A list can hold more choices than the screen has rows while its cursor still stays in view.
Use it in a project
ITEM_COUNT and PAGE_ROWS must be nonzero and SELECTED below ITEM_COUNT. TOP is a retained requested first row; clamp it to max(0, ITEM_COUNT-PAGE_ROWS). Shift it just enough to contain SELECTED. Return ROW=SELECTED-TOP and VISIBLE=min(PAGE_ROWS, ITEM_COUNT-TOP). Invalid input clears ROW/VISIBLE/VALID and preserves TOP. Selection changes, disabled choices and input repeat remain caller-owned.
Include component.inc once (MOS callers include the shared 6502 implementation through it). Reserve the public fields in this exact order: TOP, ROW, VISIBLE, VALID, SELECTED, ITEM_COUNT, PAGE_ROWS. They occupy 7 contiguous bytes. Also reserve the private workspace: T0, T1 (2 bytes). Array names in the explanation refer to the numbered consecutive bindings, such as C0, C1 and so on.
Call menu_page_window_init once at the intended reset boundary. It clears inputs as well as outputs and workspace. Set your starting state and configuration afterwards, then call menu_page_window_step whenever the described event occurs. The helper reads no device, waits for no frame and installs no interrupt handler.
| Ownership | Fields |
|---|---|
| Retain between calls | TOP |
| Supply before service | SELECTED, ITEM_COUNT and PAGE_ROWS |
| Read after service | TOP, ROW, VISIBLE and VALID |
Clamp the old window against the list, then move only when selection crosses either edge. Compute relative differences instead of adding page size to TOP, avoiding byte wrap near the end of a long list.
Reusable initialisation and service
; SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
; Keep a Menu Selection Visible. See README.md for the byte interface and ownership.
; init clears the public fields and private workspace; set inputs afterwards.
menu_page_window_init:
lda #0
sta TOP
sta ROW
sta VISIBLE
sta VALID
sta SELECTED
sta ITEM_COUNT
sta PAGE_ROWS
sta T0
sta T1
rts
menu_page_window_step:
; ROW = 0
lda #0
sta ROW
; VISIBLE = 0
lda #0
sta VISIBLE
; VALID = 0
lda #0
sta VALID
; if ITEM_COUNT == 0:
lda ITEM_COUNT
cmp #0
beq menu_page_window_L4
menu_page_window_L5:
jmp menu_page_window_L2
menu_page_window_L4:
jmp menu_page_window_L1
menu_page_window_L1:
; return
rts
jmp menu_page_window_L3
menu_page_window_L2:
menu_page_window_L3:
; if PAGE_ROWS == 0:
lda PAGE_ROWS
cmp #0
beq menu_page_window_L9
menu_page_window_L10:
jmp menu_page_window_L7
menu_page_window_L9:
jmp menu_page_window_L6
menu_page_window_L6:
; return
rts
jmp menu_page_window_L8
menu_page_window_L7:
menu_page_window_L8:
; if SELECTED >= ITEM_COUNT:
lda SELECTED
cmp ITEM_COUNT
bcs menu_page_window_L14
menu_page_window_L15:
jmp menu_page_window_L12
menu_page_window_L14:
jmp menu_page_window_L11
menu_page_window_L11:
; return
rts
jmp menu_page_window_L13
menu_page_window_L12:
menu_page_window_L13:
; VALID = 1
lda #1
sta VALID
; T0 = 0
lda #0
sta T0
; if ITEM_COUNT > PAGE_ROWS:
lda ITEM_COUNT
cmp PAGE_ROWS
beq menu_page_window_L20
bcs menu_page_window_L19
menu_page_window_L20:
jmp menu_page_window_L17
menu_page_window_L19:
jmp menu_page_window_L16
menu_page_window_L16:
; T0 = ITEM_COUNT - PAGE_ROWS
lda ITEM_COUNT
sec
sbc PAGE_ROWS
sta T0
jmp menu_page_window_L18
menu_page_window_L17:
menu_page_window_L18:
; if TOP > T0:
lda TOP
cmp T0
beq menu_page_window_L25
bcs menu_page_window_L24
menu_page_window_L25:
jmp menu_page_window_L22
menu_page_window_L24:
jmp menu_page_window_L21
menu_page_window_L21:
; TOP = T0
lda T0
sta TOP
jmp menu_page_window_L23
menu_page_window_L22:
menu_page_window_L23:
; if SELECTED < TOP:
lda SELECTED
cmp TOP
bcc menu_page_window_L29
menu_page_window_L30:
jmp menu_page_window_L27
menu_page_window_L29:
jmp menu_page_window_L26
menu_page_window_L26:
; TOP = SELECTED
lda SELECTED
sta TOP
jmp menu_page_window_L28
menu_page_window_L27:
; T1 = SELECTED - TOP
lda SELECTED
sec
sbc TOP
sta T1
; if T1 >= PAGE_ROWS:
