number checking and multiple characters

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Damnation

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 45
Location: England

Damnation 30 Sep 2005, 17:42

basically got a few plans for some simple apps to hone my skills, and start pushing more asm into my codes. well i mean use of the language.

1, how would you suggest i check that a character is a number and not a letter?
2, how would i get a line of text from a dos input instead of 1 character.
3, how would i change text colour (is it hard?)
4, i've used dos interupts, how would i go about the other methods.

please bare in mind i am a beginner so be gentle and if possible could you add comments

thank you for any reply.

_________________
Regards
Damnation

30 Sep 2005, 17:42

rugxulo

Joined: 09 Aug 2005
Posts: 2341
Location: Usono (aka, USA)

rugxulo 01 Oct 2005, 22:26

1).

Code:


; not tested but you get the idea
; should beep if you don't enter a digit 0-9
; this code is lameware   

BEEP equ 7

org 100h
use16

Komenco: 
                mov ah,8
                int 21h
                cmp al,'0'
                jb Bruo
                cmp al,'9'
                jbe Fino
Bruo:
                mov al,BEEP

                int 29h
Fino:        
                int 20h

2). helppc int 21,a
3). helppc int 10,13 (or helppc int 10,9 for single char)
4). for color text without DOS ints? Write directly to the screen (0B800h:0 for CO80).

01 Oct 2005, 22:26

Tomasz Grysztar

Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 8263
Location: Kraków, Poland

Tomasz Grysztar 01 Oct 2005, 22:30

For writing colored text you can use this routines (taken from my kelvar example):

Code:

display_character:
; al = character
; bl = color
        xor     bh,bh
        mov     cx,1
        mov     ah,9
        int     10h
        mov     ah,0Eh
        int     10h
        ret
display_text:
; ds:si - ASCIIZ text
; bl = color
        xor     bh,bh
        mov     cx,1
      .display:
        lodsb
        or      al,al
        jz      .end
        cmp     al,0Dh
        je      .type
        cmp     al,0Ah
        je      .type
        mov     ah,9
        int     10h
      .type:
        mov     ah,0Eh
        int     10h
        jmp     .display
      .end:
        ret

01 Oct 2005, 22:30

Damnation

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 45
Location: England

Damnation 02 Oct 2005, 09:20

thanx for that, i'll toy around with it all later, well tomorrow.
gf has opted for a "no computer day" when she wakes up.

02 Oct 2005, 09:20

casey

Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Posts: 35

casey 02 Oct 2005, 11:42

>basically got a few plans for some simple apps
>to hone my skills, and start pushing more asm
>into my codes. well i mean use of the language.

1, how would you suggest i check that a character
is a number and not a letter?

If you look up the ascii character set you will
see that 0 to 9 is 48 (30h) to 57 (39h)
A - Z 65 (41h) to 90 (5Ah)
a - z 97 (61h) to 122 (7Ah)

So you check the number range
If al > 47 and al < 58 then it's a number

2, how would i get a line of text from a
dos input instead of 1 character.

You just keep getting one character at a
time checking to see if it is a cr (0Dh)
and put them into a buffer.

point to buffer mov di,buffer
Again:
get character call GetChar
put into buffer mov [di],al : inc di
if al != 0dh cmp al,0dh
get another one jnz Again

3, how would i change text colour (is it hard?)

Depends. Below is an example of directly
accessing the text mode memory.

4, i've used dos interupts, how would i go
about the other methods.

You mean like call your own subroutines?

> please bare in mind i am a beginner so be
> gentle and if possible could you add comments

Code:

; Demonstrates use of direct access to text ram
; at $b800 to print a string at col, row with
; ink and paper color . Default values will be
; used if they are not changed before calling
; the routine.
; Each character uses two memory locations
; starting at $b800.  One for the asc character
; and the other for the attribute byte, foreground
; and background colors.

org 100h

; equates to save remembering color number

BLACK   = 0
BLUE    = 1
GREEN   = 2
CYAN    = 3
RED     = 4
MAGENTA = 5
BROWN   = 6
WHITE   = 7

DARKGRAY = 8
LTBLUE   = 9
LTGREEN  = 10
LTCYAN   = 11
LTRED    = 12
LTMAGENTA = 13
YELLOW    = 14
BRIGHTWHITE = 15


; ********* START OF MAIN PROGRAM *********

mov  ah,0       ; set video mode
mov  al,2       ; 80 x 25 color
int  10h        ; video function

mov  byte [paper],RED  ; set paper color
call ClearScreen

mov  byte [col], 10
mov  byte [row], 24      ; set col,row to start print
mov  byte [ink], BLUE    ; ink color
mov  byte [paper], WHITE ;paper color

