invoke       MessageBox,0,text,caption,0
invoke   MessageBox,0,text2,caption2,0
........
.const.sz  text,'text',caption,'caption'
.const.sz  text2,'text',caption2,'caption'    

macro        .const.sz       [pointer, text]
 {      forward .const.sz.define        pointer, text, ..const.sz }


macro       .const.sz.define        pointer, text, dummy,[ptrs,strings]
 {  common  if      text in <strings> ;;  is text already defined?
                        pointer#.def = FALSE    ;;  then define a flag
              end if
      forward if      defined pointer#.def
                if      text eq strings & pointer#.def = FALSE
                  pointer = ptrs          ;;  use ptr to defined string
                       pointer#.def = TRUE     ;;  no need to define twice
         end if
              end if
      common  ..const.sz      fix ..const.sz,pointer,text     ;;  add to the list
 }

macro     .const.sz.include       dummy,[pointer,text]
 { forward if      ~ pointer eq    ;;  mey be no strings are defined
                   if      ~ defined       pointer#.def
                                pointer = $
                         db      text,0
                      end if
              end if }    

get a faster computer

further optimizations to preprocessor? (if they're possible)

and why assembly time has increased? macros are processed by preprocessor, aren't they?

Processing the "eq" and "in" comparisions in parser instead of assembler is already on the TODO list (also, if conditional expression can be evaluated without doubt at the parsing stage, the whole "if" block should be processed at this stage). However, I cannot promise I'll be able to implement it very soon.

Project: compare compilation time of 2 macro design's modes.
Tools: FASM v1.52 console, Windows XP Pro, Celeron 500 Mhz, 320 Mb.

Description of operation:

Boot system with minimal tasks & services loaded.

Macro to generate big file:

Code:

;-----------------------------------
;temp1.asm
;-----------------------------------
db 'temp\', 13, 10
times 5000 db 'arg,\', 13, 10
db 'arg'
;-----------------------------------    

compile: FASM temp1.asm temp1.com
rename: temp1.com -> temp2.asm
make a copy of temp2.asm and rename it to temp3.asm

At the beginning of temp2.asm & temp3.asm add respectively:

Code:

;-----------------------------------
; temp2.asm
;-----------------------------------
macro temp [Arg]
{
  forward
    if ~ Arg eq
      display `Arg, 13, 10
    end if
}
;-----------------------------------

;-----------------------------------
; temp3.asm
;-----------------------------------
macro temp [Arg]
{
    common
      if ~ Arg eq
        forward
          display `Arg, 13, 10
        common
      end if
}
;-----------------------------------    

Bath file for compilation

Code:

***************************************************
@echo off
echo ------------------------------------
echo temp2.asm
echo ------------------------------------
fasm temp2.asm temp
fasm temp2.asm temp
fasm temp2.asm temp
fasm temp2.asm temp
fasm temp2.asm temp

echo ------------------------------------
echo temp3.asm
echo ------------------------------------
fasm temp3.asm temp
fasm temp3.asm temp
fasm temp3.asm temp
fasm temp3.asm temp
fasm temp3.asm temp

pause
***************************************************    

Compiling time: temp2.asm ~ 2.8с, а temp3.asm ~ 2.4с.

That's Ok.


Here's another thing:

Code:

***************************************************
;-----------------------------------
; temp3.asm
;-----------------------------------
macro temp [Arg]
{
  common
    if ~ Arg eq
      forward
        db `Arg, 13, 10
      common
    end if
}
;-----------------------------------

temp\
....
***************************************************


***************************************************
;-----------------------------------
; temp3.asm
;-----------------------------------
macro temp [Arg]
{
  common
    if ~ Arg eq
      forward
        db `Arg, 13, 10
      common
    end if
}
;-----------------------------------
temp\
....
***************************************************    

Notice blank line between comment and temp\ in the first case.

Compiling time: 1st case ~ 2.4с 2nd, case ~ 1.0с.