508 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
508 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
README.DOC File
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Release Notes for the
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Microsoft(R) QuickC(R) Compiler with QuickAssembler, Version 2.51
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(C) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1989-1990
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This document contains release notes for Version 2.51 of the Microsoft
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QuickC Compiler with QuickAssembler. It includes information on both C and
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assembly language. The Contents section below lists the documentation for
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C and assembly language affected by the release notes. In all cases, the
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information in this document supersedes the information in the manuals.
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However, Microsoft revises its documentation at the time of reprinting;
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the manuals may already include some of this information.
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Note: If you're reading this from within on-line help, but would prefer to
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print it out by loading README.DOC into a word processor, you can find the
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file in the executable files directory (the default is \QC25\BIN).
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The other documentation files are \SAMPLES\QASAMPLES.DOC, which explains
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the assembly-language example programs in the SAMPLES directory; and
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SAMPLES.DOC, which explains the C-language example programs in the same
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directory.
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(COMPAQ is a registered trademark of Compaq Computer Corporation.)
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(Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.)
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(Novell is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.)
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===============================< Contents >================================
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This document has five parts:
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Part Notes
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---- ----------------------------------------------
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1 Notes on "Up and Running"
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2 Notes on "C for Yourself"
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3 Notes on "QuickC Tool Kit"
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4 Notes on "QuickAssembler Programmer's Guide"
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5 Additional Notes on QuickC with QuickAssembler
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===================< Part 1: Notes on "Up and Running" >===================
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Page Note
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---- ----
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Inside Front Cover
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Brief Guide to Keystrokes
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--- -------------------------
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The chart on the inside front cover says the ESC key "stops the
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compiler and linker from continuing." ESC stops the compiler but NOT
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the linker. Press CTRL+BREAK to stop both the compiler and linker.
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If you are using the debugger and running a program that expects
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keyboard input, pressing either CTRL+C or CTRL+BREAK and then ENTER
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will allow you to exit.
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6 Running SETUP
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--- -------------
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If you already have QuickC installed, SETUP will overwrite the
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existing QC.INI file that contains the current compiler options,
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etc. set in the environment. If you wish to save those settings,
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rename this file before running SETUP.
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19 Using QuickC
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--- ------------
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If you own a COMPAQ(R) SLT/286, and the LCD display goes
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blank when exiting from QuickC back to DOS, you should
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run the program DAC_ON.COM before loading QuickC. To obtain a
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copy of DAC_ON.COM, contact your authorized COMPAQ Computer
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Dealer.
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42 The Debugger
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--- ------------
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The Quickwatch command does not display complete information
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for assembler structures. Only the first member of a structure
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is shown.
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You may see the message "currently running program terminated"
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while debugging.
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This may happen if your program is linked with a user-created
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library module that contains debugging information, and for
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which the source files are present. In such a case, single-
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stepping into a function contained in the library will cause
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the debugger to terminate the current program and attempt to
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compile the source files for the library module into an
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executable program.
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You can avoid this problem by setting your program list to
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contain only the name of the source file of your program.
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(miscellaneous)
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Accessing Memory at 0xFFFF
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--------------------------
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Due to a problem with the Intel(R) processor, any attempt to
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access a word value at memory location 0xFFFF may cause the
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system to hang. The most likely way for this to happen is from
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within the QuickC debugger, if you use the WO (display word) or
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DW (display double word) operators to examine a register
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containing 0xFFFF. Any C or assembly-language program trying
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to access that location may also cause the system to hang.
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Incompatibility with Novell(R) Netware
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--------------------------------------
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If you have a peripheral (such as a mouse) that uses IRQ 3, and
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your system is part of a network using Novell Netware version
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2.15 or lower, your system may hang when you load the QuickC
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environment. As a temporary solution, reset your peripheral to
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use another interrupt. For more information, contact your Novell
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Netware dealer.
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===================< Part 2: Notes on "C for Yourself" >===================
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Page Note
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---- ----
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53 Type Qualifiers
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--- ---------------
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The fourth paragraph in this section is incorrect. A long double
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value is the same size as a double. It contains 8 bytes, not 10. It
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expresses a floating-point number with at least 15 digits of
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precision, not 19. Table 4.1 on page 49 should also be corrected.
