[CALL vs JMP] ret not working

Index > DOS > [CALL vs JMP] ret not working

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theguy

Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 10

theguy 23 Jan 2015, 05:12

hello again, here's working code that has no problem printing char 'x' to the screen.

Code:

org 100h

mov al, 'x'
jmp label_test

label_test:
mov ah, 0x0e
int 0x10

Looop:
jmp Looop

But if i add a ret to label_test, trying to use it like a function with the code below.

Code:

org 100h

mov al, 'x'
jmp label_test

mov al, 'y'
jmp label_test

label_test:
mov ah, 0x0e
int 0x10
ret

Looop:
jmp Looop

It opens and closes quickly If i run the exe, this lets me know that it's not going into the infinite loop properly. so i ran it using the command prompt of ms-dos and it shows it's only printing the x?

I don't get why all the examples i use online that are suppose to help me learn this stuff, all fail to function when i try them.

23 Jan 2015, 05:12

freecrac

Joined: 19 Oct 2011
Posts: 117
Location: Germany Hamburg

freecrac 23 Jan 2015, 07:09

Hello.

theguy wrote:

But if i add a ret to label_test, trying to use it like a function with the code below.

- snip -

It opens and closes quickly If i run the exe, this lets me know that it's not going into the infinite loop properly. so i ran it using the command prompt of ms-dos and it shows it's only printing the x?

This is because DOS place the instruction of an "int 20h" at the top of the PSP and it push a zero word to the stack just before it let the COM-program execute. if we do not corrupt the stack and the code segment and if we execute at last the "ret" instruction, then the cpu return to the address of zero and continue executing the instruction of the "int 20h" inside of the PSP for terminating our programm.

And for calling a subroutine we can use the call instruction. The call instruction push its return address to the stack and if we execute a ret intstruction, then the cpu pop the return address from the stack and return to the caller for executing the next instruction.

Code:

org 100h

mov al, 'x'
call label_test

mov al, 'y'
call label_test

Looop:
jmp Looop
;-------------
; Subroutines
;-------------
label_test:
mov ah, 0x0e
int 0x10
ret

23 Jan 2015, 07:09

theguy

Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 10

theguy 23 Jan 2015, 07:16

That works! Very Happy

, thanks ill have to look into this more closely to fully understand it, is there any good sources out there that could teach me by example, using only dos not windows forms.

23 Jan 2015, 07:16

baldr

Joined: 19 Mar 2008
Posts: 1651

baldr 23 Jan 2015, 09:49

theguy,

There are tons of open-source assembly language DOS programs available, Google is your friend (though most of them are MASM/TASM/nasm). You may as well contrive simple problem and try to make solution, community here will help if you show some efforts. Just ask relevant questions. Wink

23 Jan 2015, 09:49

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