greetings

[Hugh Aguilar]

Hello. i was tipped off to this forum by Nathan Baker on alt.lang.asm:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.lang.asm/browse_thread/thread/bf11375d1db692e0#

I've programmed professionally for a wide variety of assemblers for various processors, from the PIC16 to the IBM370. On the x86 I used MASM/TASM, which I found complicated, and A86 which I liked. I am currently learning HLA --- all of my posts will be in regard to HLA, as I don't have much interest in MASM at this time.

  :8)

[Bill Cravener]

--- all of my posts will be in regard to HLA, as I don't have much interest in MASM at this time.

  :8)

Thats too bad, but thats ok we Masm32 lovers won't hold it against you. :bg

Welcome to the board!

[Hugh Aguilar]

--- all of my posts will be in regard to HLA, as I don't have much interest in MASM at this time.

  :8)

Thats too bad, but thats ok we Masm32 lovers won't hold it against you. :bg

Welcome to the board!

Primarily why I'm using HLA is because it has libraries available for console-mode software. This includes the ability to put the cursor anywhere on the screen and print text there. I will need this for the IDE. Also, HLA libraries assemble for either Linux or Windows without any change in the source-code of my program. I am pretty sure that MASM is Windows specific (the 'M' does mean MicroSoft). I looked into FASM and NASM, but they didn't seem to have libraries comparable to HLA's either.

I'm not all that enthusiastic about HLA; I am finding the macro language to be difficult. I would really prefer to have a simple assembler, and have the macro language be a separate program written in a mainstream language.

A lot of assembly language programmers over on comp.lang.asm.x86 seem to hate HLA and some even deny that it is an assembler at all. That's nonsense --- of course its an assembler! I'm not very enthusiastic about it, but I think that it is worth learning.

Thanks for welcoming me.

[jj2007]

Primarily why I'm using HLA is because it has libraries available for console-mode software. This includes the ability to put the cursor anywhere on the screen and print text there.

Much of the software here in the Forum is console mode, and writing a Locate(x,y) macro is not that difficult - example here - or try the hangman game example. Even Unicode console apps are possible, with Chinese or Arabic text.

A more important argument might be the portability. But weigh that against the much better Masm/Jwasm macro engine. With a simple switch...

Code Select Expand

xyz MACRO args
if Linux
  call xyzL
else
  call xyzW
endif
ENDM
... you can write portable apps.

[FORTRANS]

I am pretty sure that MASM is Windows specific (the 'M' does mean MicroSoft).

Hi,

   Not originally.  PC-DOS/MS-DOS 1.0 came with two assemblers,
ASM and MASM.  ASM was simpler than MASM which added macros.
So MASM was Macro Assembler.  The free downloads of MASM
come with a requirement that you not use it for non-Windows
(non-Microsoft OS?) programing (EULA).  The commercially sold
versions did not (the old ones I own at least).

   Hope you find the forum useful.

Regards,

Steve N.