Document use of comparison operators as infix operators
[binutils-gdb.git] / gas / doc / as.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-Texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,
3 @c 2001
4 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 @c UPDATE!! On future updates--
6 @c (1) check for new machine-dep cmdline options in
7 @c md_parse_option definitions in config/tc-*.c
8 @c (2) for platform-specific directives, examine md_pseudo_op
9 @c in config/tc-*.c
10 @c (3) for object-format specific directives, examine obj_pseudo_op
11 @c in config/obj-*.c
12 @c (4) portable directives in potable[] in read.c
13 @c %**start of header
14 @setfilename as.info
15 @c ---config---
16 @c defaults, config file may override:
17 @set have-stabs
18 @c ---
19 @include asconfig.texi
20 @include gasver.texi
21 @c ---
22 @c man begin NAME
23 @ifset man
24 @c Configure for the generation of man pages
25 @set AS as
26 @set TARGET TARGET
27 @set GENERIC
28 @set A29K
29 @set ARC
30 @set ARM
31 @set D10V
32 @set D30V
33 @set H8/300
34 @set H8/500
35 @set HPPA
36 @set I370
37 @set I80386
38 @set I860
39 @set I960
40 @set M32R
41 @set M68HC11
42 @set M680X0
43 @set MCORE
44 @set MIPS
45 @set PDP11
46 @set PJ
47 @set SH
48 @set SPARC
49 @set C54X
50 @set V850
51 @set VAX
52 @end ifset
53 @c man end
54 @c common OR combinations of conditions
55 @ifset AOUT
56 @set aout-bout
57 @end ifset
58 @ifset ARM/Thumb
59 @set ARM
60 @end ifset
61 @ifset BOUT
62 @set aout-bout
63 @end ifset
64 @ifset H8/300
65 @set H8
66 @end ifset
67 @ifset H8/500
68 @set H8
69 @end ifset
70 @ifset SH
71 @set H8
72 @end ifset
73 @ifset HPPA
74 @set abnormal-separator
75 @end ifset
76 @c ------------
77 @ifset GENERIC
78 @settitle Using @value{AS}
79 @end ifset
80 @ifclear GENERIC
81 @settitle Using @value{AS} (@value{TARGET})
82 @end ifclear
83 @setchapternewpage odd
84 @c %**end of header
85
86 @c @smallbook
87 @c @set SMALL
88 @c WARE! Some of the machine-dependent sections contain tables of machine
89 @c instructions. Except in multi-column format, these tables look silly.
90 @c Unfortunately, Texinfo doesn't have a general-purpose multi-col format, so
91 @c the multi-col format is faked within @example sections.
92 @c
93 @c Again unfortunately, the natural size that fits on a page, for these tables,
94 @c is different depending on whether or not smallbook is turned on.
95 @c This matters, because of order: text flow switches columns at each page
96 @c break.
97 @c
98 @c The format faked in this source works reasonably well for smallbook,
99 @c not well for the default large-page format. This manual expects that if you
100 @c turn on @smallbook, you will also uncomment the "@set SMALL" to enable the
101 @c tables in question. You can turn on one without the other at your
102 @c discretion, of course.
103 @ifinfo
104 @set SMALL
105 @c the insn tables look just as silly in info files regardless of smallbook,
106 @c might as well show 'em anyways.
107 @end ifinfo
108
109 @ifinfo
110 @format
111 START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
112 * As: (as). The GNU assembler.
113 END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
114 @end format
115 @end ifinfo
116
117 @finalout
118 @syncodeindex ky cp
119
120 @ifinfo
121 This file documents the GNU Assembler "@value{AS}".
122
123 @c man begin COPYRIGHT
124 Copyright (C) 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
125
126 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
127 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
128 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
129 with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
130 Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
131 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
132
133 @c man end
134
135 @ignore
136 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
137 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
138 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
139 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
140
141 @end ignore
142 @end ifinfo
143
144 @titlepage
145 @title Using @value{AS}
146 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Assembler
147 @ifclear GENERIC
148 @subtitle for the @value{TARGET} family
149 @end ifclear
150 @sp 1
151 @subtitle Version @value{VERSION}
152 @sp 1
153 @sp 13
154 The Free Software Foundation Inc. thanks The Nice Computer
155 Company of Australia for loaning Dean Elsner to write the
156 first (Vax) version of @code{as} for Project @sc{gnu}.
157 The proprietors, management and staff of TNCCA thank FSF for
158 distracting the boss while they got some work
159 done.
160 @sp 3
161 @author Dean Elsner, Jay Fenlason & friends
162 @page
163 @tex
164 {\parskip=0pt
165 \hfill {\it Using {\tt @value{AS}}}\par
166 \hfill Edited by Cygnus Support\par
167 }
168 %"boxit" macro for figures:
169 %Modified from Knuth's ``boxit'' macro from TeXbook (answer to exercise 21.3)
170 \gdef\boxit#1#2{\vbox{\hrule\hbox{\vrule\kern3pt
171 \vbox{\parindent=0pt\parskip=0pt\hsize=#1\kern3pt\strut\hfil
172 #2\hfil\strut\kern3pt}\kern3pt\vrule}\hrule}}%box with visible outline
173 \gdef\ibox#1#2{\hbox to #1{#2\hfil}\kern8pt}% invisible box
174 @end tex
175
176 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
177 Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
178
179 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
180 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
181 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
182 with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
183 Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
184 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
185
186 @end titlepage
187
188 @ifinfo
189 @node Top
190 @top Using @value{AS}
191
192 This file is a user guide to the @sc{gnu} assembler @code{@value{AS}} version
193 @value{VERSION}.
194 @ifclear GENERIC
195 This version of the file describes @code{@value{AS}} configured to generate
196 code for @value{TARGET} architectures.
197 @end ifclear
198
199 This document is distributed under the terms of the GNU Free
200 Documentation License. A copy of the license is included in the
201 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
202
203 @menu
204 * Overview:: Overview
205 * Invoking:: Command-Line Options
206 * Syntax:: Syntax
207 * Sections:: Sections and Relocation
208 * Symbols:: Symbols
209 * Expressions:: Expressions
210 * Pseudo Ops:: Assembler Directives
211 * Machine Dependencies:: Machine Dependent Features
212 * Reporting Bugs:: Reporting Bugs
213 * Acknowledgements:: Who Did What
214 * GNU Free Documentation License:: GNU Free Documentation License
215 * Index:: Index
216 @end menu
217 @end ifinfo
218
219 @node Overview
220 @chapter Overview
221 @iftex
222 This manual is a user guide to the @sc{gnu} assembler @code{@value{AS}}.
223 @ifclear GENERIC
224 This version of the manual describes @code{@value{AS}} configured to generate
225 code for @value{TARGET} architectures.
226 @end ifclear
227 @end iftex
228
229 @cindex invocation summary
230 @cindex option summary
231 @cindex summary of options
232 Here is a brief summary of how to invoke @code{@value{AS}}. For details,
233 @pxref{Invoking,,Comand-Line Options}.
234
235 @c man title AS the portable GNU assembler.
236
237 @c man begin SEEALSO
238 gcc(1), ld(1), and the Info entries for @file{binutils} and @file{ld}.
239 @c man end
240
241 @c We don't use deffn and friends for the following because they seem
242 @c to be limited to one line for the header.
243 @smallexample
244 @c man begin SYNOPSIS
245 @value{AS} [ -a[cdhlns][=file] ] [ -D ] [ --defsym @var{sym}=@var{val} ]
246 [ -f ] [ --gstabs ] [ --gdwarf2 ] [ --help ] [ -I @var{dir} ]
247 [ -J ] [ -K ] [ -L ]
248 [ --listing--lhs-width=NUM ][ --listing-lhs-width2=NUM ]
249 [ --listing-rhs-width=NUM ][ --listing-cont-lines=NUM ]
250 [ --keep-locals ] [ -o @var{objfile} ] [ -R ] [ --statistics ] [ -v ]
251 [ -version ] [ --version ] [ -W ] [ --warn ] [ --fatal-warnings ]
252 [ -w ] [ -x ] [ -Z ] [ --target-help ]
253 @ifset A29K
254 @c am29k has no machine-dependent assembler options
255 @end ifset
256 @ifset ARC
257 [ -marc[5|6|7|8] ]
258 [ -EB | -EL ]
259 @end ifset
260 @ifset ARM
261 [ -m[arm]1 | -m[arm]2 | -m[arm]250 | -m[arm]3 |
262 -m[arm]6 | -m[arm]60 | -m[arm]600 | -m[arm]610 |
263 -m[arm]620 | -m[arm]7[t][[d]m[i]][fe] | -m[arm]70 |
264 -m[arm]700 | -m[arm]710[c] | -m[arm]7100 |
265 -m[arm]7500 | -m[arm]8 | -m[arm]810 | -m[arm]9 |
266 -m[arm]920 | -m[arm]920t | -m[arm]9tdmi |
267 -mstrongarm | -mstrongarm110 | -mstrongarm1100 ]
268 [ -m[arm]v2 | -m[arm]v2a | -m[arm]v3 | -m[arm]v3m |
269 -m[arm]v4 | -m[arm]v4t | -m[arm]v5 | -[arm]v5t |
270 -[arm]v5te ]
271 [ -mthumb | -mall ]
272 [ -mfpa10 | -mfpa11 | -mfpe-old | -mno-fpu ]
273 [ -EB | -EL ]
274 [ -mapcs-32 | -mapcs-26 | -mapcs-float |
275 -mapcs-reentrant ]
276 [ -mthumb-interwork ] [ -moabi ] [ -k ]
277 @end ifset
278 @ifset D10V
279 [ -O ]
280 @end ifset
281 @ifset D30V
282 [ -O | -n | -N ]
283 @end ifset
284 @ifset H8
285 @c Hitachi family chips have no machine-dependent assembler options
286 @end ifset
287 @ifset HPPA
288 @c HPPA has no machine-dependent assembler options (yet).
289 @end ifset
290 @ifset PJ
291 [ -mb | -me ]
292 @end ifset
293 @ifset SPARC
294 @c The order here is important. See c-sparc.texi.