mov  dx,szMsg
call writeString

mov  ah,0
int  16h        ; wait for keypress

mov  ah,4Ch
mov  al,0
int  21h   ; return to DOS

; **** END OF MAIN ******


; ------ START OF SUBROUTINES ------


  ; +-----------------------------------------------+
  ; | DX = address of string  0 terminated string ! |
  ; |                                               |
  ; +-----------------------------------------------+

writeString:
push ds si es di

push $b800
pop  es     ; es points to start of video ram

mov  si,dx  ; point si at string to print
mov  ax,80
mov  bh,[row]
cmp  bh,24    ; check for valid range
jg   done
mul  bh
mov  bl,[col]
cmp  bl,79
jg   done  ; check for valid range
xor  bh,bh  ; clear high byte for addition
add  ax,bx
shl  ax,1   ; ax = ax * 2 (words not bytes)
mov  di,ax  ; di = (row * 80 + col) * 2

;compute attribute byte for ah
mov  ah,[paper]
shl  ah,4
or   ah,[ink]

writeLoop:   ; WHILE TRUE
mov  al,[ds:si]   ; get character in string
inc  si           ; point to next character
or   al,al        ; condition the flags
jz   done         ; EXIT if it's zero value at end of string
mov  [es:di],ax   ; copy character and attribute to screen ram
inc  di
inc  di           ; skip two bytes
cmp  di,4000      ; end of screen ram?
jg   done         ; yep than done
jmp  writeLoop    ; END WHILE

done:
pop  di es si ds
ret

; + -----------------------------------+
; | Fill text ram with space character |
; | set background color to paper      |
; | uses ax and cx
; +------------------------------------+
ClearScreen:
push di es  ; save modified registers

push $b800
pop  es        ; es -> screen text ram

mov  ah,[paper]
shl  ah,4
or   ah,[ink]
mov  al,' '        ; space character

; set up loop

mov  di,0          ; first word of screen
mov  cx,80 * 25    ; number of words

clearLoop:        ; DO
mov  [es:di],ax   ;  copy attribute and character to screen ram
inc  di           ;
inc  di           ;  di = di + 2 (2 bytes to skip)
dec  cx           ;  cx = cx - 1
cmp  cx,0         ;
jnz  clearLoop    ; UNTIL cx = 0

pop  es di  ; restore modified registers
ret

; data used by program

szMsg:    db ' HIT [SPACE] KEY TO EXIT ',0  ; zero terminated string (byte array)

; variables and default values

col:    db 10   ; column (0 to 79)
row:    db 10   ; row    (0 to 24)
ink:    db 0
paper:  db 14

02 Oct 2005, 11:42

Damnation

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 45
Location: England

Damnation 02 Oct 2005, 18:32

thanx for that i certinally try those out after work

Quote:

If al > 47 and al < 58 then it's a number

how would i do that in asm i am trying to do this in pure asm.

i know how to check then jump.
but this and bit....

_________________
Regards
Damnation

02 Oct 2005, 18:32

casey

Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Posts: 35

casey 02 Oct 2005, 21:41

Look at getnum: in the code below it should give you some
idea how it is done. It is some of my old NASM code when
I was learning assembler. I can translate it to FASM for you
if you don't know how.

I have always believed in designing and understanding how
a program works from the top down and used to use BASIC
like explanations in the comment column as that was my
first programming language.

Code:

;example code
        BITS 16
        ORG 0x100
        SECTION .text


main:
        mov     si,banner
        call    writestring
        call    CRLF            ;Carriage Return Line Feed
;---------------------------------------------------------------------
        mov     cx,1                    ;cx = 1
        mov     BYTE [result],0         ;result = 0
MainLoop:
        mov     si,prompt
        call    writestring             ;PRINT "please enter number";

        mov     ax,cx
        call    PrintNumber             ;PrintNumber(ax)

        mov     dl,' '
        mov     ah,2
        int     21h                     ;PrintString (" ")

        call    ReadNumber              ;ReadNumber(ax)

        add     ax,[result]
        mov     [result],ax             ;result = result + ax

        mov     si,message
        call    writestring             ;PrintString ("result = ")

        call    PrintNumber             ;PrintNumber(ax)
        call    CRLF                    ;crlf

        inc     cx                      ;cx = cx + 1
        cmp     cx,9                    ;if cx <> 9 then
        jnz     MainLoop                ;goto FirstLoop
;---------------------------------------------------------------------
;exit to DOS
        mov     ax,4C00h
        int     21h                     ;END

