Getting started with the STM8 HAL development environment. Tutorial documents in Markdown.
Here you find links and hints to important documents like datasheets and user manuals for the STM8 series as well as the available compilers.
Start a project in the IAR Emebdded Workbench. Copy the necessary files and change the necessary settings.
After these two tutorials, you should know, how to build your own project from the templates and resource files provided by the manufacturers.
Why use an 8 bit MCU anyways, if there are powerful STM32 microtontrollers available?
Sometimes they simply are the more cost efficient solution.
Example:
I worked on a project which used an analog comparator circuit to toggle an LED with a threshold and hysteresis (charging status LED). It turns out that the comparator and the 1% resistors (~ $0.10/pc.) necessary for the voltage threshold cost more than a single STM8S MCU (< $0.40). The STM8S offers internal ADCs which solves the problem of the voltage threshold and hysteresis. And you save on a couple of resistors.