80, 8080, 8085, 8086
Runtime	CP/M 2.2, MSX-DOS, MS-DOS

What's Included

Tool	Description	Binary
B Compiler	Compiles B language to assembly with peephole optimization. Supports right-to-left argument passing, inline functions, and a full preprocessor.	`hcbcomp-{z80,8086,8086exe,8080,8085}`
Assembler	Multi-target assembler for Z80, 8080, 8085, and 8086. Supports macros, expressions, sections, and all standard instruction sets.	`hcasm-{z80,8086,8080,8085}`
Linker	Multi-format linker producing flat binaries (COM), MZ executables (EXE), and relocatable REX format. Dead code elimination included.	`hclink-{bin,mz,rex}`
Librarian	Object file library manager. Create, extract, list, and replace objects in .lib archives.	`hclib`
Builder	Project build system using .prj configuration files. Orchestrates compilation, assembly, and linking in one command.	`hcbuild`
Emulator	MSX-DOS / CP/M 2.2 emulator. Run Z80 and 8080/8085 CP/M binaries natively.	`msxdosemu`

Pipeline

source.b
    |
    v
[Preprocessor]  →  #define, #ifdef, #include expansion
    |
    v
[B Compiler]   →  Generates assembly (.s)
    |
    v
[Peephole]     →  Instruction-level optimization
    |
    v
[Assembler]   →  Produces object file (.obj)
    |
    v
[Linker]      →  Links to .com / .exe / .rex

Hello World in 5 Minutes

Create hello.b:

extrn putchar;

main() {
    putchar('H');
    putchar('e');
    putchar('l');
    putchar('l');
    putchar('o');
    putchar('!');
}

Compile and run for Z80/CP/M:

hcbcomp-z80 -o hello.s hello.b
hcasm-z80 -o hello.obj hello.s
hclink-bin -text 0x100 -o hello.com hello.obj libs/z80-cpm-b.lib
msxdosemu hello.com

[Read the full Quick Start Guide] · [B Compiler Reference] · [Sample Programs]

Changelog