295 [ -Av6 | -Av7 | -Av8 | -Asparclet | -Asparclite
296 -Av8plus | -Av8plusa | -Av9 | -Av9a ]
297 [ -xarch=v8plus | -xarch=v8plusa ] [ -bump ]
298 [ -32 | -64 ]
299 @end ifset
300 @ifset TIC54X
301 [ -mcpu=54[123589] | -mcpu=54[56]lp ] [ -mfar-mode | -mf ]
302 [ -merrors-to-file <filename> | -me <filename> ]
303 @end ifset
304 @ifset Z8000
305 @c Z8000 has no machine-dependent assembler options
306 @end ifset
307 @ifset I960
308 @c see md_parse_option in tc-i960.c
309 [ -ACA | -ACA_A | -ACB | -ACC | -AKA | -AKB |
310 -AKC | -AMC ]
311 [ -b ] [ -no-relax ]
312 @end ifset
313 @ifset M32R
314 [ --m32rx | --[no-]warn-explicit-parallel-conflicts |
315 --W[n]p ]
316 @end ifset
317 @ifset M680X0
318 [ -l ] [ -m68000 | -m68010 | -m68020 | ... ]
319 @end ifset
320 @ifset MCORE
321 [ -jsri2bsr ] [ -sifilter ] [ -relax ]
322 [ -mcpu=[210|340] ]
323 @end ifset
324 @ifset M68HC11
325 [ -m68hc11 | -m68hc12 ]
326 [ --force-long-branchs ] [ --short-branchs ]
327 [ --strict-direct-mode ] [ --print-insn-syntax ]
328 [ --print-opcodes ] [ --generate-example ]
329 @end ifset
330 @ifset MIPS
331 [ -nocpp ] [ -EL ] [ -EB ] [ -G @var{num} ] [ -mcpu=@var{CPU} ]
332 [ -mips1 ] [ -mips2 ] [ -mips3 ] [ -mips4 ] [ -mips5 ]
333 [ -mips32 ] [ -mips64 ]
334 [ -m4650 ] [ -no-m4650 ]
335 [ --trap ] [ --break ] [ -n ]
336 [ --emulation=@var{name} ]
337 @end ifset
338 [ -- | @var{files} @dots{} ]
339 @c man end
340 @end smallexample
341
342 @c man begin OPTIONS
343
344 @table @code
345 @item -a[cdhlmns]
346 Turn on listings, in any of a variety of ways:
347
348 @table @code
349 @item -ac
350 omit false conditionals
351
352 @item -ad
353 omit debugging directives
354
355 @item -ah
356 include high-level source
357
358 @item -al
359 include assembly
360
361 @item -am
362 include macro expansions
363
364 @item -an
365 omit forms processing
366
367 @item -as
368 include symbols
369
370 @item =file
371 set the name of the listing file
372 @end table
373
374 You may combine these options; for example, use @samp{-aln} for assembly
375 listing without forms processing. The @samp{=file} option, if used, must be
376 the last one. By itself, @samp{-a} defaults to @samp{-ahls}.
377
378 @item -D
379 Ignored. This option is accepted for script compatibility with calls to
380 other assemblers.
381
382 @item --defsym @var{sym}=@var{value}
383 Define the symbol @var{sym} to be @var{value} before assembling the input file.
384 @var{value} must be an integer constant. As in C, a leading @samp{0x}
385 indicates a hexadecimal value, and a leading @samp{0} indicates an octal value.
386
387 @item -f
388 ``fast''---skip whitespace and comment preprocessing (assume source is
389 compiler output).
390
391 @item --gstabs
392 Generate stabs debugging information for each assembler line. This
393 may help debugging assembler code, if the debugger can handle it.
394
395 @item --gdwarf2
396 Generate DWARF2 debugging information for each assembler line. This
397 may help debugging assembler code, if the debugger can handle it. Note - this
398 option is only supported by some targets, not all of them.
399
400 @item --help
401 Print a summary of the command line options and exit.
402
403 @item --target-help
404 Print a summary of all target specific options and exit.
405
406 @item -I @var{dir}
407 Add directory @var{dir} to the search list for @code{.include} directives.
408
409 @item -J
410 Don't warn about signed overflow.
411
412 @item -K
413 @ifclear DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
414 This option is accepted but has no effect on the @value{TARGET} family.
415 @end ifclear
416 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
417 Issue warnings when difference tables altered for long displacements.
418 @end ifset
419
420 @item -L
421 @itemx --keep-locals
422 Keep (in the symbol table) local symbols. On traditional a.out systems
423 these start with @samp{L}, but different systems have different local
424 label prefixes.
425
426 @item --listing-lhs-width=@var{number}
427 Set the maximum width, in words, of the output data column for an assembler
428 listing to @var{number}.
429
430 @item --listing-lhs-width2=@var{number}
431 Set the maximum width, in words, of the output data column for continuation
432 lines in an assembler listing to @var{number}.
433
434 @item --listing-rhs-width=@var{number}
435 Set the maximum width of an input source line, as displayed in a listing, to
436 @var{number} bytes.
437
438 @item --listing-cont-lines=@var{number}
439 Set the maximum number of lines printed in a listing for a single line of input
440 to @var{number} + 1.
441
442 @item -o @var{objfile}
443 Name the object-file output from @code{@value{AS}} @var{objfile}.
444
445 @item -R
446 Fold the data section into the text section.
447
448 @item --statistics
449 Print the maximum space (in bytes) and total time (in seconds) used by
450 assembly.
451
452 @item --strip-local-absolute
453 Remove local absolute symbols from the outgoing symbol table.
454
455 @item -v
456 @itemx -version
457 Print the @code{as} version.
458
459 @item --version
460 Print the @code{as} version and exit.
461
462 @item -W
463 @itemx --no-warn
464 Suppress warning messages.
465
466 @item --fatal-warnings
467 Treat warnings as errors.
468
469 @item --warn
470 Don't suppress warning messages or treat them as errors.
471
472 @item -w
473 Ignored.
474
475 @item -x
476 Ignored.
477
478 @item -Z
479 Generate an object file even after errors.
480
481 @item -- | @var{files} @dots{}
482 Standard input, or source files to assemble.
483
484 @end table
485
486 @ifset ARC
487 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
488 an ARC processor.
489
490 @table @code
491 @item -marc[5|6|7|8]
492 This option selects the core processor variant.
493 @item -EB | -EL
494 Select either big-endian (-EB) or little-endian (-EL) output.
495 @end table
496 @end ifset
497
498 @ifset ARM
499 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the ARM
500 processor family.
501
502 @table @code
503 @item -m[arm][1|2|3|6|7|8|9][...]
504 Specify which ARM processor variant is the target.
505 @item -m[arm]v[2|2a|3|3m|4|4t|5|5t]
506 Specify which ARM architecture variant is used by the target.
507 @item -mthumb | -mall
508 Enable or disable Thumb only instruction decoding.
509 @item -mfpa10 | -mfpa11 | -mfpe-old | -mno-fpu
510 Select which Floating Point architecture is the target.
511 @item -mapcs-32 | -mapcs-26 | -mapcs-float | -mapcs-reentrant | -moabi
512 Select which procedure calling convention is in use.
513 @item -EB | -EL
514 Select either big-endian (-EB) or little-endian (-EL) output.
515 @item -mthumb-interwork
516 Specify that the code has been generated with interworking between Thumb and
517 ARM code in mind.
518 @item -k
519 Specify that PIC code has been generated.
520 @end table
521 @end ifset
522
523 @ifset D10V
524 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
525 a D10V processor.
526 @table @code
527 @cindex D10V optimization
528 @cindex optimization, D10V
529 @item -O
530 Optimize output by parallelizing instructions.
531 @end table
532 @end ifset
533
534 @ifset D30V
535 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for a D30V
536 processor.
537 @table @code
538 @cindex D30V optimization
539 @cindex optimization, D30V
540 @item -O
541 Optimize output by parallelizing instructions.
542
543 @cindex D30V nops
544 @item -n
545 Warn when nops are generated.
546
547 @cindex D30V nops after 32-bit multiply
548 @item -N
549 Warn when a nop after a 32-bit multiply instruction is generated.
550 @end table
551 @end ifset
552
553 @ifset I960
554 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
555 Intel 80960 processor.
556
557 @table @code
558 @item -ACA | -ACA_A | -ACB | -ACC | -AKA | -AKB | -AKC | -AMC
559 Specify which variant of the 960 architecture is the target.
560
561 @item -b
562 Add code to collect statistics about branches taken.
563
564 @item -no-relax
565 Do not alter compare-and-branch instructions for long displacements;
566 error if necessary.
567
568 @end table
569 @end ifset
570
571 @ifset M32R
572 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
573 Mitsubishi M32R series.
574
575 @table @code
576
577 @item --m32rx
578 Specify which processor in the M32R family is the target. The default
579 is normally the M32R, but this option changes it to the M32RX.
580
581 @item --warn-explicit-parallel-conflicts or --Wp
582 Produce warning messages when questionable parallel constructs are
583 encountered.
584
585 @item --no-warn-explicit-parallel-conflicts or --Wnp
586 Do not produce warning messages when questionable parallel constructs are
587 encountered.
588
589 @end table
590 @end ifset
591
592 @ifset M680X0
593 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
594 Motorola 68000 series.
595
596 @table @code
597
598 @item -l
599 Shorten references to undefined symbols, to one word instead of two.
600
601 @item -m68000 | -m68008 | -m68010 | -m68020 | -m68030
602 @itemx | -m68040 | -m68060 | -m68302 | -m68331 | -m68332
603 @itemx | -m68333 | -m68340 | -mcpu32 | -m5200
604 Specify what processor in the 68000 family is the target. The default
605 is normally the 68020, but this can be changed at configuration time.
606
607 @item -m68881 | -m68882 | -mno-68881 | -mno-68882
608 The target machine does (or does not) have a floating-point coprocessor.
609 The default is to assume a coprocessor for 68020, 68030, and cpu32. Although
610 the basic 68000 is not compatible with the 68881, a combination of the
611 two can be specified, since it's possible to do emulation of the
612 coprocessor instructions with the main processor.
613
614 @item -m68851 | -mno-68851
615 The target machine does (or does not) have a memory-management
616 unit coprocessor. The default is to assume an MMU for 68020 and up.
617
618 @end table
619 @end ifset
620
621 @ifset PDP11
622
623 For details about the PDP-11 machine dependent features options,
624 see @ref{PDP-11-Options}.
625
626 @table @code
627 @item -mpic | -mno-pic
628 Generate position-independent (or position-dependent) code. The
629 default is @code{-mpic}.
630
631 @item -mall
632 @itemx -mall-extensions
633 Enable all instruction set extensions. This is the default.
634
635 @item -mno-extensions
636 Disable all instruction set extensions.
637
638 @item -m@var{extension} | -mno-@var{extension}
639 Enable (or disable) a particular instruction set extension.
640
641 @item -m@var{cpu}
642 Enable the instruction set extensions supported by a particular CPU, and
643 disable all other extensions.
644
645 @item -m@var{machine}
646 Enable the instruction set extensions supported by a particular machine
647 model, and disable all other extensions.
648 @end table
649
650 @end ifset
651
652 @ifset PJ
653 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
654 a picoJava processor.
655
656 @table @code
657
658 @cindex PJ endianness
659 @cindex endianness, PJ
660 @cindex big endian output, PJ
661 @item -mb
662 Generate ``big endian'' format output.
663
664 @cindex little endian output, PJ
665 @item -ml
666 Generate ``little endian'' format output.
667
668 @end table
669 @end ifset
670
671 @ifset M68HC11
672 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
673 Motorola 68HC11 or 68HC12 series.
674
675 @table @code
676
677 @item -m68hc11 | -m68hc12
678 Specify what processor is the target. The default is
679 defined by the configuration option when building the assembler.
680
681 @item --force-long-branchs
682 Relative branches are turned into absolute ones. This concerns
683 conditional branches, unconditional branches and branches to a
684 sub routine.
685
686 @item -S | --short-branchs
687 Do not turn relative branchs into absolute ones
688 when the offset is out of range.
689
690 @item --strict-direct-mode
691 Do not turn the direct addressing mode into extended addressing mode
692 when the instruction does not support direct addressing mode.
693
694 @item --print-insn-syntax
695 Print the syntax of instruction in case of error.
696
697 @item --print-opcodes
698 print the list of instructions with syntax and then exit.