lda T1
cmp PAGE_ROWS
bcs menu_page_window_L34
menu_page_window_L35:
jmp menu_page_window_L32
menu_page_window_L34:
jmp menu_page_window_L31
menu_page_window_L31:
; T1 = SELECTED - PAGE_ROWS
lda SELECTED
sec
sbc PAGE_ROWS
sta T1
; TOP = T1 + 1
lda T1
clc
adc #1
sta TOP
jmp menu_page_window_L33
menu_page_window_L32:
menu_page_window_L33:
menu_page_window_L28:
; ROW = SELECTED - TOP
lda SELECTED
sec
sbc TOP
sta ROW
; VISIBLE = ITEM_COUNT - TOP
lda ITEM_COUNT
sec
sbc TOP
sta VISIBLE
; if VISIBLE > PAGE_ROWS:
lda VISIBLE
cmp PAGE_ROWS
beq menu_page_window_L40
bcs menu_page_window_L39
menu_page_window_L40:
jmp menu_page_window_L37
menu_page_window_L39:
jmp menu_page_window_L36
menu_page_window_L36:
; VISIBLE = PAGE_ROWS
lda PAGE_ROWS
sta VISIBLE
jmp menu_page_window_L38
menu_page_window_L37:
menu_page_window_L38:
rts
component_end:Machine contract
A/X/status may change; Y is preserved. The 2A03 has no decimal arithmetic mode. A direct JSR needs two return-address stack bytes. The helper makes no nested calls and adds no other stack use. Its named scratch is private workspace, not a pointer, a ROM variable or shared zero-page space that the game may borrow concurrently. The samples use fixed symbol bindings. Scope or rename every label and binding, including the component_end measurement marker, and allocate a separate block for each independent instance. Different helpers can also use common field names, so combining them needs separate namespaces or explicitly renamed bindings. Give each block one mutation owner.
The NROM caller owns PPU setup and background display, with NMI and DMC disabled. Table and packet sizes are bounded to fit the cartridge caller and internal RAM; the helper owns no PPU registers.
Adapt the caller
demo.asm supplies the bindings and include order. exercise.inc first runs table cases, then a separate client retaining state between calls. A game can call the public step entry directly and remove the diagnostic packet and display. Do not copy the diagnostic’s hardware takeover into an existing game loop.
Build with make ASM198X=/path/to/asm198x. The Makefile produces normal, custom, deliberately wrong and repaired programs. Tools must already be installed; the sample downloads nothing.
Bindings and include order
.segment "HEADER"
.byte "NES",$1a,2,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
TOP=$80
ROW=$81
VISIBLE=$82
VALID=$83
SELECTED=$84
ITEM_COUNT=$85
PAGE_ROWS=$86
T0=$87
T1=$88
STATE=$80
input_ptr=$70
cases_left=$72
ptr=$74
saved_y=$76
OUTPUT=$0200
preview=OUTPUT+1400
ready=OUTPUT+1408
CUSTOM=0
BROKEN=0
COYOTE_STEPS=4
BUFFER_STEPS=4
TEXT_CAP=8
PROPERTY_COUNT=16
STREAM_BYTES=13
CRC_POLY=7
.include "caller.inc"
.include "exercise.inc"
component_start:
.include "component.inc"
.include "data.inc"
.include "cases.inc"
code_end:
.segment "VECTORS"
.word nmi,reset,irq
.segment "CHARS"
.include "../../input/controller-reading/edges-font.inc"
.res 8192-272,0A client retaining state between calls
preview_rules:
.if CUSTOM
; ITEM_COUNT = 255
lda #255
sta ITEM_COUNT
; PAGE_ROWS = 8
lda #8
sta PAGE_ROWS
; SELECTED = 254
lda #254
sta SELECTED
; TOP = 255
lda #255
sta TOP
.if BROKEN
; TOP = 0
lda #0
sta TOP
.endif
jsr checked_step
jsr emit_state
rts
.else
; ITEM_COUNT = 20
lda #20
sta ITEM_COUNT
; PAGE_ROWS = 4
lda #4
sta PAGE_ROWS
; SELECTED = 5
lda #5
sta SELECTED
.if BROKEN
; TOP = 0
lda #0
sta TOP
.endif
jsr checked_step
jsr emit_state
; SELECTED = 6
lda #6
sta SELECTED
.if BROKEN
; TOP = 0
lda #0
sta TOP
.endif
jsr checked_step
jsr emit_state
; SELECTED = 3
lda #3
sta SELECTED
.if BROKEN
; TOP = 0
lda #0
sta TOP
.endif
jsr checked_step
jsr emit_state
.endif
rtsCustomise it
Show the last item of a 255-entry list in an eight-row page. The maintained custom caller changes its inputs or client sequence rather than hiding a different implementation behind the same label. Compare every state of the two clients, not only their final display.