;*******************************************************;
;     AX = value of ASCstring in inputbuffer            ;
;*******************************************************;
getnum:
        push    bx      ;save regs
        push    cx
        push    dx
        push    si
        sub     cx,cx   ;clear cx
        mov     bx,10   ;base 10
gnl:
        mov     al,[si] ;get char
        inc     si
        sub     ah,ah   ;clear ah
        sub     al,'0'  ;convert asc to 0 to 9 (if asc of 0..9)
        jc      gnx     ;less than zero
        cmp     al,10   ;less than ten
        ja      gnx     ;nope, bail out with answer
        xchg    ax,cx   ;else ax = old result, cx = new result
        mul     bx      ;old result * 10
        add     cx,ax   ;add new result
        jmp     gnl     ;then got get another char
gnx:
        mov     ax,cx   ;move result to AX
        pop     si
        pop     dx
        pop     cx
        pop     bx
        ret

;***************************************************;
;    outputbuffer = ASCstring of value in ax        ;
;***************************************************;

putnum:
        push    ax
        push    dx
        push    cx
        push    bx
        push    di
        mov     bx,10   ;bx = base 10
        sub     cx,cx   ;clear cx = number of digits
pnl1:
        sub     dx,dx   ;clear most significant word for DIV
        div     bx      ;divide by 10
        add     dl,'0'  ;remainder in dl make it an ASCII character
        push    dx      ;and save it on the stack
        inc     cx      ;update the digit count
        or      ax,ax   ;is the quotient 0?
        jnz     pnl1    ;now we have all the digits on the stack
pnl2:
        pop     ax      ;get last digit first
        mov     [di],al ;save it in output buffer
        inc     di
        loop    pnl2    ;cx=cx-1:If cx<>0 then goto pnl2
        sub     al,al   ;al = 0
        mov     [di],al ;make it a null terminated string
        pop     di
        pop     bx
        pop     cx
        pop     dx
        pop     ax
        ret

;********************************************;
; inputbuffer = KEYBOARD                     ;
;********************************************;

readstring:
        push    ax
        push    di
        push    bx
        mov     bx,di   ;bx = start of buffer to check during backspace
rsl:
        sub     ah,ah
        int     16h     ;wait for key function
        cmp     al,13   ;is it a carriage return (Enter key)
        jz      rsx     ;yes, then exit
        cmp     al,8    ;is it a backspace
        jz      bkspc   ;yes, then do it
        cmp     al,07Fh ;the other backspace
        jz      bkspc   ;yes, then do it
        mov     [di],al ;else save char (we should check here for overrun)
        inc     di
        mov     dl,al   ;and use dos function to echo it
        mov     ah,2
        int     21h
        jmp     rsl     ;next character
;backspace routine
bkspc:
        cmp     di,bx   ;at beginning of text
        jz      rsl     ;if so no backspace
        dec     di      ;else discard the last input character
        mov     ah,2    ;print
        mov     dl,8    ;backspace action
        int     21h     ;do it
        mov     ah,2
        mov     dl,' '
        int     21h     ;print a space
        mov     ah,2
        mov     dl,8
        int     21h     ;another backspace over space
        jmp     rsl     ;
;exit routine
rsx:
        sub     al,al   ;clear al
        mov     [di],al ;insert at end of string for null
        inc     di
        pop     bx
        pop     di
        pop     ax
        ret

;*********************************************;
; SCREEN = output buffer                      ;
;*********************************************;

writestring:
        push    ax
        push    si      ;
wsl:
        mov     al,[si]
        inc     si
        or      al,al   ;al = null?
        jz      wsx     ;yes, exit
        mov     dl,al   ;else put the char out
        mov     ah,2
        int     21h
        jmp     wsl
wsx:
        pop     si
        pop     ax
        ret

CRLF:
        push    ax
        push    dx
        mov     ah,2
        mov     dl,13
        int     21h
        mov     dl,10
        int     21h
        pop     dx
        pop     ax
        ret

;----------------------------------------;
; SCREEN = ASCstring of value in ax      ;
;----------------------------------------;

PrintNumber:
        mov     di,outputbuffer
        call    putnum                  ;
        mov     si,outputbuffer
        call    writestring
        ret

;----------------------------------------;
; ax = value of ASCstring from keyboard  ;
;----------------------------------------;

ReadNumber:
        mov     di,inputbuffer
        call    readstring
        mov     si,inputbuffer
        call    getnum
        call    CRLF
        ret

        SECTION .data

banner  db      "My test program",0     ;always have a banner
prompt  db      "Please enter number",0
message db      "result = ",0
result  dw      0

    SECTION .bss
    
inputbuffer     resb      256      ;create 256 bytes at run time
outputbuffer    resb      256

02 Oct 2005, 21:41

Damnation

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 45
Location: England

Damnation 03 Oct 2005, 06:25

please if u could convert to fasm, as yes as of yet i cannot do it myself : o(
seeing both will be an educating experience.

