Assembly process and

modular programming

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Assembler operation
• The assembler program converts a symbolic source module (file) into
a hexadecimal object file.
• Whenever you create a source file, it should have the extension of
ASM.
• Source files are created by using NotePad or almost any other word
processor or editor capable of generating an ASCII file.
• The linker program reads the object files that are created by the
assembler program and links them together into a single execution
file.

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Assembler Process
• An execution file is created with the file name extension EXE.

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EXE and COM files
• Execution files are selected by typing the file name at the DOS prompt
(C:\).
• Files less than 64K bytes long can be converted from an execution file
to a command file (.COM).
• COM files must start from 100H origin
• This means that the program must be no larger than 64K–100H in
length.

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Modular Programming
• Performed by using several OBJ files produced by different
programmers using different programming languages
• Communication between modules is important
• Different keywords are there for aiding inter- modular communication
• PUBLIC declares labels of code, data, or entire segments are available to other
program modules
• EXTRN (external) declares labels are external to a module

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Example of public

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Extern

• EXTRN appears in both data and code segments to define labels as

external to the segment.
• if defined as external, sizes must be defined as BYTE, WORD, or DWORD
• if jump or call address is external, it must be defined as NEAR or FAR

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Example of Extern

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Libraries
• A collection of common procedures (OBJ files) so that they can be
used by many different programs
• The main idea behind high level languages
• assembled and compiled by the LIB program that accompanies the MASM
assembler
• When the library file is linked with a program, only procedures
required by are removed from the library file and added to the
program

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Library (Continued)
• A library file is a collection of assembled .OBJ files that contains
procedures or tasks written in assembly language or any other
language.
• The procedure must be declared PUBLIC and does not need to match
the file name.

• A variable is transferred to each file, so the EXTRN statement also

appears in each procedure to gain access to an external variable.

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Dynamic link Libraries (DLLs)
• Lets imagine three programs, all of them using some same function

• In static linking, that function would be included in all the three

programs causing the replication of the function three times

• In dynamic linking, the function would be placed in a DLL and one

copy of the DLL would be provided for all the three programs. The
programs can dynamically link, resulting in memory savings

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Macros
• A group of instructions with a symbolic name. Similar to EQU for
variables

• When the macro name is written in an assembly language program,

the macro expands to include all the instructions

• Thus macros increase the size of the program

• Macros are faster than CALLs and RETs

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Example of Macro

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Translation of Assembly Language into
machine code
• Instruction format (real mode)

• Opcode byte

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• Opcode byte

• Mode / REG / R/M

• D=0, data flows into R/M from REG (or vice versa) and W=0 (for byte) and W = 1
(for word)
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Examples

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• Segment registers can only be placed in REG field and W=0 in this

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R/M Memory addressing

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• If only displacement, MODE = 00 and R/M = 110, MOV [1000H], DL
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