699
700 @item --generate-example
701 print an example of instruction for each possible instruction and then exit.
702 This option is only useful for testing @code{@value{AS}}.
703
704 @end table
705 @end ifset
706
707 @ifset SPARC
708 The following options are available when @code{@value{AS}} is configured
709 for the SPARC architecture:
710
711 @table @code
712 @item -Av6 | -Av7 | -Av8 | -Asparclet | -Asparclite
713 @itemx -Av8plus | -Av8plusa | -Av9 | -Av9a
714 Explicitly select a variant of the SPARC architecture.
715
716 @samp{-Av8plus} and @samp{-Av8plusa} select a 32 bit environment.
717 @samp{-Av9} and @samp{-Av9a} select a 64 bit environment.
718
719 @samp{-Av8plusa} and @samp{-Av9a} enable the SPARC V9 instruction set with
720 UltraSPARC extensions.
721
722 @item -xarch=v8plus | -xarch=v8plusa
723 For compatibility with the Solaris v9 assembler. These options are
724 equivalent to -Av8plus and -Av8plusa, respectively.
725
726 @item -bump
727 Warn when the assembler switches to another architecture.
728 @end table
729 @end ifset
730
731 @ifset TIC54X
732 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the 'c54x
733 architecture.
734
735 @table @code
736 @item -mfar-mode
737 Enable extended addressing mode. All addresses and relocations will assume
738 extended addressing (usually 23 bits).
739 @item -mcpu=@var{CPU_VERSION}
740 Sets the CPU version being compiled for.
741 @item -merrors-to-file @var{FILENAME}
742 Redirect error output to a file, for broken systems which don't support such
743 behaviour in the shell.
744 @end table
745 @end ifset
746
747 @ifset MIPS
748 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
749 a MIPS processor.
750
751 @table @code
752 @item -G @var{num}
753 This option sets the largest size of an object that can be referenced
754 implicitly with the @code{gp} register. It is only accepted for targets that
755 use ECOFF format, such as a DECstation running Ultrix. The default value is 8.
756
757 @cindex MIPS endianness
758 @cindex endianness, MIPS
759 @cindex big endian output, MIPS
760 @item -EB
761 Generate ``big endian'' format output.
762
763 @cindex little endian output, MIPS
764 @item -EL
765 Generate ``little endian'' format output.
766
767 @cindex MIPS ISA
768 @item -mips1
769 @itemx -mips2
770 @itemx -mips3
771 @itemx -mips4
772 @itemx -mips32
773 Generate code for a particular MIPS Instruction Set Architecture level.
774 @samp{-mips1} corresponds to the @sc{r2000} and @sc{r3000} processors,
775 @samp{-mips2} to the @sc{r6000} processor, and @samp{-mips3} to the @sc{r4000}
776 processor.
777 @samp{-mips5}, @samp{-mips32}, and @samp{-mips64} correspond
778 to generic @sc{MIPS V}, @sc{MIPS32}, and @sc{MIPS64} ISA
779 processors, respectively.
780
781 @item -m4650
782 @itemx -no-m4650
783 Generate code for the MIPS @sc{r4650} chip. This tells the assembler to accept
784 the @samp{mad} and @samp{madu} instruction, and to not schedule @samp{nop}
785 instructions around accesses to the @samp{HI} and @samp{LO} registers.
786 @samp{-no-m4650} turns off this option.
787
788 @item -mcpu=@var{CPU}
789 Generate code for a particular MIPS cpu. It is exactly equivalent to
790 @samp{-m@var{cpu}}, except that there are more value of @var{cpu}
791 understood.
792
793 @cindex emulation
794 @item --emulation=@var{name}
795 This option causes @code{@value{AS}} to emulate @code{@value{AS}} configured
796 for some other target, in all respects, including output format (choosing
797 between ELF and ECOFF only), handling of pseudo-opcodes which may generate
798 debugging information or store symbol table information, and default
799 endianness. The available configuration names are: @samp{mipsecoff},
800 @samp{mipself}, @samp{mipslecoff}, @samp{mipsbecoff}, @samp{mipslelf},
801 @samp{mipsbelf}. The first two do not alter the default endianness from that
802 of the primary target for which the assembler was configured; the others change
803 the default to little- or big-endian as indicated by the @samp{b} or @samp{l}
804 in the name. Using @samp{-EB} or @samp{-EL} will override the endianness
805 selection in any case.
806
807 This option is currently supported only when the primary target
808 @code{@value{AS}} is configured for is a MIPS ELF or ECOFF target.
809 Furthermore, the primary target or others specified with
810 @samp{--enable-targets=@dots{}} at configuration time must include support for
811 the other format, if both are to be available. For example, the Irix 5
812 configuration includes support for both.
813
814 Eventually, this option will support more configurations, with more
815 fine-grained control over the assembler's behavior, and will be supported for
816 more processors.
817
818 @item -nocpp
819 @code{@value{AS}} ignores this option. It is accepted for compatibility with
820 the native tools.
821
822 @need 900
823 @item --trap
824 @itemx --no-trap
825 @itemx --break
826 @itemx --no-break
827 Control how to deal with multiplication overflow and division by zero.
828 @samp{--trap} or @samp{--no-break} (which are synonyms) take a trap exception
829 (and only work for Instruction Set Architecture level 2 and higher);
830 @samp{--break} or @samp{--no-trap} (also synonyms, and the default) take a
831 break exception.
832
833 @item -n
834 When this option is used, @code{@value{AS}} will issue a warning every
835 time it generates a nop instruction from a macro.
836 @end table
837 @end ifset
838
839 @ifset MCORE
840 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
841 an MCore processor.
842
843 @table @code
844 @item -jsri2bsr
845 @itemx -nojsri2bsr
846 Enable or disable the JSRI to BSR transformation. By default this is enabled.
847 The command line option @samp{-nojsri2bsr} can be used to disable it.
848
849 @item -sifilter
850 @itemx -nosifilter
851 Enable or disable the silicon filter behaviour. By default this is disabled.
852 The default can be overridden by the @samp{-sifilter} command line option.
853
854 @item -relax
855 Alter jump instructions for long displacements.
856
857 @item -mcpu=[210|340]
858 Select the cpu type on the target hardware. This controls which instructions
859 can be assembled.
860
861 @item -EB
862 Assemble for a big endian target.
863
864 @item -EL
865 Assemble for a little endian target.
866
867 @end table
868 @end ifset
869
870 @c man end
871
872 @menu
873 * Manual:: Structure of this Manual
874 * GNU Assembler:: The GNU Assembler
875 * Object Formats:: Object File Formats
876 * Command Line:: Command Line
877 * Input Files:: Input Files
878 * Object:: Output (Object) File
879 * Errors:: Error and Warning Messages
880 @end menu
881
882 @node Manual
883 @section Structure of this Manual
884
885 @cindex manual, structure and purpose
886 This manual is intended to describe what you need to know to use
887 @sc{gnu} @code{@value{AS}}. We cover the syntax expected in source files, including
888 notation for symbols, constants, and expressions; the directives that
889 @code{@value{AS}} understands; and of course how to invoke @code{@value{AS}}.
890
891 @ifclear GENERIC
892 We also cover special features in the @value{TARGET}
893 configuration of @code{@value{AS}}, including assembler directives.
894 @end ifclear
895 @ifset GENERIC
896 This manual also describes some of the machine-dependent features of
897 various flavors of the assembler.
898 @end ifset
899
900 @cindex machine instructions (not covered)
901 On the other hand, this manual is @emph{not} intended as an introduction
902 to programming in assembly language---let alone programming in general!
903 In a similar vein, we make no attempt to introduce the machine
904 architecture; we do @emph{not} describe the instruction set, standard
905 mnemonics, registers or addressing modes that are standard to a
906 particular architecture.
907 @ifset GENERIC
908 You may want to consult the manufacturer's
909 machine architecture manual for this information.
910 @end ifset
911 @ifclear GENERIC
912 @ifset H8/300
913 For information on the H8/300 machine instruction set, see @cite{H8/300
914 Series Programming Manual} (Hitachi ADE--602--025). For the H8/300H,
915 see @cite{H8/300H Series Programming Manual} (Hitachi).
916 @end ifset
917 @ifset H8/500
918 For information on the H8/500 machine instruction set, see @cite{H8/500
919 Series Programming Manual} (Hitachi M21T001).
920 @end ifset
921 @ifset SH
922 For information on the Hitachi SH machine instruction set, see
923 @cite{SH-Microcomputer User's Manual} (Hitachi Micro Systems, Inc.).
924 @end ifset
925 @ifset Z8000
926 For information on the Z8000 machine instruction set, see @cite{Z8000 CPU Technical Manual}
927 @end ifset
928 @end ifclear
929
930 @c I think this is premature---doc@cygnus.com, 17jan1991
931 @ignore
932 Throughout this manual, we assume that you are running @dfn{GNU},
933 the portable operating system from the @dfn{Free Software
934 Foundation, Inc.}. This restricts our attention to certain kinds of
935 computer (in particular, the kinds of computers that @sc{gnu} can run on);
936 once this assumption is granted examples and definitions need less
937 qualification.
938
939 @code{@value{AS}} is part of a team of programs that turn a high-level
940 human-readable series of instructions into a low-level
941 computer-readable series of instructions. Different versions of
942 @code{@value{AS}} are used for different kinds of computer.
943 @end ignore
944
945 @c There used to be a section "Terminology" here, which defined
946 @c "contents", "byte", "word", and "long". Defining "word" to any
947 @c particular size is confusing when the .word directive may generate 16
948 @c bits on one machine and 32 bits on another; in general, for the user
949 @c version of this manual, none of these terms seem essential to define.
950 @c They were used very little even in the former draft of the manual;
951 @c this draft makes an effort to avoid them (except in names of
952 @c directives).
953
954 @node GNU Assembler
955 @section The GNU Assembler
956
957 @c man begin DESCRIPTION
958
959 @sc{gnu} @code{as} is really a family of assemblers.
960 @ifclear GENERIC
961 This manual describes @code{@value{AS}}, a member of that family which is
962 configured for the @value{TARGET} architectures.
963 @end ifclear
964 If you use (or have used) the @sc{gnu} assembler on one architecture, you
965 should find a fairly similar environment when you use it on another
966 architecture. Each version has much in common with the others,
967 including object file formats, most assembler directives (often called
968 @dfn{pseudo-ops}) and assembler syntax.@refill
969
970 @cindex purpose of @sc{gnu} assembler
971 @code{@value{AS}} is primarily intended to assemble the output of the
972 @sc{gnu} C compiler @code{@value{GCC}} for use by the linker
973 @code{@value{LD}}. Nevertheless, we've tried to make @code{@value{AS}}
974 assemble correctly everything that other assemblers for the same
975 machine would assemble.
976 @ifset VAX
977 Any exceptions are documented explicitly (@pxref{Machine Dependencies}).
978 @end ifset
979 @ifset M680X0
980 @c This remark should appear in generic version of manual; assumption
981 @c here is that generic version sets M680x0.
982 This doesn't mean @code{@value{AS}} always uses the same syntax as another
983 assembler for the same architecture; for example, we know of several
984 incompatible versions of 680x0 assembly language syntax.
