Programming the Apple II - Everything you need to know

This is a beginner's guide to getting started with programming the Apple II. This tutorial covers what you need to do to set up the proper environment (both physical and emulated) and what resources to look at for further programming in either BASIC or Assembly specifically for this computer.

Emulators:
Windows: AppleWin

Linux: LinApple

Mac: Virtual ][

Javascript Online Version:

BASIC Programming
Watchable guides:

Readable guides:

Assembly Programming:
Assembler Software:

Watchable guides

Readable guides
(This guide has a very helpful chart of useful subroutines in Appendix A)

C2T
Use in the bin file of this project:
c2t-96h -n8 DISKNAME.DSK AIFFILENAME.aif
The .DSK file here is located in that same bin file, as will be the output, so you can adjust your path as needed

00:00 Getting an Apple II
01:20 Programming in BASIC
02:10 Programming in Assembly
03:40 A few more tips
04:22 Graphics Mode
06:07 Copying Digital Disk to Physical

[SuperNicktendo]

Thanks for this. I recently got my apple iiE all situated so I'm ready to put it through its paces

[Keegerator]

I’m looking to get into programming on my Apple IIc, thanks for this video! gave me a good idea of the basics and overview of graphics. much appreciated!

[michaelbauers]

cool. I did some Apple II programming back in the 1970s and into the 1980s. Assembly is hard because each instruction does so little, and it's a bunch of gotos. A C compiler seems like it would be perfect. It's close to assembler IMO. I think there was at least one C compiler for the Apple II. Not sure if it's native, or a cross compiler.

[tonycosta]

My first programming class was in Pascal on Apple II computers. They were also networked to a Corvus server with individual logins for each student.

[Boop__Doop]

I found my 2e at a garbage dump and it works pretty well

[KevinKurzsartdisplay]

Hey, it actually works, I tried this basic coding on the javascript software thing, I wasn’t sure if it was gonna work

[shannonpalmer]

thank you for this! It was very helpful because I have a dsk file for a drum programming application I can run on my Apple IIe, but I didn't have a good way to get that onto a floppy. This helped a ton!

[SteinBee]

Man this is much simpler than programming any other 1980's computer

[lawrencemarocco]

On the //c and enhanced //e with expanded 80-column card there is a double hi-res graphics mode with the 16 colors of low-res

[Austin-gjzj]

This video is incredible. I have cooked up the crazy idea that I'm going to learn how to code on an Apple ][. I'm mostly doing it because I think it'll make for a funny story, but I'm also hoping that the old timers were right when they said these old machines were simpler. I can't wait to play a bunch of old games and homebrew as well. Thank you!

[mattgio]

This is absolutely amazing - could you do another video about how that dsk to aif works? The idea of using sound to write data is absolutely incredible. I tried to learn more about this process but there isn't much online about it.

Amazing content as always!!!

[sirkastic]

Do you have directions on how to do this on a 2021 Macbook? I tried following the steps but I can't find the reset button on the keyboard

[TheGuyThatEveryoneIgnores]

Assembly? Back in the day, I programmed the Apple //e in raw machine language!

0300: A9 08 A0 03 20 3A DB 60
0308: C3 CF CF CC A0 D6 C9 C4
0310: C5 CF A1 8D 00
0300G

[puzzud]

Thanks for making this video. However, I don't understand why people choose to program natively from the machine (virtual or not). Cross compilation is where it is at. Back in the 80s, many people chose to use an Apple II to program, regardless of what platform they were targeted--and as better environments became available, they switched to them. Nintendo developers did not develop SNES games on an SNES. I know I raise this question while realizing there is a large number of people who similarly wonder why people like me & you choose to use & develop for these old machines at all!

[evcass]

Nothing on machine programming directly in the monitor?

[peterrealar.]

Did you make an example of how view the script of games like Oregon Trail? I'm quite curious of how that particular title was written.

[Incdvideo]

Like Your Video on programming the Apple II . I am using an online emulator, playing with code. Do not know I can save my work . Any suggestions? Like saving to computer if possble .Thank You .

[acasualviewer]

I loved the audio hack.. (but I don't think my old Apple //c has an audio input.. we were past that phase by the time I started using Apple 2s)

[mikehosken]

ADTpro is the easiest way to get disk images to floppy

[SireSquish]

First thing to load onto your apple 2 with this genius tape trick, is Apple Disk Transfer (ADT)