# Chip-8
[](https://github.com/cgerling/chip-8/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
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Core library for a Chip-8 interpreter.
This library only handles the core logic to run Chip-8 programs and does not
handle any I/O, which allows it to be easily embedded into a UI.
Created by Joseph Weisbecker in the mid-1970s, Chip-8 is a programming language
composed of hexadecimal instructions and are executed on the fly by a virtual
machine. The language was created to make it easier to develop video games for
the [COSMAC VIP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COSMAC_VIP) microcomputer.
After becoming popular because of its simplicity, people started to implement
interpreter versions for other platforms but, because the language did not have
a formal specification, many of these versions some instruction had some
deviations on their behavior compared to the original COSMAC VIP version.
This project follows the [Cowgod's Chip-8 Technical Reference v1.0](http://devernay.free.fr/hacks/chip8/C8TECH10.HTM)
specification and partially replicates the specification on its own
documentation, being able to act as standalone documentation if needed.
## Usage
To run programs, you must initialize an interpreter instance
through `Chip8.initialize/1`:
```elixir
Chip8.initialize(program_data)
```
The returned interpreter instance holds all the required states for the program's
execution at a given point in time. Since the instance is just a pure data
structure, your application will be the one responsible to manage everything,
from user interaction to managing cycles and their relation with timers.
See all `Chip8` functions for more information about each operation.
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## Installation
The package can be installed by adding `chip8` to your list of dependencies in `mix.exs`:
```elixir
def deps do
[
{:chip8, "~> 1.0"}
]
end
```
The docs can be found at [https://hexdocs.pm/chip8](https://hexdocs.pm/chip8).