985 @end ifset
986
987 @c man end
988
989 Unlike older assemblers, @code{@value{AS}} is designed to assemble a source
990 program in one pass of the source file. This has a subtle impact on the
991 @kbd{.org} directive (@pxref{Org,,@code{.org}}).
992
993 @node Object Formats
994 @section Object File Formats
995
996 @cindex object file format
997 The @sc{gnu} assembler can be configured to produce several alternative
998 object file formats. For the most part, this does not affect how you
999 write assembly language programs; but directives for debugging symbols
1000 are typically different in different file formats. @xref{Symbol
1001 Attributes,,Symbol Attributes}.
1002 @ifclear GENERIC
1003 @ifclear MULTI-OBJ
1004 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} is configured to produce
1005 @value{OBJ-NAME} format object files.
1006 @end ifclear
1007 @c The following should exhaust all configs that set MULTI-OBJ, ideally
1008 @ifset A29K
1009 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} can be configured to produce either
1010 @code{a.out} or COFF format object files.
1011 @end ifset
1012 @ifset I960
1013 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} can be configured to produce either
1014 @code{b.out} or COFF format object files.
1015 @end ifset
1016 @ifset HPPA
1017 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} can be configured to produce either
1018 SOM or ELF format object files.
1019 @end ifset
1020 @end ifclear
1021
1022 @node Command Line
1023 @section Command Line
1024
1025 @cindex command line conventions
1026
1027 After the program name @code{@value{AS}}, the command line may contain
1028 options and file names. Options may appear in any order, and may be
1029 before, after, or between file names. The order of file names is
1030 significant.
1031
1032 @cindex standard input, as input file
1033 @kindex --
1034 @file{--} (two hyphens) by itself names the standard input file
1035 explicitly, as one of the files for @code{@value{AS}} to assemble.
1036
1037 @cindex options, command line
1038 Except for @samp{--} any command line argument that begins with a
1039 hyphen (@samp{-}) is an option. Each option changes the behavior of
1040 @code{@value{AS}}. No option changes the way another option works. An
1041 option is a @samp{-} followed by one or more letters; the case of
1042 the letter is important. All options are optional.
1043
1044 Some options expect exactly one file name to follow them. The file
1045 name may either immediately follow the option's letter (compatible
1046 with older assemblers) or it may be the next command argument (@sc{gnu}
1047 standard). These two command lines are equivalent:
1048
1049 @smallexample
1050 @value{AS} -o my-object-file.o mumble.s
1051 @value{AS} -omy-object-file.o mumble.s
1052 @end smallexample
1053
1054 @node Input Files
1055 @section Input Files
1056
1057 @cindex input
1058 @cindex source program
1059 @cindex files, input
1060 We use the phrase @dfn{source program}, abbreviated @dfn{source}, to
1061 describe the program input to one run of @code{@value{AS}}. The program may
1062 be in one or more files; how the source is partitioned into files
1063 doesn't change the meaning of the source.
1064
1065 @c I added "con" prefix to "catenation" just to prove I can overcome my
1066 @c APL training... doc@cygnus.com
1067 The source program is a concatenation of the text in all the files, in the
1068 order specified.
1069
1070 @c man begin DESCRIPTION
1071 Each time you run @code{@value{AS}} it assembles exactly one source
1072 program. The source program is made up of one or more files.
1073 (The standard input is also a file.)
1074
1075 You give @code{@value{AS}} a command line that has zero or more input file
1076 names. The input files are read (from left file name to right). A
1077 command line argument (in any position) that has no special meaning
1078 is taken to be an input file name.
1079
1080 If you give @code{@value{AS}} no file names it attempts to read one input file
1081 from the @code{@value{AS}} standard input, which is normally your terminal. You
1082 may have to type @key{ctl-D} to tell @code{@value{AS}} there is no more program
1083 to assemble.
1084
1085 Use @samp{--} if you need to explicitly name the standard input file
1086 in your command line.
1087
1088 If the source is empty, @code{@value{AS}} produces a small, empty object
1089 file.
1090
1091 @c man end
1092
1093 @subheading Filenames and Line-numbers
1094
1095 @cindex input file linenumbers
1096 @cindex line numbers, in input files
1097 There are two ways of locating a line in the input file (or files) and
1098 either may be used in reporting error messages. One way refers to a line
1099 number in a physical file; the other refers to a line number in a
1100 ``logical'' file. @xref{Errors, ,Error and Warning Messages}.
1101
1102 @dfn{Physical files} are those files named in the command line given
1103 to @code{@value{AS}}.
1104
1105 @dfn{Logical files} are simply names declared explicitly by assembler
1106 directives; they bear no relation to physical files. Logical file names help
1107 error messages reflect the original source file, when @code{@value{AS}} source
1108 is itself synthesized from other files. @code{@value{AS}} understands the
1109 @samp{#} directives emitted by the @code{@value{GCC}} preprocessor. See also
1110 @ref{File,,@code{.file}}.
1111
1112 @node Object
1113 @section Output (Object) File
1114
1115 @cindex object file
1116 @cindex output file
1117 @kindex a.out
1118 @kindex .o
1119 Every time you run @code{@value{AS}} it produces an output file, which is
1120 your assembly language program translated into numbers. This file
1121 is the object file. Its default name is
1122 @ifclear BOUT
1123 @code{a.out}.
1124 @end ifclear
1125 @ifset BOUT
1126 @ifset GENERIC
1127 @code{a.out}, or
1128 @end ifset
1129 @code{b.out} when @code{@value{AS}} is configured for the Intel 80960.
1130 @end ifset
1131 You can give it another name by using the @code{-o} option. Conventionally,
1132 object file names end with @file{.o}. The default name is used for historical
1133 reasons: older assemblers were capable of assembling self-contained programs
1134 directly into a runnable program. (For some formats, this isn't currently
1135 possible, but it can be done for the @code{a.out} format.)
1136
1137 @cindex linker
1138 @kindex ld
1139 The object file is meant for input to the linker @code{@value{LD}}. It contains
1140 assembled program code, information to help @code{@value{LD}} integrate
1141 the assembled program into a runnable file, and (optionally) symbolic
1142 information for the debugger.
1143
1144 @c link above to some info file(s) like the description of a.out.
1145 @c don't forget to describe @sc{gnu} info as well as Unix lossage.
1146
1147 @node Errors
1148 @section Error and Warning Messages
1149
1150 @c man begin DESCRIPTION
1151
1152 @cindex error messages
1153 @cindex warning messages
1154 @cindex messages from assembler
1155 @code{@value{AS}} may write warnings and error messages to the standard error
1156 file (usually your terminal). This should not happen when a compiler
1157 runs @code{@value{AS}} automatically. Warnings report an assumption made so
1158 that @code{@value{AS}} could keep assembling a flawed program; errors report a
1159 grave problem that stops the assembly.
1160
1161 @c man end
1162
1163 @cindex format of warning messages
1164 Warning messages have the format
1165
1166 @smallexample
1167 file_name:@b{NNN}:Warning Message Text
1168 @end smallexample
1169
1170 @noindent
1171 @cindex line numbers, in warnings/errors
1172 (where @b{NNN} is a line number). If a logical file name has been given
1173 (@pxref{File,,@code{.file}}) it is used for the filename, otherwise the name of
1174 the current input file is used. If a logical line number was given
1175 @ifset GENERIC
1176 (@pxref{Line,,@code{.line}})
1177 @end ifset
1178 @ifclear GENERIC
1179 @ifclear A29K
1180 (@pxref{Line,,@code{.line}})
1181 @end ifclear
1182 @ifset A29K
1183 (@pxref{Ln,,@code{.ln}})
1184 @end ifset
1185 @end ifclear
1186 then it is used to calculate the number printed,
1187 otherwise the actual line in the current source file is printed. The
1188 message text is intended to be self explanatory (in the grand Unix
1189 tradition).
1190
1191 @cindex format of error messages
1192 Error messages have the format
1193 @smallexample
1194 file_name:@b{NNN}:FATAL:Error Message Text
1195 @end smallexample
1196 The file name and line number are derived as for warning
1197 messages. The actual message text may be rather less explanatory
1198 because many of them aren't supposed to happen.
1199
1200 @node Invoking
1201 @chapter Command-Line Options
1202
1203 @cindex options, all versions of assembler
1204 This chapter describes command-line options available in @emph{all}
1205 versions of the @sc{gnu} assembler; @pxref{Machine Dependencies}, for options specific
1206 @ifclear GENERIC
1207 to the @value{TARGET}.
1208 @end ifclear
1209 @ifset GENERIC
1210 to particular machine architectures.
1211 @end ifset
1212
1213 @c man begin DESCRIPTION
1214
1215 If you are invoking @code{@value{AS}} via the @sc{gnu} C compiler (version 2),
1216 you can use the @samp{-Wa} option to pass arguments through to the assembler.
1217 The assembler arguments must be separated from each other (and the @samp{-Wa})
1218 by commas. For example:
1219
1220 @smallexample
1221 gcc -c -g -O -Wa,-alh,-L file.c
1222 @end smallexample
1223
1224 @noindent
1225 This passes two options to the assembler: @samp{-alh} (emit a listing to
1226 standard output with with high-level and assembly source) and @samp{-L} (retain
1227 local symbols in the symbol table).
1228
1229 Usually you do not need to use this @samp{-Wa} mechanism, since many compiler
1230 command-line options are automatically passed to the assembler by the compiler.
1231 (You can call the @sc{gnu} compiler driver with the @samp{-v} option to see
1232 precisely what options it passes to each compilation pass, including the
1233 assembler.)
1234
1235 @c man end
1236
1237 @menu
1238 * a:: -a[cdhlns] enable listings
1239 * D:: -D for compatibility
1240 * f:: -f to work faster
1241 * I:: -I for .include search path
1242 @ifclear DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1243 * K:: -K for compatibility
1244 @end ifclear
1245 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1246 * K:: -K for difference tables
1247 @end ifset
1248
1249 * L:: -L to retain local labels
1250 * listing:: --listing-XXX to configure listing output
1251 * M:: -M or --mri to assemble in MRI compatibility mode
1252 * MD:: --MD for dependency tracking
1253 * o:: -o to name the object file
1254 * R:: -R to join data and text sections
1255 * statistics:: --statistics to see statistics about assembly
1256 * traditional-format:: --traditional-format for compatible output
1257 * v:: -v to announce version
1258 * W:: -W, --no-warn, --warn, --fatal-warnings to control warnings
1259 * Z:: -Z to make object file even after errors
1260 @end menu
1261
1262 @node a
1263 @section Enable Listings: @code{-a[cdhlns]}
1264
1265 @kindex -a
1266 @kindex -ac
1267 @kindex -ad
1268 @kindex -ah
1269 @kindex -al
1270 @kindex -an
1271 @kindex -as
1272 @cindex listings, enabling
1273 @cindex assembly listings, enabling
1274
1275 These options enable listing output from the assembler. By itself,
1276 @samp{-a} requests high-level, assembly, and symbols listing.
1277 You can use other letters to select specific options for the list:
1278 @samp{-ah} requests a high-level language listing,
1279 @samp{-al} requests an output-program assembly listing, and
1280 @samp{-as} requests a symbol table listing.
