Missing error messages

[jj2007]

Code Select Expand

Chr$ MACRO args:VARARG
Local NewString
  .DATA
  NewString db args, 0
  .CODE
  EXITM <offset NewString>
ENDM
WinMain proc ....
  ...
  invoke CreateWindowEx, 0, wc.lpszClassName, Chr$("Hello World"), ...
  ret
WinMain endp
Looks harmless, right?
Error A2142: Unmatched block nesting: WinMain

I wasted a lot of time chasing this bug; in the end, it turned out that one word was missing before WinMain proc...:  .code

So when Chr$() is being used, there is a switch from .data to .code

IMHO a PROC in the .DATA section should trigger a "wrong section" error.

Original post

[HSE]

JWAsm and UAsm have problems with errors, mostly with error location. Nidud solved that, but he change so much things that made his assembler Masm incompatible.

[_japheth]

IMHO a PROC in the .DATA section should trigger a "wrong section" error.

This would introduce a severe incompatibility. The following code - no problems for masm/jwasm/uasm - would be rejected:

Code Select Expand

.386
.MODEL flat
externdef final_dest:near

.data
assume cs:_DATA

test1 proc
mov eax,1
mov ebx,2
ret
test1 endp
end_of_test1:

.code
mov esi, offset test1
mov ecx, end_of_test1 - test1
mov edi, offset final_dest
rep movsb

END

An assembler must be able to handle code as data.

[jj2007]

a severe incompatibility

Ok, make it a warning then; anything that gives a hint what "unmatched block nesting" could really mean will be considered helpful.

[johnsa]

Silly suggestion.. don't forget .CODE ? :)

[jj2007]

Yes, a "warning: you are executing code in the data section - did you forget .CODE?" would be perfect