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> [!NOTE]
> This is a community-maintained fork of a MIT-licensed student project in the *Effective Programming with Effects* course in winter semester 2024/2025.
> Be warned that this is not an officially endorsed project, the code in this repository may be not idiomatic Effekt.
>
> The original repository is https://github.com/CanCodes/Effekt8
# Effekt8: Chip-8 emulator in Effekt
Aim is to emulate the Chip-8, an interpreted programming language from the 1970s, using the Effekt programming language. The emulator will interpret and execute Chip-8 programs, allowing users to run classic Chip-8 games and applications. This project will leverage Effekt's unique features, such as its effect system, to handle the various operations required by the emulator, including input/output, graphics rendering, and sound.
## Must-have
- [x] Basic Chip-8 instruction set implementation
- [x] Display rendering using Effekt's graphics capabilities via html canvas
- [x] Keyboard input handling
- [x] Loading and running Chip-8 ROMs
## Can-have
- [x] Graphical user interface for loading and managing ROMs
- [ ] Debugger with step-through execution and breakpoints
- [ ] Save and load state functionality
- [x] Sound support for Chip-8 audio
## Will-not-have
- [ ] Networked multiplayer support
- [ ] Support for non-Chip-8 related features or extensions
- [x] Comprehensive test suite for the emulator
## Effects and handlers
I haven't decided on the exact namings of the effects and handlers yet, but here are some ideas for the effects that I am planning to use:
- Input/Output effects for handling keyboard and display
- State effects for managing the emulator's memory and registers
- Exception effects for handling invalid instructions or errors
- Timer effects for implementing Chip-8 timers and delays
## FFI and libraries
I am planning on using JS (js-web backend) to do the GUI related tasks, such as rendering the display and handling keyboard input. I will need to write some glue code to interface with the Chip-8 emulator's internal state and the external JS environment.
## Running The Project
To run the project, you need to have Effekt installed on your machine. You can find instructions on how to install Effekt [here](https://effekt-lang.org/docs)
After installing Effekt, you can run the project by executing the following command in the project's root directory:
```bash
effekt src/main.effekt --backend js-web --includes .
```
This will then produce a `main.html` and `main.js` file in the `out` directory. You can open the `main.html` file in your browser to run the emulator.
Chip-8 ROMs can be found online and loaded into the emulator by clicking the "Load ROM" button in the GUI.
If you want to enable audio, you can do so by clicking the "Enable Audio" button in the GUI.
## Keyboard Layout
| 1 (1) | 2 (2) | 3 (3) | 4 (C) |
| ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- |
| Q (4) | W (5) | E (6) | R (D) |
| A (7) | S (8) | D (9) | F (E) |
| Z (A) | X (0) | C (B) | V (F) |
## Resources
- [Cowgod's Chip-8 Technical Reference](http://devernay.free.fr/hacks/chip8/C8TECH10.HTM)
- [ROM Library](https://johnearnest.github.io/chip8Archive/?sort=platform#chip8)
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