1281 High-level listings require that a compiler debugging option like
1282 @samp{-g} be used, and that assembly listings (@samp{-al}) be requested
1283 also.
1284
1285 Use the @samp{-ac} option to omit false conditionals from a listing. Any lines
1286 which are not assembled because of a false @code{.if} (or @code{.ifdef}, or any
1287 other conditional), or a true @code{.if} followed by an @code{.else}, will be
1288 omitted from the listing.
1289
1290 Use the @samp{-ad} option to omit debugging directives from the
1291 listing.
1292
1293 Once you have specified one of these options, you can further control
1294 listing output and its appearance using the directives @code{.list},
1295 @code{.nolist}, @code{.psize}, @code{.eject}, @code{.title}, and
1296 @code{.sbttl}.
1297 The @samp{-an} option turns off all forms processing.
1298 If you do not request listing output with one of the @samp{-a} options, the
1299 listing-control directives have no effect.
1300
1301 The letters after @samp{-a} may be combined into one option,
1302 @emph{e.g.}, @samp{-aln}.
1303
1304 Note if the assembler source is coming from the standard input (eg because it
1305 is being created by @code{@value{GCC}} and the @samp{-pipe} command line switch
1306 is being used) then the listing will not contain any comments or preprocessor
1307 directives. This is because the listing code buffers input source lines from
1308 stdin only after they have been preprocessed by the assembler. This reduces
1309 memory usage and makes the code more efficient.
1310
1311 @node D
1312 @section @code{-D}
1313
1314 @kindex -D
1315 This option has no effect whatsoever, but it is accepted to make it more
1316 likely that scripts written for other assemblers also work with
1317 @code{@value{AS}}.
1318
1319 @node f
1320 @section Work Faster: @code{-f}
1321
1322 @kindex -f
1323 @cindex trusted compiler
1324 @cindex faster processing (@code{-f})
1325 @samp{-f} should only be used when assembling programs written by a
1326 (trusted) compiler. @samp{-f} stops the assembler from doing whitespace
1327 and comment preprocessing on
1328 the input file(s) before assembling them. @xref{Preprocessing,
1329 ,Preprocessing}.
1330
1331 @quotation
1332 @emph{Warning:} if you use @samp{-f} when the files actually need to be
1333 preprocessed (if they contain comments, for example), @code{@value{AS}} does
1334 not work correctly.
1335 @end quotation
1336
1337 @node I
1338 @section @code{.include} search path: @code{-I} @var{path}
1339
1340 @kindex -I @var{path}
1341 @cindex paths for @code{.include}
1342 @cindex search path for @code{.include}
1343 @cindex @code{include} directive search path
1344 Use this option to add a @var{path} to the list of directories
1345 @code{@value{AS}} searches for files specified in @code{.include}
1346 directives (@pxref{Include,,@code{.include}}). You may use @code{-I} as
1347 many times as necessary to include a variety of paths. The current
1348 working directory is always searched first; after that, @code{@value{AS}}
1349 searches any @samp{-I} directories in the same order as they were
1350 specified (left to right) on the command line.
1351
1352 @node K
1353 @section Difference Tables: @code{-K}
1354
1355 @kindex -K
1356 @ifclear DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1357 On the @value{TARGET} family, this option is allowed, but has no effect. It is
1358 permitted for compatibility with the @sc{gnu} assembler on other platforms,
1359 where it can be used to warn when the assembler alters the machine code
1360 generated for @samp{.word} directives in difference tables. The @value{TARGET}
1361 family does not have the addressing limitations that sometimes lead to this
1362 alteration on other platforms.
1363 @end ifclear
1364
1365 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1366 @cindex difference tables, warning
1367 @cindex warning for altered difference tables
1368 @code{@value{AS}} sometimes alters the code emitted for directives of the form
1369 @samp{.word @var{sym1}-@var{sym2}}; @pxref{Word,,@code{.word}}.
1370 You can use the @samp{-K} option if you want a warning issued when this
1371 is done.
1372 @end ifset
1373
1374 @node L
1375 @section Include Local Labels: @code{-L}
1376
1377 @kindex -L
1378 @cindex local labels, retaining in output
1379 Labels beginning with @samp{L} (upper case only) are called @dfn{local
1380 labels}. @xref{Symbol Names}. Normally you do not see such labels when
1381 debugging, because they are intended for the use of programs (like
1382 compilers) that compose assembler programs, not for your notice.
1383 Normally both @code{@value{AS}} and @code{@value{LD}} discard such labels, so you do not
1384 normally debug with them.
1385
1386 This option tells @code{@value{AS}} to retain those @samp{L@dots{}} symbols
1387 in the object file. Usually if you do this you also tell the linker
1388 @code{@value{LD}} to preserve symbols whose names begin with @samp{L}.
1389
1390 By default, a local label is any label beginning with @samp{L}, but each
1391 target is allowed to redefine the local label prefix.
1392 @ifset HPPA
1393 On the HPPA local labels begin with @samp{L$}.
1394 @end ifset
1395
1396 @node listing
1397 @section Configuringh listing output: @code{--listing}
1398
1399 The listing feature of the assembler can be enabled via the command line switch
1400 @samp{-a} (@pxref{a}). This feature combines the input source file(s) with a
1401 hex dump of the corresponding locations in the output object file, and displays
1402 them as a listing file. The format of this listing can be controlled by pseudo
1403 ops inside the assembler source (@pxref{List} @pxref{Title} @pxref{Sbttl}
1404 @pxref{Psize} @pxref{Eject}) and also by the following switches:
1405
1406 @table @code
1407 @item --listing-lhs-width=@samp{number}
1408 @kindex --listing-lhs-width
1409 @cindex Width of first line disassembly output
1410 Sets the maximum width, in words, of the first line of the hex byte dump. This
1411 dump appears on the left hand side of the listing output.
1412
1413 @item --listing-lhs-width2=@samp{number}
1414 @kindex --listing-lhs-width2
1415 @cindex Width of continuation lines of disassembly output
1416 Sets the maximum width, in words, of any further lines of the hex byte dump for
1417 a given inut source line. If this value is not specified, it defaults to being
1418 the same as the value specified for @samp{--listing-lhs-width}. If neither
1419 switch is used the default is to one.
1420
1421 @item --listing-rhs-width=@samp{number}
1422 @kindex --listing-rhs-width
1423 @cindex Width of source line output
1424 Sets the maximum width, in characters, of the source line that is displayed
1425 alongside the hex dump. The default value for this parameter is 100. The
1426 source line is displayed on the right hand side of the listing output.
1427
1428 @item --listing-cont-lines=@samp{number}
1429 @kindex --listing-cont-lines
1430 @cindex Maximum number of continuation lines
1431 Sets the maximum number of continuation lines of hex dump that will be
1432 displayed for a given single line of source input. The default value is 4.
1433 @end table
1434
1435 @node M
1436 @section Assemble in MRI Compatibility Mode: @code{-M}
1437
1438 @kindex -M
1439 @cindex MRI compatibility mode
1440 The @code{-M} or @code{--mri} option selects MRI compatibility mode. This
1441 changes the syntax and pseudo-op handling of @code{@value{AS}} to make it
1442 compatible with the @code{ASM68K} or the @code{ASM960} (depending upon the
1443 configured target) assembler from Microtec Research. The exact nature of the
1444 MRI syntax will not be documented here; see the MRI manuals for more
1445 information. Note in particular that the handling of macros and macro
1446 arguments is somewhat different. The purpose of this option is to permit
1447 assembling existing MRI assembler code using @code{@value{AS}}.
1448
1449 The MRI compatibility is not complete. Certain operations of the MRI assembler
1450 depend upon its object file format, and can not be supported using other object
1451 file formats. Supporting these would require enhancing each object file format
1452 individually. These are:
1453
1454 @itemize @bullet
1455 @item global symbols in common section
1456
1457 The m68k MRI assembler supports common sections which are merged by the linker.
1458 Other object file formats do not support this. @code{@value{AS}} handles
1459 common sections by treating them as a single common symbol. It permits local
1460 symbols to be defined within a common section, but it can not support global
1461 symbols, since it has no way to describe them.
1462
1463 @item complex relocations
1464
1465 The MRI assemblers support relocations against a negated section address, and
1466 relocations which combine the start addresses of two or more sections. These
1467 are not support by other object file formats.
1468
1469 @item @code{END} pseudo-op specifying start address
1470
1471 The MRI @code{END} pseudo-op permits the specification of a start address.
1472 This is not supported by other object file formats. The start address may
1473 instead be specified using the @code{-e} option to the linker, or in a linker
1474 script.
1475
1476 @item @code{IDNT}, @code{.ident} and @code{NAME} pseudo-ops
1477
1478 The MRI @code{IDNT}, @code{.ident} and @code{NAME} pseudo-ops assign a module
1479 name to the output file. This is not supported by other object file formats.
1480
1481 @item @code{ORG} pseudo-op
1482
1483 The m68k MRI @code{ORG} pseudo-op begins an absolute section at a given
1484 address. This differs from the usual @code{@value{AS}} @code{.org} pseudo-op,
1485 which changes the location within the current section. Absolute sections are
1486 not supported by other object file formats. The address of a section may be
1487 assigned within a linker script.
1488 @end itemize
1489
1490 There are some other features of the MRI assembler which are not supported by
1491 @code{@value{AS}}, typically either because they are difficult or because they
1492 seem of little consequence. Some of these may be supported in future releases.
1493
1494 @itemize @bullet
1495
1496 @item EBCDIC strings
1497
1498 EBCDIC strings are not supported.
1499
1500 @item packed binary coded decimal
1501
1502 Packed binary coded decimal is not supported. This means that the @code{DC.P}
1503 and @code{DCB.P} pseudo-ops are not supported.
1504
1505 @item @code{FEQU} pseudo-op
1506
1507 The m68k @code{FEQU} pseudo-op is not supported.
1508
1509 @item @code{NOOBJ} pseudo-op
1510
1511 The m68k @code{NOOBJ} pseudo-op is not supported.
1512
1513 @item @code{OPT} branch control options
1514
1515 The m68k @code{OPT} branch control options---@code{B}, @code{BRS}, @code{BRB},
1516 @code{BRL}, and @code{BRW}---are ignored. @code{@value{AS}} automatically
1517 relaxes all branches, whether forward or backward, to an appropriate size, so
1518 these options serve no purpose.
1519
1520 @item @code{OPT} list control options
1521
1522 The following m68k @code{OPT} list control options are ignored: @code{C},
1523 @code{CEX}, @code{CL}, @code{CRE}, @code{E}, @code{G}, @code{I}, @code{M},
1524 @code{MEX}, @code{MC}, @code{MD}, @code{X}.
1525
1526 @item other @code{OPT} options
1527
1528 The following m68k @code{OPT} options are ignored: @code{NEST}, @code{O},
1529 @code{OLD}, @code{OP}, @code{P}, @code{PCO}, @code{PCR}, @code{PCS}, @code{R}.
1530
1531 @item @code{OPT} @code{D} option is default
1532
1533 The m68k @code{OPT} @code{D} option is the default, unlike the MRI assembler.
1534 @code{OPT NOD} may be used to turn it off.
1535
1536 @item @code{XREF} pseudo-op.
