HPAVC

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ HPAVC / HPAVC CD-ROM.iso / pc / MASM.ZIP / README.DOC < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1991-04-03 | 17.6 KB | 635 lines

README.DOC File Release Notes for the Microsoft(R) Macro Assembler Professional Development System, Version 6.0 (C) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1991 This document contains release notes for version 6.0 of the Microsoft Macro Assembler Professional Development System for MS-DOS(R) and the Microsoft Operating System/2 (MS(R) OS/2). The information in this document and in the Microsoft Advisor (online help) is more up-to-date than that in the manuals. Microsoft improves its languages documentation at the time of reprinting, so some of the information in this file may already be included in your manuals. ================================< Contents >================================ This file has 7 parts: Part Contents ---- -------- 1 Information for MASM 5.1 programmers 2 Notes on "Installing and Using" 3 Notes on "MASM 6.0 Reference" 4 Notes on "MASM 6.0 Programmer's Guide" 5 Using the DOS-Extended assembler 6 Changes to CMACROS.INC 7 Known assembler bugs ===============< Part 1: Information for MASM 5.1 programmers >============= "Quick Start" booklet --------------------- If you have programs that assemble with previous versions of MASM, this booklet will help you to use MASM 6.0. =================< Part 2: Notes on "Installing and Using" >================ Installation Program Notes -------------------------- - Use "SETUP /M" if you are using a monochrome display adapter as your primary display. - Under OS/2, if you are already running QuickHelp as a keyboard monitor, disable it before running SETUP so that it can copy new versions of QuickHelp and MSHELP.DLL to your hard disk. ==================< Part 3: Notes on "MASM 6.0 Reference" >================= Page Note ---- ---- 16 MASM /D Option -------------- The /D Option is translated as follows: /D Creates a Pass 1 listing. Translated to /Fl /Sf. 17 ML /VM Option ------------- /VM Enables virtual memory under MS-DOS. 33 EXITM Directive --------------- The EXITM directive takes an optional textitem, not an expression. 152 XCHG Instruction ---------------- The second example line should be as follows: xchg dl, dh ==============< Part 4: Notes on "MASM 6.0 Programmer's Guide" >============ Reserved Words -------------- Add this paragraph to the description of reserved words in Section 1.21, "Reserved Words," and Appendix D, "MASM Reserved Words": With the /Zm command-line option or OPTION M510, keywords and instructions that are not available in the current CPU mode (such as ENTER under .8086) are not treated as keywords. The USE32, FLAT, FAR32, and NEAR32 segment types and the 80386/486 registers are not keywords with processor selection directives less than .386. ALIGN, EVEN, and ORG in Structures and Unions --------------------------------------------- Add this paragraph to Section 5.2, "Structures and Unions." The ALIGN, EVEN, and ORG directives can be used during structure definition to modify how offsets of elements are defined. The EVEN and ALIGN directives will round the current field offset up to the specified align value by inserting padding bytes into the skipped space. The ORG directive may be used to change the current field offset to a new value, either positive or negative. If the ORG directive is used in a structure definition, you cannot create an instance of the structure. Nested Structure Example ------------------------ Change this line in the first example of Section 5.2.2, "Defining Structure and Union Variables." ITYPE UNION should be: UNION ITYPE PUSHCONTEXT/POPCONTEXT Table ---------------------------- The table in Section 9.7.2, "Testing for Argument Type and Environment" should be as follows: Option Description ------ ----------- ASSUMES Saves segment register information LISTING Saves listing and CREF information CPU Saves current CPU and processor RADIX Saves current default radix ALL All of the above New Anonymous Bitfield Syntax ----------------------------- Add these paragraphs to Section 16.3.5, "Bit Fields." H2INC translates anonymous bitfields by padding with a tag corresponding to the bit position. For example, struct s { int :8; int j:8; } becomes: s RECORD j@s:8, @8@s:8 Basic/MASM Far Externs ---------------------- Add these paragraphs to Section 20.3.3, "The Basic/MASM Interface." When interfacing with Basic, all EXTERNs that are far must be declared outside of a code or data segment. This is incorrect: .MODEL medium .CODE EXTERN StringAddress:FAR This is correct: .MODEL medium EXTERN StringAddress:FAR .CODE New Command-line Options ------------------------ Add these paragraphs to Appendix C, "Generating and Reading Assembly Listings." With the PAGE directive, the default page length is 0 (infinite), and the default page width is 0 (infinite). The allowable range of values is 0 and 60-255 for page width, 0 and 10-255 for page length. With