Windows Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
This thread/sticky is intended to be a good list of FAQs (or simply usefull things), it's understandable that from time to time the search function might be a little tricky to use and it might take a while to find what one is looking for (especially when one isn't too familiar with the art of searching).

If you think some question in this FAQ is missing, please post a reply here with a link to the thread, and a short/brief motivation - the reply will then be deleted if approved and the entry added to the FAQ, if the entry is rejected a reply will be made to the post explaining why it's rejected, the request and the answer will then be kept for about an week and then both will be deleted to keep this thread as clean as possible.

Other FAQs

• BeOS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  
• DOS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  
• Flat Assembler Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (main)
  
• See also Articles, Best Practices, Considerations

Iczelion's Assembly Tutorials

• For: newbies : Iczelion's Assembly Tutorial in FASM - contains some of Iczelion's famous windows tutorials translaed to fasm syntax.
  

OpenGL

• Some useful OpenGL macros - I moddestly () recommend using these macros I've supplied in this thread for pushing GLfloats, and calling functions with glFloats as arguments.
  
• OpenGL-Hheaders - OpenGL includes for fasm (based on "standard gl.h, glext.h, glu.h, and wglext.h")
  

DirectX

• Windows Game programming for Dummies Examples translated to fasm syntax by madmatt, please make sure you read the readme file shipped. (btw, the book "Windows Game programming for Dummies" got ISBN 91-7241-006-X if you're looking for it). Later versions avalible for download at http://www.asmdemon.com/

Exception Handling

• Win64 exception handling using PE32+ exception directory
  
• Win32 Structured Exception Handling (SEH)

Drivers

• Examples of creating windows drivers

Usefull snibblets/stuff

• Creating cursors with fasm
  
• Decard's Windows include file repository - looking for an include file you can't find in the FASMW package? Try looking here.
  
• PE Export Table Dump - produce a text listing of all exports from a DLL or EXE file.

Problems

• Invalid executable because of empty sections
  
• Windows refuses to load a DLL with empty relocations
  
• fasmw slow to respond in Vista64. Check your graphics tablet attachment. See here and here.

Windows System Programming 3rd Edition
is a nice book.

vbVeryBeginner, geocities has referrer checking, so you need to go to the "decedx" page first, then download the file... but umm, isn't distirbuting that file a breach of copyright?

I'd like to suggest adding thread about ApiResolve to the FAQ. The program creates include files for 'format PE' and 'format MS COFF' in ansi or wide (unicode) version. I think it's quite useful and can be added below the link to decard's site in "Useful snibblets/stuff" section. Here's the link: http://board.flatassembler.net/topic.php?t=3229

Btw.: What is snibblet?

scientica wrote:

[list][*]Some usefull OpenGL macros - I moddestly () recomend using thse macros I've supplied in this thread for pushing GLfloats, and calling functions with glFloats as arguments.

Isn't this already possible with newer pushd macros?

possible, I really really really need to refresh my memory by reading the docs again now.

Hi,
does somebody have a copy of Decard's Windows include file repository and could put it here or in filemirrors(or something like that)?

Microsoft PE and COFF Specification
Offline access to the MSDN Library

This thread has been unstuck by scientica, should I stick it back?

What was the reason for unsticking it?

revolution wrote:

What was the reason for unsticking it?

He made a new thread. He links to this one in that one saying

Quote:

Windows Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) the predecessor of this thread. (contains some dead links)

Yes, but the new "FAQ" does not actually looks as such, only sections "Tutorials for beginners" and "Problems" are candidate for FAQs, but the whole thread ends up having less information than its "predecessor".

I hope my critique was no too rude

LocoDelAssembly wrote:

Yes, but the new "FAQ" does not actually looks as such, only sections "Tutorials for beginners" and "Problems" are candidate for FAQs, but the whole thread ends up having less information than its "predecessor". I hope my critique was no too rude

Yes right now it contains less than the old one, and no you're not rude
The intension was to copy/move all the stuff still relevant from the old one, alas I fell a bit short on time again (a bad habbit of mine). If you miss something in particular point it out

My thinking is that it's better to start a new one and only bring back only that which is still usefull (instead of just piling up (dead)links/threads). E.g. my old glPush macros are no longer needed (see the opengl example in fasmw168.zip using invoke). Another example beeing the DirectX thread with no live links. Feel free to disagree, as long as you give constructive criticism (as per the idea "if someone never tells you when you're wrong how would you ever know?")
I'd appreciate some input on the most recent "resesitations" (eg the old OpenGL headers cf. the new opengl.inc in the windows bundle).

scientica, do you agree if I update this old FAQ, perhaps borrowing some info from the new one, so you can then do the final merge?

To all forumers: Please post links about interesting general info that Windows programmers should know.

scientica wrote:

My thinking is that it's better to start a new one and only bring back only that which is still usefull (instead of just piling up (dead)links/threads). E.g. my old glPush macros are no longer needed (see the opengl example in fasmw168.zip using invoke).

Haven't seen your glPush, but even if it's no longer necessary, it might serve as a macro example if it's doing anything non-trivial? (might be worth generalizing it and moving to some other section, though).

@LocoDelAssembly: sure be my guest

@f0dder: possibly, I'll see if I can find some time to take a look at it (though iirc it was fairly trivial). There was some suggestions about simplifications iirc.

Where can I find fasm includes? Decard site does not work.

rxantos: Which Includes? The default includes can be found inside FASM packages: http://flatassembler.net/download.php

Unfortunatelly, AFAIK there is no single place for "extra" includes.

Why?

typedef: Are you asking about the entry address? Or are you asking about the location of code in the virtual (or physical) memory space?

In Windows the RVA of the entry address is stored in the EntryAddress field in the PE file header. You can find all the info in PE file format spec.