1537
1538 The m68k @code{XREF} pseudo-op is ignored.
1539
1540 @item @code{.debug} pseudo-op
1541
1542 The i960 @code{.debug} pseudo-op is not supported.
1543
1544 @item @code{.extended} pseudo-op
1545
1546 The i960 @code{.extended} pseudo-op is not supported.
1547
1548 @item @code{.list} pseudo-op.
1549
1550 The various options of the i960 @code{.list} pseudo-op are not supported.
1551
1552 @item @code{.optimize} pseudo-op
1553
1554 The i960 @code{.optimize} pseudo-op is not supported.
1555
1556 @item @code{.output} pseudo-op
1557
1558 The i960 @code{.output} pseudo-op is not supported.
1559
1560 @item @code{.setreal} pseudo-op
1561
1562 The i960 @code{.setreal} pseudo-op is not supported.
1563
1564 @end itemize
1565
1566 @node MD
1567 @section Dependency tracking: @code{--MD}
1568
1569 @kindex --MD
1570 @cindex dependency tracking
1571 @cindex make rules
1572
1573 @code{@value{AS}} can generate a dependency file for the file it creates. This
1574 file consists of a single rule suitable for @code{make} describing the
1575 dependencies of the main source file.
1576
1577 The rule is written to the file named in its argument.
1578
1579 This feature is used in the automatic updating of makefiles.
1580
1581 @node o
1582 @section Name the Object File: @code{-o}
1583
1584 @kindex -o
1585 @cindex naming object file
1586 @cindex object file name
1587 There is always one object file output when you run @code{@value{AS}}. By
1588 default it has the name
1589 @ifset GENERIC
1590 @ifset I960
1591 @file{a.out} (or @file{b.out}, for Intel 960 targets only).
1592 @end ifset
1593 @ifclear I960
1594 @file{a.out}.
1595 @end ifclear
1596 @end ifset
1597 @ifclear GENERIC
1598 @ifset I960
1599 @file{b.out}.
1600 @end ifset
1601 @ifclear I960
1602 @file{a.out}.
1603 @end ifclear
1604 @end ifclear
1605 You use this option (which takes exactly one filename) to give the
1606 object file a different name.
1607
1608 Whatever the object file is called, @code{@value{AS}} overwrites any
1609 existing file of the same name.
1610
1611 @node R
1612 @section Join Data and Text Sections: @code{-R}
1613
1614 @kindex -R
1615 @cindex data and text sections, joining
1616 @cindex text and data sections, joining
1617 @cindex joining text and data sections
1618 @cindex merging text and data sections
1619 @code{-R} tells @code{@value{AS}} to write the object file as if all
1620 data-section data lives in the text section. This is only done at
1621 the very last moment: your binary data are the same, but data
1622 section parts are relocated differently. The data section part of
1623 your object file is zero bytes long because all its bytes are
1624 appended to the text section. (@xref{Sections,,Sections and Relocation}.)
1625
1626 When you specify @code{-R} it would be possible to generate shorter
1627 address displacements (because we do not have to cross between text and
1628 data section). We refrain from doing this simply for compatibility with
1629 older versions of @code{@value{AS}}. In future, @code{-R} may work this way.
1630
1631 @ifset COFF
1632 When @code{@value{AS}} is configured for COFF output,
1633 this option is only useful if you use sections named @samp{.text} and
1634 @samp{.data}.
1635 @end ifset
1636
1637 @ifset HPPA
1638 @code{-R} is not supported for any of the HPPA targets. Using
1639 @code{-R} generates a warning from @code{@value{AS}}.
1640 @end ifset
1641
1642 @node statistics
1643 @section Display Assembly Statistics: @code{--statistics}
1644
1645 @kindex --statistics
1646 @cindex statistics, about assembly
1647 @cindex time, total for assembly
1648 @cindex space used, maximum for assembly
1649 Use @samp{--statistics} to display two statistics about the resources used by
1650 @code{@value{AS}}: the maximum amount of space allocated during the assembly
1651 (in bytes), and the total execution time taken for the assembly (in @sc{cpu}
1652 seconds).
1653
1654 @node traditional-format
1655 @section Compatible output: @code{--traditional-format}
1656
1657 @kindex --traditional-format
1658 For some targets, the output of @code{@value{AS}} is different in some ways
1659 from the output of some existing assembler. This switch requests
1660 @code{@value{AS}} to use the traditional format instead.
1661
1662 For example, it disables the exception frame optimizations which
1663 @code{@value{AS}} normally does by default on @code{@value{GCC}} output.
1664
1665 @node v
1666 @section Announce Version: @code{-v}
1667
1668 @kindex -v
1669 @kindex -version
1670 @cindex assembler version
1671 @cindex version of assembler
1672 You can find out what version of as is running by including the
1673 option @samp{-v} (which you can also spell as @samp{-version}) on the
1674 command line.
1675
1676 @node W
1677 @section Control Warnings: @code{-W}, @code{--warn}, @code{--no-warn}, @code{--fatal-warnings}
1678
1679 @code{@value{AS}} should never give a warning or error message when
1680 assembling compiler output. But programs written by people often
1681 cause @code{@value{AS}} to give a warning that a particular assumption was
1682 made. All such warnings are directed to the standard error file.
1683
1684 @kindex @samp{-W}
1685 @kindex @samp{--no-warn}
1686 @cindex suppressing warnings
1687 @cindex warnings, suppressing
1688 If you use the @code{-W} and @code{--no-warn} options, no warnings are issued.
1689 This only affects the warning messages: it does not change any particular of
1690 how @code{@value{AS}} assembles your file. Errors, which stop the assembly,
1691 are still reported.
1692
1693 @kindex @samp{--fatal-warnings}
1694 @cindex errors, caused by warnings
1695 @cindex warnings, causing error
1696 If you use the @code{--fatal-warnings} option, @code{@value{AS}} considers
1697 files that generate warnings to be in error.
1698
1699 @kindex @samp{--warn}
1700 @cindex warnings, switching on
1701 You can switch these options off again by specifying @code{--warn}, which
1702 causes warnings to be output as usual.
1703
1704 @node Z
1705 @section Generate Object File in Spite of Errors: @code{-Z}
1706 @cindex object file, after errors
1707 @cindex errors, continuing after
1708 After an error message, @code{@value{AS}} normally produces no output. If for
1709 some reason you are interested in object file output even after
1710 @code{@value{AS}} gives an error message on your program, use the @samp{-Z}
1711 option. If there are any errors, @code{@value{AS}} continues anyways, and
1712 writes an object file after a final warning message of the form @samp{@var{n}
1713 errors, @var{m} warnings, generating bad object file.}
1714
1715 @node Syntax
1716 @chapter Syntax
1717
1718 @cindex machine-independent syntax
1719 @cindex syntax, machine-independent
1720 This chapter describes the machine-independent syntax allowed in a
1721 source file. @code{@value{AS}} syntax is similar to what many other
1722 assemblers use; it is inspired by the BSD 4.2
1723 @ifclear VAX
1724 assembler.
1725 @end ifclear
1726 @ifset VAX
1727 assembler, except that @code{@value{AS}} does not assemble Vax bit-fields.
1728 @end ifset
1729
1730 @menu
1731 * Preprocessing:: Preprocessing
1732 * Whitespace:: Whitespace
1733 * Comments:: Comments
1734 * Symbol Intro:: Symbols
1735 * Statements:: Statements
1736 * Constants:: Constants
1737 @end menu
1738
1739 @node Preprocessing
1740 @section Preprocessing
1741
1742 @cindex preprocessing
1743 The @code{@value{AS}} internal preprocessor:
1744 @itemize @bullet
1745 @cindex whitespace, removed by preprocessor
1746 @item
1747 adjusts and removes extra whitespace. It leaves one space or tab before
1748 the keywords on a line, and turns any other whitespace on the line into
1749 a single space.
1750
1751 @cindex comments, removed by preprocessor
1752 @item
1753 removes all comments, replacing them with a single space, or an
1754 appropriate number of newlines.
1755
1756 @cindex constants, converted by preprocessor
1757 @item
1758 converts character constants into the appropriate numeric values.
1759 @end itemize
1760
1761 It does not do macro processing, include file handling, or
1762 anything else you may get from your C compiler's preprocessor. You can
1763 do include file processing with the @code{.include} directive
1764 (@pxref{Include,,@code{.include}}). You can use the @sc{gnu} C compiler driver
1765 to get other ``CPP'' style preprocessing, by giving the input file a
1766 @samp{.S} suffix. @xref{Overall Options,, Options Controlling the Kind of
1767 Output, gcc.info, Using GNU CC}.
1768
1769 Excess whitespace, comments, and character constants
1770 cannot be used in the portions of the input text that are not
1771 preprocessed.
1772
1773 @cindex turning preprocessing on and off
1774 @cindex preprocessing, turning on and off
1775 @kindex #NO_APP
1776 @kindex #APP
1777 If the first line of an input file is @code{#NO_APP} or if you use the
1778 @samp{-f} option, whitespace and comments are not removed from the input file.
1779 Within an input file, you can ask for whitespace and comment removal in
1780 specific portions of the by putting a line that says @code{#APP} before the
1781 text that may contain whitespace or comments, and putting a line that says
1782 @code{#NO_APP} after this text. This feature is mainly intend to support
1783 @code{asm} statements in compilers whose output is otherwise free of comments
1784 and whitespace.
1785
1786 @node Whitespace
1787 @section Whitespace
1788
1789 @cindex whitespace
1790 @dfn{Whitespace} is one or more blanks or tabs, in any order.
1791 Whitespace is used to separate symbols, and to make programs neater for
1792 people to read. Unless within character constants
1793 (@pxref{Characters,,Character Constants}), any whitespace means the same
1794 as exactly one space.
1795
1796 @node Comments
1797 @section Comments
1798
1799 @cindex comments
1800 There are two ways of rendering comments to @code{@value{AS}}. In both
1801 cases the comment is equivalent to one space.
1802
1803 Anything from @samp{/*} through the next @samp{*/} is a comment.
1804 This means you may not nest these comments.
1805
1806 @smallexample
1807 /*
1808 The only way to include a newline ('\n') in a comment
1809 is to use this sort of comment.
1810 */
1811
1812 /* This sort of comment does not nest. */
1813 @end smallexample
1814
1815 @cindex line comment character
1816 Anything from the @dfn{line comment} character to the next newline
1817 is considered a comment and is ignored. The line comment character is
1818 @ifset A29K
1819 @samp{;} for the AMD 29K family;
1820 @end ifset
1821 @ifset ARC
1822 @samp{;} on the ARC;
1823 @end ifset
1824 @ifset ARM
1825 @samp{@@} on the ARM;
1826 @end ifset
1827 @ifset H8/300
1828 @samp{;} for the H8/300 family;
1829 @end ifset
1830 @ifset H8/500
1831 @samp{!} for the H8/500 family;
1832 @end ifset
1833 @ifset HPPA
1834 @samp{;} for the HPPA;
1835 @end ifset
1836 @ifset I80386
1837 @samp{#} on the i386 and x86-64;
1838 @end ifset
1839 @ifset I960
1840 @samp{#} on the i960;
1841 @end ifset
1842 @ifset PDP11
1843 @samp{;} for the PDP-11;
1844 @end ifset
1845 @ifset PJ
1846 @samp{;} for picoJava;
1847 @end ifset
1848 @ifset SH
1849 @samp{!} for the Hitachi SH;
1850 @end ifset
1851 @ifset SPARC
1852 @samp{!} on the SPARC;
1853 @end ifset
1854 @ifset M32R
1855 @samp{#} on the m32r;
1856 @end ifset
1857 @ifset M680X0
1858 @samp{|} on the 680x0;
1859 @end ifset
1860 @ifset M68HC11
1861 @samp{#} on the 68HC11 and 68HC12;
1862 @end ifset
1863 @ifset VAX
1864 @samp{#} on the Vax;
1865 @end ifset
1866 @ifset Z8000
1867 @samp{!} for the Z8000;
1868 @end ifset
1869 @ifset V850
1870 @samp{#} on the V850;
1871 @end ifset
1872 see @ref{Machine Dependencies}. @refill
1873 @c FIXME What about m88k, i860?