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164 Declaring a Pointer with the Wrong Type
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--- ---------------------------------------
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In the first program listing on the page, the line
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ptr = val; /* Error! */
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should read
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ptr = &val; /* Error! */
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215 Table 11.4 Standard vs. Low-Level
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--- -----------------------------------
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The headings across the top of the table should read
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Function Parameters Returns Error Condition
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298 Vector-Mapped Fonts
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--- -------------------
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Add this note to the description of vector mapping:
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If a vector-mapped font is selected in graphics mode, any function
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affecting "_moveto" or "_lineto" will also affect the font
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("_setlinestyle" and so on) when "_outgtext" is called.
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304 Example Program Using Fonts
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--- ---------------------------
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The line reading
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if( !_setfont( list ) )
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should read
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if( _setfont( list ) >= 0 )
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309 Limits on _asm Identifiers
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--- --------------------------
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Never use reserved assembly words as labels, variable names, or other
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identifiers within an _asm block. This includes words in the
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following categories:
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- ASM Opcodes such as CMP or MOV
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- Opcodes new to the 80186, 80286, and 80386 such as ARPLS or CLTS
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- Reserved operand words such as WORD or PARA
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- C library functions such as "exit" or "time"
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For example, the following code is not permitted:
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main()
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{
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int word;
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_asm { mov WORD PTR [word],ax }
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}
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The variable 'word' can be used in the C part of the program, but not
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within the assembly block.
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366 Font Display Routines
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--- ---------------------
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The return values for the _registerfonts and _setfont functions
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should be
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_registerfonts
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Returns: the number of fonts registered, or a negative value if
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failure
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_setfont
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Returns: a negative value if failure, zero or positive if
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successful
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==================< Part 3: Notes on "QuickC Tool Kit" >===================
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Page Note
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---- ----
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94 /Gw, GW (Generate Code for Windows Function Calls)
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--- --------------------------------------------------
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QuickC 2.5 supports development of programs for the next release
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of Windows. If you wish to develop programs for Windows 2.03, you
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must explicitly link your program with C51STUBS.LIB.
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130 /INC (Prepare for ILINK)
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--- ------------------------
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By default, ILINK will call LINK if the incremental link fails.
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To make ILINK call QLINK instead, use the /E option and an
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argument. For example:
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ILINK /E "QLINK @RESPONSE" PROGRAM.EXE
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259 Warning Message C4018
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--- ---------------------
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The warning message below is new and should be added to page 259:
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C4018 'operator': signed/unsigned mismatch
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An expression involving the specified operator had inconsistent
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integer types. The two integer expressions used in the comparison
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operation are not of the same signed or unsigned type.
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(miscellaneous)
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Makefile Compatibility with QuickC 2.0
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--------------------------------------
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The name of the linker supplied with QuickC has been changed
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from LINK to QLINK. Any makefile used with QuickC 2.0 that
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specify the LINK command should be changed accordingly.
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Makefile Compatibility with Programmer's WorkBench
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--------------------------------------------------
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The makefiles generated by QuickC are not fully readable by
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Microsoft Programmer's WorkBench (PWB) included with Microsoft's
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Professional Development Systems. PWB is unable to read the
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linker options specified in QuickC makefiles, so you will have to
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re-specify those options using PWB's menus. QuickC cannot read
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makefiles generated by PWB.
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========< Part 4: Notes on "QuickAssembler Programmer's Guide" >===========
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Page Note
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---- ----
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xi Running SETUP Before Using Help
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--- -------------------------------
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Before using the Quick Advisor, make sure you run the SETUP
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program. This program combines files on different disks to build
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QA.HLP, which contains help on assembly language as well as DOS
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and BIOS interrupt functions.
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xi Expanding Environment Space
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--- ---------------------------
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QuickAssembler for QuickC makes use of certain environment
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variables, such as HELPFILES. However, these variables are stored
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in an area of memory called the "environment space." You may need
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to expand this memory to use the new environment variables
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successfully.
