!Crunchie v0.98 (21 Mar 2025)

• delete comments, blank lines, empty statements and spaces.
• shorten variable, procedure and function names.
• convert SWI names after SYS/SWI to numbers.
• convert ASC with literal strings to numbers.
• convert constant variables to literal values.
• remove debugging statements.
• remove unwanted routines.
• concatenate lines.
• crunch multiple library files to same values.
• append crunched libraries to the main program.

• Fixed several simple errors.
• Removed duplicated or unused code and files.
• Corrected Analysis list for Literals and source files.
• Improved some error messages.
• Removed assumption that programs and Libraries start with REM.
• Avoided redundant colons at start/end of line.
• Moved all available releases and recent changes to RISC OS Git.

• Removed limits on numbers of variables, PROCs and FNs.
• Changed to always keep any commas after NEXT.
• If CHR$ inserts a quote into a literal, it is doubled.
• Inserted Crunch line with 1st REM lineno, or zero if none.
• Added Unused? to Analysis list for items referenced only once.
• Avoided losing ELSE when immediately after NEXT.
• Added blank if new E variable immediately after digit.
• Changed Analysis heading to be like Crunchie heading.
• Avoided loop if 1st line had REM but not at start.
• Optimised FNfirst_line and PROCout_msg.
• Stopped adding blank before E if at start of line.
• Stopped LET changing 1 character variables to literals.
• Catered for assembler opcodes with following text.
• Catered for too many ]'s closing assembler code.
• Corrected MOVEQ within assembler.
• Fixed OPT usage in assembler.
• Fixed eg LDRB r5,[optxxx] crunching as OPT+variable.
• Fixed problem with Assembler Shifts eg LSR.
• Keywords -basalt, -translate and -constants now error.
• Many updates to the Manual, and conversion to StrongHelp.

Many may question whether a BASIC cruncher is of any use. I would suggest that for large programs it can be very useful. Crunchie takes 6 seconds to process a 1.5GB program spread over 43 source files. The 76% reduction gives real benefits in size and performance.

After Steve sadly died in December 2022, it was his wish that his Kappa website and software remained available, and there is a full copy of his website available here, and Crunchie v0.93 is available here.