1874
1875 @ifset GENERIC
1876 On some machines there are two different line comment characters. One
1877 character only begins a comment if it is the first non-whitespace character on
1878 a line, while the other always begins a comment.
1879 @end ifset
1880
1881 @ifset V850
1882 The V850 assembler also supports a double dash as starting a comment that
1883 extends to the end of the line.
1884
1885 @samp{--};
1886 @end ifset
1887
1888 @kindex #
1889 @cindex lines starting with @code{#}
1890 @cindex logical line numbers
1891 To be compatible with past assemblers, lines that begin with @samp{#} have a
1892 special interpretation. Following the @samp{#} should be an absolute
1893 expression (@pxref{Expressions}): the logical line number of the @emph{next}
1894 line. Then a string (@pxref{Strings,, Strings}) is allowed: if present it is a
1895 new logical file name. The rest of the line, if any, should be whitespace.
1896
1897 If the first non-whitespace characters on the line are not numeric,
1898 the line is ignored. (Just like a comment.)
1899
1900 @smallexample
1901 # This is an ordinary comment.
1902 # 42-6 "new_file_name" # New logical file name
1903 # This is logical line # 36.
1904 @end smallexample
1905 This feature is deprecated, and may disappear from future versions
1906 of @code{@value{AS}}.
1907
1908 @node Symbol Intro
1909 @section Symbols
1910
1911 @cindex characters used in symbols
1912 @ifclear SPECIAL-SYMS
1913 A @dfn{symbol} is one or more characters chosen from the set of all
1914 letters (both upper and lower case), digits and the three characters
1915 @samp{_.$}.
1916 @end ifclear
1917 @ifset SPECIAL-SYMS
1918 @ifclear GENERIC
1919 @ifset H8
1920 A @dfn{symbol} is one or more characters chosen from the set of all
1921 letters (both upper and lower case), digits and the three characters
1922 @samp{._$}. (Save that, on the H8/300 only, you may not use @samp{$} in
1923 symbol names.)
1924 @end ifset
1925 @end ifclear
1926 @end ifset
1927 @ifset GENERIC
1928 On most machines, you can also use @code{$} in symbol names; exceptions
1929 are noted in @ref{Machine Dependencies}.
1930 @end ifset
1931 No symbol may begin with a digit. Case is significant.
1932 There is no length limit: all characters are significant. Symbols are
1933 delimited by characters not in that set, or by the beginning of a file
1934 (since the source program must end with a newline, the end of a file is
1935 not a possible symbol delimiter). @xref{Symbols}.
1936 @cindex length of symbols
1937
1938 @node Statements
1939 @section Statements
1940
1941 @cindex statements, structure of
1942 @cindex line separator character
1943 @cindex statement separator character
1944 @ifclear GENERIC
1945 @ifclear abnormal-separator
1946 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or at a
1947 semicolon (@samp{;}). The newline or semicolon is considered part of
1948 the preceding statement. Newlines and semicolons within character
1949 constants are an exception: they do not end statements.
1950 @end ifclear
1951 @ifset abnormal-separator
1952 @ifset A29K
1953 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or an ``at''
1954 sign (@samp{@@}). The newline or at sign is considered part of the
1955 preceding statement. Newlines and at signs within character constants
1956 are an exception: they do not end statements.
1957 @end ifset
1958 @ifset HPPA
1959 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or an exclamation
1960 point (@samp{!}). The newline or exclamation point is considered part of the
1961 preceding statement. Newlines and exclamation points within character
1962 constants are an exception: they do not end statements.
1963 @end ifset
1964 @ifset H8
1965 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}); or (for the
1966 H8/300) a dollar sign (@samp{$}); or (for the
1967 Hitachi-SH or the
1968 H8/500) a semicolon
1969 (@samp{;}). The newline or separator character is considered part of
1970 the preceding statement. Newlines and separators within character
1971 constants are an exception: they do not end statements.
1972 @end ifset
1973 @end ifset
1974 @end ifclear
1975 @ifset GENERIC
1976 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or line
1977 separator character. (The line separator is usually @samp{;}, unless
1978 this conflicts with the comment character; @pxref{Machine Dependencies}.) The
1979 newline or separator character is considered part of the preceding
1980 statement. Newlines and separators within character constants are an
1981 exception: they do not end statements.
1982 @end ifset
1983
1984 @cindex newline, required at file end
1985 @cindex EOF, newline must precede
1986 It is an error to end any statement with end-of-file: the last
1987 character of any input file should be a newline.@refill
1988
1989 An empty statement is allowed, and may include whitespace. It is ignored.
1990
1991 @cindex instructions and directives
1992 @cindex directives and instructions
1993 @c "key symbol" is not used elsewhere in the document; seems pedantic to
1994 @c @defn{} it in that case, as was done previously... doc@cygnus.com,
1995 @c 13feb91.
1996 A statement begins with zero or more labels, optionally followed by a
1997 key symbol which determines what kind of statement it is. The key
1998 symbol determines the syntax of the rest of the statement. If the
1999 symbol begins with a dot @samp{.} then the statement is an assembler
2000 directive: typically valid for any computer. If the symbol begins with
2001 a letter the statement is an assembly language @dfn{instruction}: it
2002 assembles into a machine language instruction.
2003 @ifset GENERIC
2004 Different versions of @code{@value{AS}} for different computers
2005 recognize different instructions. In fact, the same symbol may
2006 represent a different instruction in a different computer's assembly
2007 language.@refill
2008 @end ifset
2009
2010 @cindex @code{:} (label)
2011 @cindex label (@code{:})
2012 A label is a symbol immediately followed by a colon (@code{:}).
2013 Whitespace before a label or after a colon is permitted, but you may not
2014 have whitespace between a label's symbol and its colon. @xref{Labels}.
2015
2016 @ifset HPPA
2017 For HPPA targets, labels need not be immediately followed by a colon, but
2018 the definition of a label must begin in column zero. This also implies that
2019 only one label may be defined on each line.
2020 @end ifset
2021
2022 @smallexample
2023 label: .directive followed by something
2024 another_label: # This is an empty statement.
2025 instruction operand_1, operand_2, @dots{}
2026 @end smallexample
2027
2028 @node Constants
2029 @section Constants
2030
2031 @cindex constants
2032 A constant is a number, written so that its value is known by
2033 inspection, without knowing any context. Like this:
2034 @smallexample
2035 @group
2036 .byte 74, 0112, 092, 0x4A, 0X4a, 'J, '\J # All the same value.
2037 .ascii "Ring the bell\7" # A string constant.
2038 .octa 0x123456789abcdef0123456789ABCDEF0 # A bignum.
2039 .float 0f-314159265358979323846264338327\
2040 95028841971.693993751E-40 # - pi, a flonum.
2041 @end group
2042 @end smallexample
2043
2044 @menu
2045 * Characters:: Character Constants
2046 * Numbers:: Number Constants
2047 @end menu
2048
2049 @node Characters
2050 @subsection Character Constants
2051
2052 @cindex character constants
2053 @cindex constants, character
2054 There are two kinds of character constants. A @dfn{character} stands
2055 for one character in one byte and its value may be used in
2056 numeric expressions. String constants (properly called string
2057 @emph{literals}) are potentially many bytes and their values may not be
2058 used in arithmetic expressions.
2059
2060 @menu
2061 * Strings:: Strings
2062 * Chars:: Characters
2063 @end menu
2064
2065 @node Strings
2066 @subsubsection Strings
2067
2068 @cindex string constants
2069 @cindex constants, string
2070 A @dfn{string} is written between double-quotes. It may contain
2071 double-quotes or null characters. The way to get special characters
2072 into a string is to @dfn{escape} these characters: precede them with
2073 a backslash @samp{\} character. For example @samp{\\} represents
2074 one backslash: the first @code{\} is an escape which tells
2075 @code{@value{AS}} to interpret the second character literally as a backslash
2076 (which prevents @code{@value{AS}} from recognizing the second @code{\} as an
2077 escape character). The complete list of escapes follows.
2078
2079 @cindex escape codes, character
2080 @cindex character escape codes
2081 @table @kbd
2082 @c @item \a
2083 @c Mnemonic for ACKnowledge; for ASCII this is octal code 007.
2084 @c
2085 @cindex @code{\b} (backspace character)
2086 @cindex backspace (@code{\b})
2087 @item \b
2088 Mnemonic for backspace; for ASCII this is octal code 010.
2089
2090 @c @item \e
2091 @c Mnemonic for EOText; for ASCII this is octal code 004.
2092 @c
2093 @cindex @code{\f} (formfeed character)
2094 @cindex formfeed (@code{\f})
2095 @item \f
2096 Mnemonic for FormFeed; for ASCII this is octal code 014.
2097
2098 @cindex @code{\n} (newline character)
2099 @cindex newline (@code{\n})
2100 @item \n
2101 Mnemonic for newline; for ASCII this is octal code 012.
2102
2103 @c @item \p
2104 @c Mnemonic for prefix; for ASCII this is octal code 033, usually known as @code{escape}.
2105 @c
2106 @cindex @code{\r} (carriage return character)
2107 @cindex carriage return (@code{\r})
2108 @item \r
2109 Mnemonic for carriage-Return; for ASCII this is octal code 015.
2110
2111 @c @item \s
2112 @c Mnemonic for space; for ASCII this is octal code 040. Included for compliance with
2113 @c other assemblers.
2114 @c
2115 @cindex @code{\t} (tab)
2116 @cindex tab (@code{\t})
2117 @item \t
2118 Mnemonic for horizontal Tab; for ASCII this is octal code 011.
2119
2120 @c @item \v
2121 @c Mnemonic for Vertical tab; for ASCII this is octal code 013.
2122 @c @item \x @var{digit} @var{digit} @var{digit}
2123 @c A hexadecimal character code. The numeric code is 3 hexadecimal digits.
2124 @c
2125 @cindex @code{\@var{ddd}} (octal character code)
2126 @cindex octal character code (@code{\@var{ddd}})
2127 @item \ @var{digit} @var{digit} @var{digit}
2128 An octal character code. The numeric code is 3 octal digits.
2129 For compatibility with other Unix systems, 8 and 9 are accepted as digits:
2130 for example, @code{\008} has the value 010, and @code{\009} the value 011.