the /Sf option, a first-pass listing will be generated even if a fatal error occurs. The symbol table will be appended onto the end of the listing file unless you give the /Sn option. The first-pass listing is controlled by the same set of commands that are used with the final listing. Additional Error Messages ------------------------- Add these new or changed error messages to Appendix F, "Error Messages." MASM fatal error A1006 invalid command-line option: 'option' ML did not recognize the given parameter as an option. This error is generally caused when there is a syntax error on the command line. It can also be generated by trying to assemble multiple assembly language files on the MLX driver command line. MASM fatal error A1017 out of near memory There was insufficient memory to assemble the program. One of the following may be a solution: - If you are using the NMAKE utility, try using NMK or assembling outside of NMAKE. - in PWB, try exiting and assembling using ML. - In OS/2, try increasing the swap space. - In DOS, remove terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) software. - If you have extended memory available, use the MLX.EXE driver. - Change CONFIG.SYS to specify a lower number of buffers (the BUFFERS= command) and fewer drives (the LASTDRIVE= command). - Eliminate unnecessary INCLUDE directives. MASM fatal error A1019 invocation failed : retry command line with /VM option ML tried to restart itself with the /VM option but failed. Enter the ML command line again, but add the /VM virtual-memory option explicitly. MLX fatal error A1800 processor not 80286 or above You can only run MLX.EXE on an 80286 or above processor. Use ML.EXE if you do not have an 80286 or 80386/486 processor. MLX fatal error A1801 processor in protected or virtual 8086 mode The MLX driver cannot run from XMS memory when in protected or virtual 8086 mode. MLX fatal error A1802 DPMI, VCPI, or XMS driver not installed The MLX driver cannot find a compatible driver in memory. You must have a DPMI, VCPI, or XMS driver, such as HIMEM.SYS, installed before running MLX.EXE. MLX fatal error A1803 unexpected initialization error The MLX driver was unable to initialize the memory manager. Make sure that you have a compatible DPMI, VCPI, or XMS driver installed. HIMEM.SYS is a compatible XMS driver and is included in this package. MLX fatal error A1804 not enough near memory to load MLX.EXE There was insufficient memory to start the DOS-extended assembler. One of the following may be a solution: - If you are using the NMAKE utility, try using NMK or assembling outside of NMAKE. - Remove terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) software. - Change CONFIG.SYS to specify a lower number of buffers (the BUFFERS= command) and fewer drives (the LASTDRIVE= command). MLX fatal error A1805 unable to run under Windows in standard mode You can only run MLX.EXE in a Windows DOS box when running real or 386 enhanced mode. MLX fatal error A1806 insufficient extended memory to load ML.EXE There is not enough extended memory available to load the assembler into high memory. Change your configuration to give more memory to the DOS extender. This may involve reducing the size of a RAM disk or cache. MLX fatal error A1807 disk I/O error while loading program The assembler encountered an error when trying to load ML into high memory. One of the following may be a cause: - The disk has a bad sector. - The file-access attribute is set to prevent reading. - The drive is not ready. MLX fatal error A1808 out of space in GDT The MLX driver could not add enough entries to the Global Descriptor Table (GDT). You may be able to overcome this problem by rebooting your system and running MLX.EXE before starting other programs. MLX fatal error A1809 bad environment table There was an invalid environment table passed to MLX.EXE. The calling program passed a bad environment table. This error can be caused by a corrupt version of COMMAND.COM. MLX fatal error A1810 cannot load ML.EXE The ML driver could not be found in the current path. Make sure that the DOS version of ML.EXE was copied from the distribution disks and is in the current path. MLX fatal error A1811 ML.EXE not protected-mode compatible An obsolete version of ML.EXE was found in the current path. Make sure that the DOS version of ML.EXE was copied from the distribution disks and is in the current path. MLX fatal error A1850 unrecoverable fault The MLX driver called ML.EXE, which generated a system error. Note the circumstances of the error and notify Microsoft Corporation by following the instructions in the Microsoft Product Assistance Request form at the back of one of your manuals. MASM error A2007 non-benign record redefinition A RECORD definition conflicted with a previous definition. One of the following occurred: - There were different numbers of fields. - There were different numbers of bits in a field. - There was a different label. - There were different initializers. MASM error A2202 illegal use of segment