The MASM Forum

Microsoft 64 bit MASM => MASM64 SDK => Topic started by: vvanag on February 19, 2025, 05:52:05 PM

Title: Diference between MASM64 SDK and Microsoft MSVC compiler
Post by: vvanag on February 19, 2025, 05:52:05 PM
It is not clear to me what is the difference.

This video shows how to download the tools from Microsoft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAWYJ3KF97o (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAWYJ3KF97o)
Title: Re: Diference between MASM64 SDK and Microsoft MSVC compiler
Post by: zedd151 on February 19, 2025, 10:02:24 PM
"Diference between MASM64 SDK and Microsoft MSVC compiler"
That is comparing apples and oranges. Perhaps you misworded that?

The Masm64 SDK is a set of libraries, macros and other related material written mainly by Hutch--, but with some contributions by other members (and offered on this site - and not by Microsoft).

Now If you meant ML64.exe, that is a Macro Assembler offered by Microsoft for 64 bit assembly code to create Windows programs, etc. (source code with a ".asm" extension).  :smiley:
That is also reflected in the title of your own linked video "Microsoft Macro Assembler MASM for 64bit Windows"

The Microsoft MSVC compiler, by contrast, is a compiler for microsoft Visual C and C++ offered by Microsoft (source code with .c , .c++ or .cpp extension).

That is basically the gist of the difference. Any further questions?  :smiley:

Title: Re: Diference between MASM64 SDK and Microsoft MSVC compiler
Post by: vvanag on February 20, 2025, 05:37:07 AM
I know the difference between msvc and masm, but I thought the masm sdk is just a repackaging of M$$$ tools as a slim install. Is there any github/gitlab repository for this SDK?

I use my work laptop and it is very suspicious (Sophos AV) of my activities and takes the intiative to remove executables, like asmvars.exe from RadAsm2.

I prefer open source tools but installed according to the said youtube video the M$$$ tools because x64 book of Randal Hyde is for Masm and I am a beginner (some light years ago I followed Peter Norton's book).

But if this SDK is a zip of source code, I'm all for it.
Title: Re: Diference between MASM64 SDK and Microsoft MSVC compiler
Post by: zedd151 on February 20, 2025, 05:44:18 AM
Masm64 SDK, Beta version 2. Due to MS licensing restrictions, the MS binaries (ml64.exe, link.exe) could not be included with it. But there is plenty of source codes, macros, libraries, examples, and the include (header) files.

https://masm32.com/board/index.php?topic=10052.0 (https://masm32.com/board/index.php?topic=10052.0)
Title: Re: Diference between MASM64 SDK and Microsoft MSVC compiler
Post by: jj2007 on February 20, 2025, 06:00:14 AM
Vasilis,

Don't worry about AV messages. On this site, you'll only find safe and legit stuff - social control is strong here. Many AV software packages shout foul because we do stuff here that standard compilers don't do. And guess what? That's precisely why we are coding in Assembly. The price to pay is indeed that our executables are often classified as malware. That is a problem in two cases:

1. You are on your company's notebook, and you can't tell the AV to ignore what's in \Masm32 and its subfolders. Bad luck.

2. You want to sell your software, and your clients don't like these warnings :bgrin:

In all other cases, just mark \Masm32 as "ignore" and enjoy the absolute freedom of coding in Assembly :cool:
Title: Re: Diference between MASM64 SDK and Microsoft MSVC compiler
Post by: vvanag on February 20, 2025, 07:02:31 AM
Thank you taking the time to explain the situation. Unfortunately currently I'm on the No 1. Category. OK I will see what I can manage with what I have. I also decided to not have the M$$$ GB installation just for some tools. I collected what is FOSS and binaries that pass the Inquisition and do not require GigaBytes and I'm all set. The Masm32 forum is very interesting. I think I have a lot to learn and porting possibly to do.