Custom client selection
.segment "HEADER"
.byte "NES",$1a,2,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
TOP=$80
ROW=$81
VISIBLE=$82
VALID=$83
SELECTED=$84
ITEM_COUNT=$85
PAGE_ROWS=$86
T0=$87
T1=$88
STATE=$80
input_ptr=$70
cases_left=$72
ptr=$74
saved_y=$76
OUTPUT=$0200
preview=OUTPUT+1400
ready=OUTPUT+1408
CUSTOM=1
BROKEN=0
COYOTE_STEPS=2
BUFFER_STEPS=2
TEXT_CAP=4
PROPERTY_COUNT=16
STREAM_BYTES=13
CRC_POLY=49
.include "caller.inc"
.include "exercise.inc"
component_start:
.include "component.inc"
.include "data.inc"
.include "cases.inc"
code_end:
.segment "VECTORS"
.word nmi,reset,irq
.segment "CHARS"
.include "../../input/controller-reading/edges-font.inc"
.res 8192-272,0The custom diagnostic row is F7 07 08 01 FE FF 08 00. The full client trace in the source explains how it gets there.
Mistake and repair
The wrong client resets the retained top row before each call. Moving back to row three jumps the list to the beginning instead of preserving the nearby window. Retain TOP between selection changes.
The BROKEN branch lives in the sequential client, not the reusable helper. wrong.asm selects it; repaired.asm restores the normal call sequence. The repaired executable matches the normal program (for Spectrum, compare loaded CODE rather than the tape filename).
Select the deliberately wrong client
.segment "HEADER"
.byte "NES",$1a,2,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
TOP=$80
ROW=$81
VISIBLE=$82
VALID=$83
SELECTED=$84
ITEM_COUNT=$85
PAGE_ROWS=$86
T0=$87
T1=$88
STATE=$80
input_ptr=$70
cases_left=$72
ptr=$74
saved_y=$76
OUTPUT=$0200
preview=OUTPUT+1400
ready=OUTPUT+1408
CUSTOM=0
BROKEN=1
COYOTE_STEPS=4
BUFFER_STEPS=4
TEXT_CAP=8
PROPERTY_COUNT=16
STREAM_BYTES=13
CRC_POLY=7
.include "caller.inc"
.include "exercise.inc"
component_start:
.include "component.inc"
.include "data.inc"
.include "cases.inc"
code_end:
.segment "VECTORS"
.word nmi,reset,irq
.segment "CHARS"
.include "../../input/controller-reading/edges-font.inc"
.res 8192-272,0
Cost and alternatives
The measured helper extent is 225 code bytes; public state is 7 bytes and private scratch is 2 bytes. There are no immutable helper tables. Caller data, the test cases, return-address stack, alignment and display buffers cost additional space. These are assembled sizes, not cycle measurements.
Constant work regardless of list length. Redraw only changed rows when your display path permits it; the helper does not promise that scrolling a bitmap costs the same as changing a hardware character map.
The helper returns logical indices, not character or pixel positions. Count255 means valid indices0..254. An empty list needs a separate empty-state view. For variable-height rows, use a pixel-offset viewport rather than this fixed-row policy.
Execution evidence
Four variants run on NTSC NROM, background only, DMC/NMI disabled, using Asm198x 0.0.72, Emu198x 0.44.2. Each executes 64 boundary/varied/error table cases, dirty initialisation and the separate retained-state client. An independent mathematical/container model checks every public byte after every call. This is bounded example coverage, not exhaustive correctness for every possible state.
The records retain loaded immutable code, completion, register sentinels, full packets, source/tool/firmware hashes and captures. The public gate validates these retained observations and rejects altered evidence; it does not run restricted firmware. No firmware is distributed. The eight displayed bytes are the first eight public fields, zero-padded when shorter; the packet includes every field.
Where it fits
Menu navigation: Resolve selection and disabled options first, then use this window to choose which rows to draw.