Hello -- I'm new here, but an extremely experienced assembler programmer (IBM 709,7090,1800,SYS/360-370-390, DEC, and others). I've been using MASM 2.0 for decades for 16-bit code, and have written many hundreds of thousands of lines of it.
16-bit code has its limitations, and I wanted to do some updating, so I downloaded MASM32, alias ML, and tried to invoke it in DOS. It came up, found my source (an old 16-bit progam of about 1000 lines), gave some cryptic error messages, and quit (as expected).
I can't find where it put the listing. I can't find whether it put object code anywhere. I see no way to TELL it where to put these things. So I must be invoking it incorrectly. I invoked it with a BAT file, as follows:
D:
ML /c D:\ASM\%1.asm
ML.exe and ML.err are in a directory, D:\EXE, that is in my path.
So what's the right way to invoke it? Clearly not the way I'm doing it.
ml.exe coming with Masm32 is for 32-bit Windows programming. You need to get the 16-bit version of ml.exe
EDIT : Thanks Jochen, I forgot it for a moment. My apologies, ml.exe V6 can assemble 16-bit code.
Hi nn5i,
Welcome to the Forum :icon14:
If you have 5 minutes, read Masm32_Tips_Tricks_and_Traps (http://www.webalice.it/jj2006/Masm32_Tips_Tricks_and_Traps.htm) to check if your setup is OK. For 16-bit code, you need \Masm32\bin\link16.exe
Masm32 uses hard-coded paths of the no-drive-but-root type, i.e. \Masm32\include\ etc; old-fashioned but very efficient.
Common problems include that people have sources on drive C: and Masm32 on D: - that can't work. Otherwise, your command line looks OK... add /Fl for a listing, if you need it, and use the /omf switch for ml 8.0 or higher. Any success in reading error messages and finding files?
D:\ASM\%1.asm looks a bit odd; what is passed as %1, does it expand to a valid path?
Check with
echo D:\ASM\%1.asm
@Erol aka Vortex: ML.exe as well as JWasm do handle 16-bit code. The linker needs to be different.
P.S: I've just added a crispy Dos example to MasmBasic (http://masm32.com/board/index.php?topic=94.0). Run \Masm32\RichMasm\RichMasm.exe, menu File/New Masm source, click on 16-bit app at the bottom, hit F6 :P
notice what Jochen said about building projects on different drives
if the masm32 package is installed on D:, your project must be on D:
there are some possible work-arounds, if you are into batch programming
also, the package is set up to access specific root-relative paths
if you rename the folders, things aren't likely to work too well
Hi nn5i,
welcome to the forum. Have fun.
Gunther
Hi y'all --
Many thanks for the quick responses. I don't want to do 16-bit programming with MASM32 -- I want to make new 32-bit programs, and new 32-bit versions of old programs.
Currently I have MASM32 on my K: drive and my source on D: (I have many drives) -- won't work, eh? Odd. But I can move the whole MASM32 structure to D: if that's what it takes. My D: has lots of room available.
I'll read the suggested things, if I can find them. Yes, my batch files expand correctly to point to my source. I'd rather not move my source, though -- it's been where it is for a third of a century, and I'm used to it and my backup routines are used to it.
Is invoking it from a DOS prompt the norm, or is there some more modern way? From the editor (which so far I don't particularly like), perhaps? But maybe the suggested reading will answer that.
Thanks! I'll be back.
the Project menu in QE actually uses the batch files that are in the \masm32\bin folder
you can customize the build-menu behaviour of QE by modifying \masm32\menus.ini
a while back, i wrote more comprehensive (all-in-one) batch file, that will perform several types of builds
http://masm32.com/board/index.php?topic=1770 (http://masm32.com/board/index.php?topic=1770)
now, as for moving the project and/or masm32 folders....
you don't really need the entire masm32 package to build
you need some of the batch files and EXE binaries from \masm32\bin
you also need the following folders:
\masm32\include
\masm32\lib
\masm32\macros
by the way...
is your name Carl ?
Yup, I'm Carl. I'll go quietly, put the cuffs on me. When I figure out how to add a signature here, I'll do so. And maybe an avatar, too.
After using that editor a bit, I like it much better -- and I even figured out how to invoke the assembler from it; which is a great convenience. Don't know how to create a listing yet, but I'm moving along. Also don't know where it's going to put the EXE file (which I assume it's going to make) when it decides to do a link (when I get a clean assembly, I guess), but I can hunt it down if necessary.
32-bit code is much more compact, to my surprise (though I ought to have expected it). But some of my stuff goes to tens of thousands of lines, and a listing is essential for debugging. It is nice not to have to worry about segment sizes!
Dave here - K7NL :P
to create a listing, you have to add 1 or more switches to the ML command line
you can either modify the existing batch file, or create a new one
unlike old versions of MASM, the switches are generally placed before the file names
to create a listing, add "/Fl" <- that's a lower case L
there are several possible modifiers - see the ones listed below starting with the letter S
ML [ /options ] filelist [ /link linkoptions ]
/AT Enable tiny model (.COM file) /omf generate OMF format object file
/Bl<linker> Use alternate linker /Sa Maximize source listing
/c Assemble without linking /Sc Generate timings in listing
/Cp Preserve case of user identifiers /Sf Generate first pass listing
/Cu Map all identifiers to upper case /Sl<width> Set line width
/Cx Preserve case in publics, externs /Sn Suppress symbol-table listing
/coff generate COFF format object file /Sp<length> Set page length
/D<name>[=text] Define text macro /Ss<string> Set subtitle
/EP Output preprocessed listing to stdout /St<string> Set title
/F <hex> Set stack size (bytes) /Sx List false conditionals
/Fe<file> Name executable /Ta<file> Assemble non-.ASM file
/Fl[file] Generate listing /w Same as /W0 /WX
/Fm[file] Generate map /WX Treat warnings as errors
/Fo<file> Name object file /W<number> Set warning level
/FPi Generate 80x87 emulator encoding /X Ignore INCLUDE environment path
/Fr[file] Generate limited browser info /Zd Add line number debug info
/FR[file] Generate full browser info /Zf Make all symbols public
/G<c|d|z> Use Pascal, C, or Stdcall calls /Zi Add symbolic debug info
/H<number> Set max external name length /Zm Enable MASM 5.10 compatibility
/I<name> Add include path /Zp[n] Set structure alignment
/link <linker options and libraries> /Zs Perform syntax check only
/nologo Suppress copyright message
the resulting EXE should end up in the same folder as the ASM file
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"nn5i" follows a specific format - lol
it tipped me off to the fact that he's a fellow amateur radio operator :biggrin:
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US call-signs begin with A, K, N, or W
they start with 1 or 2 letters, then a single digit, followed by 1 to 3 letters
"2 by 1" and "1 by 2" call-signs are generally reserved for those with an "extra" class license
"1 by 1" call-signs are only issued for special event stations
if it has no numbers, it's a commercial or government station
if it starts with "N" and has a bunch of numbers, it's an aircraft
if it starts with "K" and has a bunch of numbers, it's a CB'er
most CB'ers don't even apply for a license, though - lol
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many hams in Norway
the hard ones to find in Europe are Luxembourg, Gibraltar, etc - all the little ones
sorry to hear of LA8PV's passing - don't think i ever talked with him, but maybe
i have been a ham for 45 years - hard to remember them all
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