03 Oct 2005, 06:25

casey

Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Posts: 35

casey 03 Oct 2005, 08:33

NASM and FASM are much the same at this level.
The only changes you need to make are,

At the top just put,

Code:

 org 100h

and delete the directives,

SECTION .data

and

SECTION .bss

and change the two lines at the end with,

inputbuffer:  times  256 db 0
outputbuffer: times  256 db 0

===========================
It took me a while to figure out how to change
the .bss section of NASM. At first I tried dup
and got,

extra characters on line error

Then the 'times' directive which failed until
I put the colon after the address labels.

I don't know if FASM has an equivalent to
the NASM .bss section ?

-
John

03 Oct 2005, 08:33

rea

Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 92

rea 03 Oct 2005, 16:05

Quote:

Then the 'times' directive which failed until
I put the colon after the address labels

That is because nasm by default let you put labels without ":" (yes that lead sometimes to somethings, but you can turn ON warnings for this type of labels)

Quote:

inputbuffer: times 256 db 0
outputbuffer: times 256 db 0

If you do this, I guess you dont need anymore the bss section Wink

, bss section is somewhat a "standar" for example elf also understand this section.

03 Oct 2005, 16:05

casey

Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Posts: 35

casey 03 Oct 2005, 17:30

So the data definitions,

inputbuffer: times 256 db 0
outputbuffer: times 256 db 0

don't take up any space in the saved .exe file?

Which is of course the reason for the .bss isn't it?

03 Oct 2005, 17:30

rea

Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 92

rea 03 Oct 2005, 17:44

They take space 256 bytes each one db/w... stand for declarebyte/word...

But what you will put a data declaration like "db 0" inside bss (before stack segment), is for that I say you dont need anymore the bss section, because your change "db 0 ".

fasm should have some like resb for reserve memory (in byte size) for data and is http://flatassembler.net/docs.php?article=manual#_1.3

03 Oct 2005, 17:44

casey

Joined: 18 Aug 2005
Posts: 35

casey 03 Oct 2005, 19:56

Oh dear, I did not read the manual carefully enough.

The directive to reserve memory is rb, rw and so on.

Thus if you replace db with rb this works,

inputbuffer: times 256 rb 0
outputbuffer: times 256 rb 0

03 Oct 2005, 19:56

Tomasz Grysztar

Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 8263
Location: Kraków, Poland

Tomasz Grysztar 03 Oct 2005, 23:10

It should be either:

Code:

inputbuffer rb 256

Code:

inputbuffer db 256 dup (?)

or as an actually the worst variant:

Code:

inputbuffer: times 256 db ?

The "times 256 rb 0" repeats the 256 times the "rb 0", which reserves zero bytes, so it all does nothing.

03 Oct 2005, 23:10

Bitdog

Joined: 18 Jan 2004
Posts: 97

Bitdog 09 Oct 2005, 09:44

MOV AX,3
INT 10h ;set video mode 3 = text
PUSH WORD 0B800h
POP ES ;set ES seg reg at video mem seg
XOR DI,DI ;row 0, column 0
MOV AH,1 ; blue on black (color values 0-255 are ok)
MOV AL,65 ;character to print
STOSW ;write the char A=65 to the screen quickly

You can use REPZ STOSB to write a whole string, STOSW is quicker.
At 80 characters per line, you can move your imaginary cursor to the
next line by ADD DI,160
80 characters and a color for each = 160 bytes per line
0-24 lines = 25 lines
There are 0-7 pages you can write to and switch pages to also.

You can write to Vmode 13h at seg=0A000h
which will print or do graphic pixels in 300x200 with 256 color.

09 Oct 2005, 09:44

TDCNL

Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 56

TDCNL 15 Apr 2006, 15:12

Bitdog wrote:

MOV AX,3
STOSW ;write the char A=65 to the screen quickly

If you're writing one character only, it's faster to use STOSB.

_________________
:: The Dutch Cracker ::

15 Apr 2006, 15:12

Madis731

Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 2139
Location: Estonia

Madis731 17 Apr 2006, 11:53

But you would leave wildcard to colouring, because the second byte is a colour-byte Wink

17 Apr 2006, 11:53

TDCNL

Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 56

TDCNL 19 Apr 2006, 19:34

Madis731 wrote:

But you would leave wildcard to colouring, because the second byte is a colour-byte

Ah of course! I'm learning this DOS stuff quickly now Very Happy

_________________
:: The Dutch Cracker ::

19 Apr 2006, 19:34

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