which assembler is this?

[sancho1980]

hi
i've downloaded masm because i want to test the example code in "the undocumented pc" book by frank van gilluwe (which i've just purchased)
now, i've got the following problem: loading and building the masm example code works fine
but when trying to build the example code in the book, i get compile errors; am i using the wrong assembler?
unfortunately, the book doesnt say anything about the assembler that should be used.
i've attached an example asm file from the book, could someone of you tell me how ill get this compiled.
this is the error i get:

Assembling: C:\test\BIOSVIEW.asm
C:\test\undocpc.inc(73) : error A2085: instruction or register not accepted in c
urrent CPU mode
C:\test\undocpc.inc(74) : error A2034: must be in segment block
C:\test\undocpc.inc(75) : fatal error A1008: unmatched macro nesting
_
Assembly Error
Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste . . .

Thanx,

Martin

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[PBrennick]

I cannot test it because I do not have undocpc.inc
I need to see that file so I can find out if it contains the cpu and model declarations.

Paul

[MichaelW]

Martin,

It is old MASM code, for a 16-bit EXE. There were major changes to MASM starting with version 6.0, so to assemble it with version 6.14 you need to add the /Zm switch to the ML command line, or add an OPTION M510 directive at the start of the source file. In case you don't know already, you need a 16-bit linker to create the EXE.

[sancho1980]

Martin,

It is old MASM code, for a 16-bit EXE. There were major changes to MASM starting with version 6.0, so to assemble it with version 6.14 you need to add the /Zm switch to the ML command line, or add an OPTION M510 directive at the start of the source file. In case you don't know already, you need a 16-bit linker to create the EXE.

Where can I get this old linker and how do I have to write this m510 option at the start of the source file (just like that: M510???)
How do I start the compilation and linking. Can this still be done from inside the editor?

Thanx,

Martin

[MichaelW]

You can get the 16-bit linker here. Both linkers have the same name, so take care to avoid overwriting the 32-bit linker when you extract the 16-bit linker. I, like others here, rename the 16-bit linker to LINK16 to avoid confusing the two.

Write the directive as "OPTION M510", without the quotes.

You can assemble and link, and create an assembly listing and a map file, with command lines like this:

ML /Fl /c biosview.asm
LINK16 biosview.obj,,biosview;

Qeditor is set up for 32-bit Windows applications. You could assemble from within the editor, but that's about it. I put all of my 16-bit DOS stuff in a separate directory, along with copies of ML.EXE and ML.ERR, and the 16-bit linker, and assemble and link with batch files.

[sancho1980]

You can assemble and link, and create an assembly listing and a map file, with command lines like this:
ML /Fl /c biosview.asm
LINK16 biosview.obj,,biosview;

Thanx for your very clear directions. Alas, I still get an assembly error, which looks like this:

C:\PROGRA~1\masm32\bin>ml /Fl /c BIOSVIEW.ASM
Microsoft (R) Macro Assembler Version 6.14.8444
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1981-1997.  All rights reserved.

Assembling: BIOSVIEW.ASM
BIOSVIEW.ASM(39) : fatal error A1010: unmatched block nesting

Any more suggestions?

Thanx,

Martin

[MichaelW]

Yes, I forgot about making that change. The statement should be "BMSG ends".

[sancho1980]

thank you!
that helped!

[sancho1980]

for sure:
some of the example code in the book is supposed to be assembled and linked into a com file
how do i achieve that?
thanx,

martin

[PBrennick]

Have you tried the /AT option in ml.exe?

from the command prompt, you can type ml.exe /? to see these various options.

Paul

[MichaelW]

The ML command line would be the same as for an EXE.

LINK16 options <objs>,<exefile>,<mapfile>,<libs>,<deffile>

To create a COM file, the minimum command line would be:

LINK16 /tiny filename.obj;

Or specify the executable file name in the <exefile> field to avoid the "name of output file is filename.com" warning:

LINK16 /tiny filename.obj,filename.com;

A source that uses the simplified segment definitions need not specify a tiny memory model, but regardless of how the segments are defined, the source must not contain far segment references.

[kermit]

for sure:
some of the example code in the book is supposed to be assembled and linked into a com file
how do i achieve that?
thanx,

martin

you can use the

Code Select Expand

.model tiny command on top of the source code

[sancho1980]

thank you
that helps
one more question: i also have a couple source examples which i think were written for tasm; the examples here deal with protected mode and how to switch over to it..what kind of an assembler would i need to compile this? 16 or 32 bit? is there a way to compile this using masm?
i've attached an example so you can have a look at it yourself!
thanx,
martin

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[PBrennick]

What I meant to say is you need to enable Tiny mode if you are using the 32 bit assembler. You use the /AT switch to do that. It is in the docs.

Paul

[Zest]

Hi,
The question is if this book is worth buying considering its old materials?
I mean this book"The Undocumented PC".
Please let me know.
Regards,
Zest.