don't get this structure referencing syntax (round brackets)

[Rainstorm]

hi,
in the masm manual there's this syntax used in one example

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mov     al, (DATE PTR [bx]).month

they don't seem to mention there anything much about the round brackets usage.
i understand the usual dot referencing of structure elements, & getting the start offset in a reg & accessing the rest of the elements;.. just the round brackets & that whole line don't make sense

by trying it out I can kinda see what it does.. but syntax wise.. the whole thing doesn't make any sense.

Another thing, i tried this example & this line doesn't work movzx eax, (today ptr [ebx]).month , while this line works movzx eax, (date ptr [ebx]).month

thankyou.

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    date    struct
      month  db    5
      day    db    2
      year   dd   1971 
    date    ends

    today   date   <>

.code
start:
    mov ebx, offset today
    movzx eax, (date ptr [ebx]).month
;  movzx eax, (today ptr [ebx]).month    ; this line doesn't work

    fn MessageBox, 0, ustr$(eax),"Value", MB_OK
    exit


[Rainstorm]

to the 2nd question;.. i guess movzx eax, (today ptr [ebx]).month doesn't work because, it just takes a type argument, not a varaible defined as a structure type. - the reason for that part seems clearer now, the 'type' supplies the template.. & the [ebx] part supplies the start offset

[drizz]

And here comes the power of masm:

movzx eax, ((type today) ptr [ebx]).month

In what other assembler can you do this...

[Rainstorm]

drizz, that's great i tried that..& it works!!  ; )
- - - - - - -
I seen this in the ml manuals

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[register]. field [[. field]]. . .

and i tried this code.. but it doesn't work.. what am i doing wrong.

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    mov ebx, offset date
    movzx eax, [ebx].day


Thankyou
-

[drizz]

Use assume!

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assume ebx:ptr date
mov ebx, offset date
movzx eax, [ebx].day
assume ebx:nothing

or

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mov ebx, offset date
movzx eax, [ebx].date.day

[Rainstorm]

drizz , thanks a lot for the solutions, & voodoo ; )
I'm just trying to make sense of all the syntax usage, especially the typedef related stuff & accessing the structures in these ways- (if you know any sections of the documentation that, are particularly related to all this kind of usage.. pls, give me a pointer.)