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## 2. Basic Usage

The cl65 compile and link utility may be used to convert, compile, assemble and link files. While the separate tools do just one step, cl65 knows how to build object files from C files (by calling the compiler, then the assembler) and other things.

> `

>     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     Usage: cl65 [options] file [...]
>     Short options:
>       -c                    Compile and assemble but don't link
>       -d                    Debug mode
>       -g                    Add debug info
>       -h                    Help (this text)
>       -l                    Create an assembler listing
>       -m name               Create a map file
>       -mm model             Set the memory model
>       -o name               Name the output file
>       -r                    Enable register variables
>       -t sys                Set the target system
>       -u sym                Force an import of symbol `sym'
>       -v                    Verbose mode
>       -vm                   Verbose map file
>       -C name               Use linker config file
>       -Cl                   Make local variables static
>       -D sym[=defn]         Define a preprocessor symbol
>       -I dir                Set a compiler include directory path
>       -L path               Specify a library search path
>       -Ln name              Create a VICE label file
>       -O                    Optimize code
>       -Oi                   Optimize code, inline functions
>       -Or                   Optimize code, honour the register keyword
>       -Os                   Optimize code, inline known C funtions
>       -S                    Compile but don't assemble and link
>       -T                    Include source as comment
>       -V                    Print the version number
>       -W                    Suppress warnings
>       -Wa options           Pass options to the assembler
>       -Wl options           Pass options to the linker

>     Long options:
>       --add-source          Include source as comment
>       --asm-args options    Pass options to the assembler
>       --asm-define sym[=v]  Define an assembler symbol
>       --asm-include-dir dir Set an assembler include directory
>       --bss-label name      Define and export a BSS segment label
>       --bss-name seg        Set the name of the BSS segment
>       --cfg-path path       Specify a config file search path
>       --check-stack         Generate stack overflow checks
>       --code-label name     Define and export a CODE segment label
>       --code-name seg       Set the name of the CODE segment
>       --codesize x          Accept larger code by factor x
>       --config name         Use linker config file
>       --cpu type            Set cpu type
>       --create-dep          Create a make dependency file
>       --data-label name     Define and export a DATA segment label
>       --data-name seg       Set the name of the DATA segment
>       --debug               Debug mode
>       --debug-info          Add debug info
>       --feature name        Set an emulation feature
>       --force-import sym    Force an import of symbol `sym'
>       --forget-inc-paths    Forget include search paths (compiler)
>       --help                Help (this text)
>       --include-dir dir     Set a compiler include directory path
>       --ld-args options     Pass options to the linker
>       --lib file            Link this library
>       --lib-path path       Specify a library search path
>       --list-targets        List all available targets
>       --listing             Create an assembler listing
>       --list-bytes n        Number of bytes per assembler listing line
>       --mapfile name        Create a map file
>       --memory-model model  Set the memory model
>       --module              Link as a module
>       --module-id id        Specify a module id for the linker
>       --o65-model model     Override the o65 model
>       --obj file            Link this object file
>       --obj-path path       Specify an object file search path
>       --register-space b    Set space available for register variables
>       --register-vars       Enable register variables
>       --rodata-name seg     Set the name of the RODATA segment
>       --signed-chars        Default characters are signed
>       --standard std        Language standard (c89, c99, cc65)
>       --start-addr addr     Set the default start address
>       --static-locals       Make local variables static
>       --target sys          Set the target system
>       --version             Print the version number
>       --verbose             Verbose mode
>       --zeropage-label name Define and export a ZEROPAGE segment label
>       --zeropage-name seg   Set the name of the ZEROPAGE segment
>     ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> `

Most of the options have the same meaning than the corresponding compiler, assembler or linker option. See the documentation for these tools for an explanation. If an option is available for more than one of the tools, it is set for all tools, where it is available. One example for this is `-v`: The compiler, the assembler and the linker are all called with the `-v` switch.

There are a few remaining options that control the behaviour of cl65:

`-S`

  This option forces cl65 to stop after the assembly step. This means that C files are translated into assembler files, but nothing more is done. Assembler files, object files and libraries given on the command line are ignored.

`-c`

  This options forces cl65 to stop after the assembly step. This means that C and assembler files given on the command line are translated into object files, but there is no link step, and object files and libraries given on the command line are ignored.

`-o name`

  The -o option is used for the target name in the final step. This causes problems, if the linker will not be called, and there are several input files on the command line. In this case, the name given with -o will be used for all of them, which makes the option pretty useless. You shouldn't use -o when more than one output file is created.

`-t sys, --target sys`

  The default for this option is different from the compiler and linker in the case that the option is missing: While the other tools (compiler, assembler and linker) will use the "none" system settings by default, cl65 will use the C64 as a target system by default. This was chosen since most people seem to use cc65 to develop for the C64.

`-Wa options, --asm-args options`

  Pass options directly to the assembler. This may be used to pass options that aren't directly supported by cl65. Several options may be separated by commas, the commas are replaced by spaces when passing them to the assembler. Beware: Passing arguments directly to the assembler may interfere with some of the defaults, because cl65 doesn't parse the options passed. So if cl65 supports an option by itself, do not pass this option to the assembler by means of the `-Wa` switch.

`-Wl options, --ld-args options`

  Pass options directly to the linker. This may be used to pass options that aren't directly supported by cl65. Several options may be separated by commas, the commas are replaced by spaces when passing them to the linker. Beware: Passing arguments directly to the linker may interfere with some of the defaults, because cl65 doesn't parse the options passed. So if cl65 supports an option by itself, do not pass this option to the linker by means of the `-Wl` switch.

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