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If you run DOS 3.2 or later, you can set the environment space
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with the DOS SHELL command. For example, the following command
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sets the environment size at 3000 bytes when placed in CONFIG.SYS:
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SHELL=COMMAND.COM /E:3000 /p
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Consult your DOS manual for more information.
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xi Temporary Files and the TMP Environment Variable
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--- ------------------------------------------------
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If you do not have a TMP environment variable set, the linker
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prints the following message when it creates a temporary file:
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temporary file <filename> created
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To avoid getting this message, set the TMP environment variable to
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the name of a drive and directory. This drive should have some free
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space. For example, the following command line sets C:\TEMP as the
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directory where the linker places temporary files:
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SET TMP=C:\TEMP
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For convenience, place this command (or a similar one) in your
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AUTOEXEC.BAT file to execute it automatically.
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6 Terminating the Program with .EXIT
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--- ----------------------------------
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When you use the .STARTUP directive, the recommended method for
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terminating the program is to use the .EXIT directive. With
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stand-alone assembly programs, you must explicitly terminate
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or the processor will execute meaningless instructions beyond the
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end of the program.
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The .EXIT directive has the following syntax:
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.EXIT [exitcode]
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in which exitcode is an optional register, memory location, or
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constant that contains a value to return to DOS. This value must
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not be larger than one byte.
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When you use this directive, the assembler generates instructions
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that call DOS function 4CH (Exit with Return Code). You can use
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another method to terminate the program if you wish. The assembler
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generates an advisory warning if you use .STARTUP without .EXIT.
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The .EXIT directive requires that .MODEL was previously used.
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Within the environment, the assembler generates an advisory
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warning message if you use .STARTUP without using .EXIT. Outside
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the environment, the assembler does not generate this message.
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7 Effect of ILINK on Building a Program
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--- -------------------------------------
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By default, the QuickC environment invokes ILINK to link programs.
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ILINK, in turn, requires that a program have a default data
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segment (it may be empty). To meet this requirement, you can do
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any of three alternatives:
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1. Declare a data segment with .DATA if using simplified segment
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directives.
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2. Declare a group named DGROUP.
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3. Turn Incremental Link off in the Linker Flags dialog box.
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The use of ILINK imposes some other requirements on assembly-
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language programs:
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1. You cannot have a segment with the AT attribute.
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2. Avoid depending on distances between segments being fixed. Some
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programs calculate the distance between two segments and then
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use this value elsewhere. When ILINK is in use, segment-address
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arithmetic is unpredictable.
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3. The DUP operator cannot have a program address as an operand.
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For example, the following statement is compatible with ILINK:
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myarr DW 10 DUP (5)
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However, the next statement is not compatible with ILINK, even
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though it is supported by the assembler:
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myarr DW 10 DUP (myproc)
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7 Searching for Include Files
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--- ---------------------------
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When building and running a program, note that the assembler looks
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for include files in the following order:
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1. The directory in which the current source file is located
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2. Directories specified with the /I command-line option
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3. The current directory (as recognized by the environment)
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4. Directories specified in the INCLUDE environment variable
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9 Assembling from the Command Line
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--- --------------------------------
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QCL does not report some warning messages reported inside the QuickC
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environment. QCL does not warn you if you use .STARTUP without .EXIT.
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14 Specifying Debug Expressions
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--- ----------------------------
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The QuickC environment now supports an optional display-format
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character for examining arrays. You can add a suffix to any
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expression for the Watch window as follows:
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expression,nf
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in which n is a number and f is a format specifier (such as i, x,
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d, or a). Both are optional. The use of n displays the expression
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as if it were an array. If the expression is already an array,
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then the use of n displays the array as if it were an array of a
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higher dimension. The assembler does not type any symbol as an
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array. Thus, the use of n with a variable declared in assembly
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always displays the variable as an array of one dimension.
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The optional f display-format specifier only affects the format
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in which each member of the array is displayed.
