[fasmg] Troubles with defined/definite

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Calanor

Joined: 19 Jul 2015
Posts: 35
Location: Sweden

Calanor

I'd like to use a variable as the argument to be sent to "format", e.g. "define var PE64 GUI". First I need to check if "var" has been defined at all. However, as the name of the variable is replaced with its value, defined/definite gets cranky about the extra "GUI" at the end of the line. Is there any way to solve this without resorting to match etc?

[Edit] Guess I am rusty, I forgot about "match =var, var". However, I still need to send the contents of "var" to format. As of now, I am using CALM to arrange and assemble the line, but I feel that I might be missing/forgetting something here.

13 Jan 2021, 16:33

Tomasz Grysztar

Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 7990
Location: Kraków, Poland

Tomasz Grysztar

You cannot use DEFINED/DEFINITE operators to check the status of symbolic variables, because they are preprocessed before the text of the condition is evaluated. So if you "define var PE GUI", then "if definite var" becomes "if definite PE GUI" before the condition is evaluated, and you end up actually checking whether symbol named "PE" has been defined, with "GUI" appended at the end of condition and causing a syntax error. This actually ends up working quite similarly as it was in fasm 1 with regard to symbolic variables and expression evaluation.

However if you are using CALM, there is a simple trick that allows to check whether a symbol has a value assigned, even a symbolic one. See what the manual says about the TAKE command:

fasmg manual, section 15 wrote:

If the destination symbol is the same as source, the result flag can be used to check whether there is an available value without affecting it.

13 Jan 2021, 17:05

Tomasz Grysztar

Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 7990
Location: Kraków, Poland

Tomasz Grysztar

A simple demonstration:

Code:

define var ; this is to make CALM code see "var" as global symbol

calminstruction Format
        take var,var
        jyes use_var
        ; here handle a case when var is not defined
        exit
    use_var:
        local cmd
        arrange cmd, =format var
        assemble cmd  
end calminstruction

restore var ; remove temporary definition

; now test it:
define var PE GUI
Format

13 Jan 2021, 17:13

Calanor

Joined: 19 Jul 2015
Posts: 35
Location: Sweden

Calanor

I resorted to using "match =var, var", followed by the "default" format if no specific one was defined. If the match is false, some CALM-code kicks in order to properly send the argument to format. However, your solution is definitely prettier than mine Smile

Thanks!

13 Jan 2021, 17:22

Tomasz Grysztar

Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 7990
Location: Kraków, Poland

Tomasz Grysztar

There is also another method, which you would use if the identifier of the symbol to check for was provided at run-time to the instruction, for example as an argument to macro. Then you can use TRANSFORM and see whether any replacement has been made:

Code:

calminstruction Format symbol
        transform symbol
        jyes use_var
        ; here handle a case when symbol is not defined
        exit
    use_var:
        local cmd
        arrange cmd, =format symbol
        assemble cmd  
end calminstruction

; now test it:
define var PE GUI
Format var

13 Jan 2021, 17:23

Calanor

Joined: 19 Jul 2015
Posts: 35
Location: Sweden

Calanor

I did use transform, but it never occurred to me to actually check the flag. Interesting approach!

13 Jan 2021, 17:27

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