New member here, need some guidance to start

[TimoVJL]

Well, those are predefined names, right, Timo? Meaning you don't have to use them in an assembly-language program.

Timo, you are so C-centric:

By default, the starting address is a function name from the C run-time library.

But we don't have to use that library.

If you don't use crt / RTL, you can use those predefined names for own startup code
msvcrt.lib is an import library for dll, like OS msvcrt.dll
masm32 / masm64 msvcrt.lib don't have those predefined function names ?

[NoCforMe]

If you don't use crt / RTL, you can use those predefined names for own startup code

Yes, you can.
But why would you want to, unless you're writing code that will interface with C?
Just use whatever name you want.

masm32 / masm64 msvcrt.lib don't have those predefined function names ?

That I couldn't tell you.

Ah, the wonderful anarchy of assembly language, where we're not (yet) forced into a programming straitjacket ...

[kcvinu]

@sudoku, @NoCforMe and others, Thanks to all.
It worked when I pasted the SDK folder in "C:\" and used absolute path in asm file.

[NoCforMe]

Congratulations!
Hope you have fun with it.

[zedd151]

@sudoku, @NoCforMe and others, Thanks to all.
It worked when I pasted the SDK folder in "C:\" and used absolute path in asm file.

Great! 

[TimoVJL]

Without masm64 straitjacket 

Code Select Expand

;hello64m.asm
;ml64 hello64m.asm -link -subsystem:console
includelib msvcrt
extern printf : proc
extern exit : proc

.data
msg   db "Hello world!",0

.code

mainCRTStartup proc
sub rsp, 28h
mov rcx, offset msg
call printf
call exit
mainCRTStartup endp
end


[jj2007]

doesn't the MASM64 package come with a \bin folder

Attention, it's \bin64

Some of my early problems with 64-bit code resulted from using stuff from \Masm32 or \Masm32\lib etc, so make sure it's all \Masm64\...

[kcvinu]

Without masm64 straitjacket 

Code Select Expand

;hello64m.asm
;ml64 hello64m.asm -link -subsystem:console
includelib msvcrt
extern printf : proc
extern exit : proc

.data
msg   db "Hello world!",0

.code

mainCRTStartup proc
sub rsp, 28h
mov rcx, offset msg
call printf
call exit
mainCRTStartup endp
end


So you don't use "/ENTRY:<proc name>" here, right ?

[TimoVJL]

no need for /ENTRY: while using predefined names, as link.exe knows them.

[kcvinu]

Okay.

[jj2007]

no need for /ENTRY: while using predefined names, as link.exe knows them.

In the Masm64 SDK, Hutch frequently used entry_point proc

[zedd151]

no need for /ENTRY: while using predefined names, as link.exe knows them.

In the Masm64 SDK, Hutch frequently used entry_point proc

Don't forget, hutch also used

Code Select Expand

/ENTRY:entry_point
for link in the batch file, since link does not know that one. 

Code Select Expand

@echo off
set appname=bmpbtns

del %appname%.obj
del %appname%.exe
\masm64\bin64\rc.exe rsrc.rc
\masm64\bin64\ml64.exe /c /nologo %appname%.asm
\masm64\bin64\link.exe /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS /ENTRY:entry_point /nologo /LARGEADDRESSAWARE %appname%.obj rsrc.res
dir %appname%.*
pause

[jj2007]

Don't forget, hutch also used
Code Select Expand

Code Select Expand

/ENTRY:entry_point
for link in the batch file, since link does not know that one. 

Yes, that's the whole point.

Code Select Expand

EP_strings db "Init", 0, "CRTStartup", 0, "WinMain", 0, "start", 0, "entry_point", 0, "entry", 0, 0
From the RichMasm source.

[zedd151]

@jj2007:
Since you quoted TimoVJL, it could be misinterpreted that link also knows "entry_point". That was my point.

[Mikl__]

Found it in Jeffrey Richter's book "Windows. Creating effective Win32 applications taking into account the specifics of 64-bit versions of Windows" the following lines

...not many people know that in a project you don't have to specify the /SUBSYSTEM linker switch at all... the linker itself will determine the subsystem of your application if it checks which of the four functions (WinMain, wWinMain, main or wmain) is present in your code, and Based on this, it will select a subsystem...

Code Select Expand

|                    Application type                           |entry function|  linker key      |
+-------------------+-------------------------------------------+--------------+------------------+
|GUI application    |working with ANSI characters and strings   |WinMain       |/SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS|
|GUI application    |working with Unicode characters and strings|wWinMain      |/SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS|
|console application|working with ANSI characters and strings   |main          |/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE|
|console application|working with Unicode characters and strings|wmain         |/SUBSYSTEM:CONSOLE|bat-file that can build both CONSOLE and GUI applications

Code Select Expand

cls
set masm64_path=C:\masm64\ <-- name of your masm-dir
set filename= . . . <-- name of your asm-file
if exist errors.txt del errors.txt
if exist %filename%.exe del %filename%.exe
%masm64_path%bin\ml64 /Cp /c /I"%masm64_path%Include" %filename%.asm >> errors.txt
if errorlevel 1 exit
:CONSOLE
%masm64_path%bin\link /LIBPATH:"%masm64_path%Lib" /entry:main  >> errors.txt
if errorlevel 1120 goto GUI
if errorlevel 1 exit
goto exit0
:GUI
%masm64_path%bin\link /LIBPATH:"%masm64_path%Lib" /entry:WinMain >> errors.txt
if errorlevel 1 exit
:exit0
if exist errors.txt del errors.txt <-- removing "software junk"
if exist %filename%.obj del %filename%.objThe point is that at /entry:main (if there is such an input label) - a console application will be created, if there is no such label (errorlevel returns with code 1120) - this means the input label is WinMain and a GUI application will be created