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The Watch window determines the type of array from the expression
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or from BY, WO, or DW if used. If WVAR is declared as type WORD
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(or "int" in C), then WVAR,5x displays the first five words at the
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address of WVAR. The "x" specifies hex format. BY WVAR,5x displays
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the first five bytes at the address of WVAR. Each byte is
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displayed as if it were a hexadecimal word-sized value.
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56 The PROC Directive
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--- ------------------
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The PROC directive sets the BP register to point to a procedure's
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frame, but only if you use a parameter list or the LOCAL directive.
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82 Using Full Segment Definitions
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--- ------------------------------
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The program example on this page should declare class name 'CODE'
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for the segment definition:
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_TEXT SEGMENT 'CODE'
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The class name 'CODE' is necessary if you want to debug the
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module. The assembler issues a warning message if you assemble a
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code segment without this class name. If you use simplified
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segment directives, the code segments automatically have this
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class name.
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109 Defining Segment Combine Types
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--- ------------------------------
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The combine type describes how the linker combines segments, but
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does not affect the assembler itself. Within any given module, the
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assembler concatenates segments with the same name. Thus, segments
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with the COMMON attribute are overlapped only if they are in
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different modules.
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383 Assembling with Two Passes
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--- --------------------------
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In addition to the options listed in Appendix B, QCL supports the
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/P2 option, which specifies two-pass assembly. The /P1 option
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specifies one-pass assembly and is now the default. Two-pass
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assembly is slower than one-pass assembly, but enables some
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language-specific features (such as IF1 and IF2) that rely on two
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passes.
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383 Removing Copyright Message
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--- --------------------------
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In addition to the options listed in Appendix B, QCL supports the
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/nologo option, which prevents QCL from printing the product name
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and copyright information. QCL also prints a warning message when a
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nonstandard version of DOS is detected. The /nologo option prevents
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this message from being printed.
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386 Using /AT to Generate a .COM File
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--- ---------------------------------
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If you use QCL to generate a .COM file but do not use /AT, the
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linker may produce a file with an .EXE extension. This file is
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really in .COM format. It should be renamed immediately. You can
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prevent this situation by using the /AT option, or by using the
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/Fe option to explicitly give the name of the output file. For
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example, the following command line produces a file with a .EXE
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extension:
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QCL sample.asm /link /TINY
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However, the following command lines each produce a file with a
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.COM extension:
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QCL /AT /Ln sample.asm /link /TINY
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QCL /Fe sample.com sample.asm /link /TINY
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392 Line-Number Index in Listing File
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--- ---------------------------------
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The line-number index generated by /Sq (and generated by default
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within the environment) lists correspondences between source-file
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lines and listing-file lines. This index, placed at the end of the
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listing file, is read and interpreted by the QuickC environment.
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You should avoid writing utilities that read this index. The
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format of the line-number index is subject to change without
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notice.
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========< Part 5: Additional Notes for QuickC with QuickAssembler>=========
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Source of DOS and BIOS Function Information in Help
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---------------------------------------------------
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On-line help includes information on IBM ROM BIOS services as well as
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MS-DOS service calls. The information on these topics is adapted from the
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books "IBM ROM BIOS" and "MS-DOS Functions" by Ray Duncan. Both books are
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published by Microsoft Press and are part of the Programmer's Quick
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Reference Series.
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Math Coprocessor Instructions in .ASM Programs
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----------------------------------------------
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If you do not have a math coprocessor chip, you must use the /FPi option
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when assembling code for emulated floating-point instructions. If the
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switch is omitted, your assembly-language programs may hang your machine.
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Setting Breakpoints on Assembly Procedures and Labels
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-----------------------------------------------------
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Version 2.51 of QuickAssembler now supports setting breakpoints on labels.
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Because assembly procedures are treated as labels, a dialog box verifies if
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you want to set a breakpoint at a procedure label. Additional information
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can be found in the on-line help.
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ILINK and Tiny Model
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--------------------
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When switching to tiny model from another model, or from another model to
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tiny model, turn off the incremental link option the first time you build
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after switching models. Alternatively, you can delete to .SYM and .ILK
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files to force a full link. ILINK should always be disabled
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when creating tiny model (.COM) programs.
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