register You cannot use segment overrides for the FS or GS segment registers when generating floating-point emulation instructions with the /FPi command-line option or OPTION EMULATOR. MASM error A2203 cannot declare scoped code label as PUBLIC A code label defined with the "label:" syntax was declared PUBLIC. Use the "label::" syntax, the LABEL directive, or OPTION NOSCOPED to eliminate this error. MASM error A2204 .MSFLOAT directive is obsolete : ignored The Microsoft Binary Format is no longer supported. You should convert your code to the IEEE numeric standard, which is used in the 80x87-series coprocessors. MASM error A2205 ESC instruction is obsolete : ignored The ESC (Escape) instruction is no longer supported. All numeric coprocessor instructions are now supported directly by the assembler. MASM warning A4005 unknown default prologue argument An unknown argument was passed to the default prologue. The default prologue understands only the FORCEFRAME and LOADDS arguments. MASM warning A4013 line number information for segment without class 'CODE' There were instructions in a segment that did not have a class name that ends with "CODE". The assembler did not generate CodeView information for these instructions. CodeView cannot process modules with code in segments with class names that do not end with "CODE". MASM warning A4014 instructions and initialized data not supported in AT segments An instruction or initialized data was found in a segment defined with the AT attribute. The code or data will not be loaded at run time. Data in AT segments must be declared with the ? initializer. MASM warning A6004 procedure argument or local not referenced You passed a procedure argument or created a variable with the LOCAL directive that was not used in the procedure body. Unnecessary parameters and locals waste code and stack space. MASM warning A6005 IF condition may be pass-dependent Under the /Zm command-line option or the OPTION M510 directive, the value of an IF condition changed between passes. This error message may indicate that the code is pass-dependent and must be rewritten. H2INC fatal error HI1801 incomplete model specification Only part of a custom memory-model specification was specified on the command line. When you specify a custom memory model with the /A command-line option, you must specify code pointer distance, data pointer distance, and DS register setup. This error is equivalent to the D2013 error message for CL. =================< Part 5: Using the DOS-extended assembler >=============== MLX: The DOS-Extended Assembler ------------------------------- There is a new DOS-extended driver for ML called MLX. MLX loads ML.EXE into high memory so that the assembler takes up very little space in the first 640K of memory. MLX uses extended memory to run ML in protected mode. If you have multiple extended memory drivers available, MLX will select the driver to use in this order: - DPMI - VCPI - XMS The HIMEM.SYS XMS driver is included in the MASM 6.0 package and is automatically copied by setup into the real-mode executables directory as MLX.EXE. To use HIMEM.SYS, put the following line into your CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE = <path>HIMEM.SYS Where <path> is the path to the location of HIMEM.SYS. Use MLX only if running ML with the /VM virtual-memory option fails due to an out of memory error. Because it runs in real mode, ML with the /VM command-line option can run significantly faster than MLX. MLX Requirements ---------------- MLX requires an active DPMI, VCPI or XMS driver and at least 384K of available extended memory to operate. Differences between ML and MLX ------------------------------ The MLX DOS-extended driver can only assemble one source file at a time. You must split multiple-file assemblies into several invocations of MLX. If you want to use MLX from the PWB command line, you must manually change your makefile to reflect the name of the MLX driver. Change the line: ASM = ML to ASM = MLX ======================< Part 6: Changes to CMACROS.INC >==================== Using CMACROS.INC ----------------- There is a new, MASM 6.0-compatible version of CMACROS.INC included with the assembler. If you work with the Windows 3.0 Software Development Kit, or the C 6.0 or FORTRAN 5.0 startup code, use the new version of CMACROS.INC. C and FORTRAN Startup Sources ----------------------------- To build the C or FORTRAN start-up sources, change the ASMFLAGS line of MAKEFILE from ASMFLAGS= -Mx -Dmem_$(MODEL) -I$(INC) to ASMFLAGS= -Mx -Dmem_$(MODEL) -I$(INC) -DMS_STARTUP =====================< Part 7: Known assembler bugs >=================== Ambiguous Radix Characters -------------------------- The assembler accepts numeric characters outside the range of the current radix. These characters are given their appropriate values but are handled under the current radix. For example, .RADIX 10 mov ax, 1F mov bx, 1Fh loads ax with 25 (10 from the tens digit and 15 from the ones). The bx register is loaded properly.