Here is a list of the most common types of memory bank that will be used with AMOS Professional programs:
Bank Name Items Stored Bank Type Memory Notes Sprites Sprite or Bob images Permanent Chip Bank 1 only Icons Icon images Permanent Chip Bank 2 only Music Melodies Permanent Chip Bank 3 only AMAL AMAL progs. and PL table Permanent Fast Bank 4 only Samples audio samples Permanent Chip Bank 5 default Menu menu definitions Permanent Fast any bank Pic.Pac compressed pictures Permanent Fast any bank Resource buttons and dialogues Permanent Fast any bank Tracker Noisetracker music Permanent Chip any bank Chip Work temporary chip workspace Temporary Chip any bank Fast Work temporary fast workspace Temporary Fast any bank Chip Data long-term chip data Permanent Chip any bank Fast Data constant fast data Permanent Fast any bank
Reserving a bank
It has already been explained that AMOS Professional allocates certain types of bank
automatically. To create any other required memory bank, they must first be "reserved". The
RESERVE AS command is followed by the type of bank that you want to create, a comma, then
the number of bytes needed for the length of this bank.
If a selected bank already exists, it will be erased to make room for the new definition.
Allowable bank numbers range from 1 to 65535, but because bank numbers 1 to 4 are already used internally by the AMOS Professional system, new banks should be reserved using the bank numbers 5 and above. For users who have upgraded from earlier versions of the AMOS system, you will have noted the increase in the range of available bank numbers from the original 15. There are four alternative types of bank that can be reserved, and these will now be explained.
RESERVE AS DATA
instruction: reserve a new data bank
Reserve As Data bank number,length
This reserves the selected bank number with the number of bytes specified as its length. Data banks are permanent, and wherever possible, their memory will be allocated from fast memory, so this type of bank should not be used for information such as Objects and samples which need to be accessed directly by the Amiga's hardware chips.
RESERVE AS WORK
instruction: reserve a new work bank
Reserve as Work bank number,length
This allocates a temporary workspace of the requested length from fast memory, if it is available.