2131
2132 @cindex @code{\@var{xd...}} (hex character code)
2133 @cindex hex character code (@code{\@var{xd...}})
2134 @item \@code{x} @var{hex-digits...}
2135 A hex character code. All trailing hex digits are combined. Either upper or
2136 lower case @code{x} works.
2137
2138 @cindex @code{\\} (@samp{\} character)
2139 @cindex backslash (@code{\\})
2140 @item \\
2141 Represents one @samp{\} character.
2142
2143 @c @item \'
2144 @c Represents one @samp{'} (accent acute) character.
2145 @c This is needed in single character literals
2146 @c (@xref{Characters,,Character Constants}.) to represent
2147 @c a @samp{'}.
2148 @c
2149 @cindex @code{\"} (doublequote character)
2150 @cindex doublequote (@code{\"})
2151 @item \"
2152 Represents one @samp{"} character. Needed in strings to represent
2153 this character, because an unescaped @samp{"} would end the string.
2154
2155 @item \ @var{anything-else}
2156 Any other character when escaped by @kbd{\} gives a warning, but
2157 assembles as if the @samp{\} was not present. The idea is that if
2158 you used an escape sequence you clearly didn't want the literal
2159 interpretation of the following character. However @code{@value{AS}} has no
2160 other interpretation, so @code{@value{AS}} knows it is giving you the wrong
2161 code and warns you of the fact.
2162 @end table
2163
2164 Which characters are escapable, and what those escapes represent,
2165 varies widely among assemblers. The current set is what we think
2166 the BSD 4.2 assembler recognizes, and is a subset of what most C
2167 compilers recognize. If you are in doubt, do not use an escape
2168 sequence.
2169
2170 @node Chars
2171 @subsubsection Characters
2172
2173 @cindex single character constant
2174 @cindex character, single
2175 @cindex constant, single character
2176 A single character may be written as a single quote immediately
2177 followed by that character. The same escapes apply to characters as
2178 to strings. So if you want to write the character backslash, you
2179 must write @kbd{'\\} where the first @code{\} escapes the second
2180 @code{\}. As you can see, the quote is an acute accent, not a
2181 grave accent. A newline
2182 @ifclear GENERIC
2183 @ifclear abnormal-separator
2184 (or semicolon @samp{;})
2185 @end ifclear
2186 @ifset abnormal-separator
2187 @ifset A29K
2188 (or at sign @samp{@@})
2189 @end ifset
2190 @ifset H8
2191 (or dollar sign @samp{$}, for the H8/300; or semicolon @samp{;} for the
2192 Hitachi SH or
2193 H8/500)
2194 @end ifset
2195 @end ifset
2196 @end ifclear
2197 immediately following an acute accent is taken as a literal character
2198 and does not count as the end of a statement. The value of a character
2199 constant in a numeric expression is the machine's byte-wide code for
2200 that character. @code{@value{AS}} assumes your character code is ASCII:
2201 @kbd{'A} means 65, @kbd{'B} means 66, and so on. @refill
2202
2203 @node Numbers
2204 @subsection Number Constants
2205
2206 @cindex constants, number
2207 @cindex number constants
2208 @code{@value{AS}} distinguishes three kinds of numbers according to how they
2209 are stored in the target machine. @emph{Integers} are numbers that
2210 would fit into an @code{int} in the C language. @emph{Bignums} are
2211 integers, but they are stored in more than 32 bits. @emph{Flonums}
2212 are floating point numbers, described below.
2213
2214 @menu
2215 * Integers:: Integers
2216 * Bignums:: Bignums
2217 * Flonums:: Flonums
2218 @ifclear GENERIC
2219 @ifset I960
2220 * Bit Fields:: Bit Fields
2221 @end ifset
2222 @end ifclear
2223 @end menu
2224
2225 @node Integers
2226 @subsubsection Integers
2227 @cindex integers
2228 @cindex constants, integer
2229
2230 @cindex binary integers
2231 @cindex integers, binary
2232 A binary integer is @samp{0b} or @samp{0B} followed by zero or more of
2233 the binary digits @samp{01}.
2234
2235 @cindex octal integers
2236 @cindex integers, octal
2237 An octal integer is @samp{0} followed by zero or more of the octal
2238 digits (@samp{01234567}).
2239
2240 @cindex decimal integers
2241 @cindex integers, decimal
2242 A decimal integer starts with a non-zero digit followed by zero or
2243 more digits (@samp{0123456789}).
2244
2245 @cindex hexadecimal integers
2246 @cindex integers, hexadecimal
2247 A hexadecimal integer is @samp{0x} or @samp{0X} followed by one or
2248 more hexadecimal digits chosen from @samp{0123456789abcdefABCDEF}.
2249
2250 Integers have the usual values. To denote a negative integer, use
2251 the prefix operator @samp{-} discussed under expressions
2252 (@pxref{Prefix Ops,,Prefix Operators}).
2253
2254 @node Bignums
2255 @subsubsection Bignums
2256
2257 @cindex bignums
2258 @cindex constants, bignum
2259 A @dfn{bignum} has the same syntax and semantics as an integer
2260 except that the number (or its negative) takes more than 32 bits to
2261 represent in binary. The distinction is made because in some places
2262 integers are permitted while bignums are not.
2263
2264 @node Flonums
2265 @subsubsection Flonums
2266 @cindex flonums
2267 @cindex floating point numbers
2268 @cindex constants, floating point
2269
2270 @cindex precision, floating point
2271 A @dfn{flonum} represents a floating point number. The translation is
2272 indirect: a decimal floating point number from the text is converted by
2273 @code{@value{AS}} to a generic binary floating point number of more than
2274 sufficient precision. This generic floating point number is converted
2275 to a particular computer's floating point format (or formats) by a
2276 portion of @code{@value{AS}} specialized to that computer.
2277
2278 A flonum is written by writing (in order)
2279 @itemize @bullet
2280 @item
2281 The digit @samp{0}.
2282 @ifset HPPA
2283 (@samp{0} is optional on the HPPA.)
2284 @end ifset
2285
2286 @item
2287 A letter, to tell @code{@value{AS}} the rest of the number is a flonum.
2288 @ifset GENERIC
2289 @kbd{e} is recommended. Case is not important.
2290 @ignore
2291 @c FIXME: verify if flonum syntax really this vague for most cases
2292 (Any otherwise illegal letter works here, but that might be changed. Vax BSD
2293 4.2 assembler seems to allow any of @samp{defghDEFGH}.)
2294 @end ignore
2295
2296 On the H8/300, H8/500,
2297 Hitachi SH,
2298 and AMD 29K architectures, the letter must be
2299 one of the letters @samp{DFPRSX} (in upper or lower case).
2300
2301 On the ARC, the letter must be one of the letters @samp{DFRS}
2302 (in upper or lower case).
2303
2304 On the Intel 960 architecture, the letter must be
2305 one of the letters @samp{DFT} (in upper or lower case).
2306
2307 On the HPPA architecture, the letter must be @samp{E} (upper case only).
2308 @end ifset
2309 @ifclear GENERIC
2310 @ifset A29K
2311 One of the letters @samp{DFPRSX} (in upper or lower case).
2312 @end ifset
2313 @ifset ARC
2314 One of the letters @samp{DFRS} (in upper or lower case).
2315 @end ifset
2316 @ifset H8
2317 One of the letters @samp{DFPRSX} (in upper or lower case).
2318 @end ifset
2319 @ifset HPPA
2320 The letter @samp{E} (upper case only).
2321 @end ifset
2322 @ifset I960
2323 One of the letters @samp{DFT} (in upper or lower case).
2324 @end ifset
2325 @end ifclear
2326
2327 @item
2328 An optional sign: either @samp{+} or @samp{-}.
2329
2330 @item
2331 An optional @dfn{integer part}: zero or more decimal digits.
2332
2333 @item
2334 An optional @dfn{fractional part}: @samp{.} followed by zero
2335 or more decimal digits.
2336
2337 @item
2338 An optional exponent, consisting of:
2339
2340 @itemize @bullet
2341 @item
2342 An @samp{E} or @samp{e}.
2343 @c I can't find a config where "EXP_CHARS" is other than 'eE', but in
2344 @c principle this can perfectly well be different on different targets.
2345 @item
2346 Optional sign: either @samp{+} or @samp{-}.
2347 @item
2348 One or more decimal digits.
2349 @end itemize
2350
2351 @end itemize
2352
2353 At least one of the integer part or the fractional part must be
2354 present. The floating point number has the usual base-10 value.
2355
2356 @code{@value{AS}} does all processing using integers. Flonums are computed
2357 independently of any floating point hardware in the computer running
2358 @code{@value{AS}}.
2359
2360 @ifclear GENERIC
2361 @ifset I960
2362 @c Bit fields are written as a general facility but are also controlled
2363 @c by a conditional-compilation flag---which is as of now (21mar91)
2364 @c turned on only by the i960 config of GAS.
2365 @node Bit Fields
2366 @subsubsection Bit Fields
2367
2368 @cindex bit fields
2369 @cindex constants, bit field
2370 You can also define numeric constants as @dfn{bit fields}.
2371 specify two numbers separated by a colon---
2372 @example
2373 @var{mask}:@var{value}
2374 @end example
2375 @noindent
2376 @code{@value{AS}} applies a bitwise @sc{and} between @var{mask} and
2377 @var{value}.
2378
2379 The resulting number is then packed
2380 @ifset GENERIC
2381 @c this conditional paren in case bit fields turned on elsewhere than 960
2382 (in host-dependent byte order)
2383 @end ifset
2384 into a field whose width depends on which assembler directive has the
2385 bit-field as its argument. Overflow (a result from the bitwise and
2386 requiring more binary digits to represent) is not an error; instead,
2387 more constants are generated, of the specified width, beginning with the
2388 least significant digits.@refill
2389
2390 The directives @code{.byte}, @code{.hword}, @code{.int}, @code{.long},
2391 @code{.short}, and @code{.word} accept bit-field arguments.
2392 @end ifset
2393 @end ifclear
2394
2395 @node Sections
2396 @chapter Sections and Relocation
2397 @cindex sections
2398 @cindex relocation
2399
2400 @menu
2401 * Secs Background:: Background
2402 * Ld Sections:: Linker Sections
2403 * As Sections:: Assembler Internal Sections
2404 * Sub-Sections:: Sub-Sections
2405 * bss:: bss Section
2406 @end menu
2407
2408 @node Secs Background
2409 @section Background
2410
2411 Roughly, a section is a range of addresses, with no gaps; all data
2412 ``in'' those addresses is treated the same for some particular purpose.
2413 For example there may be a ``read only'' section.
2414
2415 @cindex linker, and assembler
2416 @cindex assembler, and linker
2417 The linker @code{@value{LD}} reads many object files (partial programs) and
2418 combines their contents to form a runnable program. When @code{@value{AS}}
2419 emits an object file, the partial program is assumed to start at address 0.
2420 @code{@value{LD}} assigns the final addresses for the partial program, so that
2421 different partial programs do not overlap. This is actually an
2422 oversimplification, but it suffices to explain how @code{@value{AS}} uses
2423 sections.
2424
2425 @code{@value{LD}} moves blocks of bytes of your program to their run-time
2426 addresses. These blocks slide to their run-time addresses as rigid
2427 units; their length does not change and neither does the order of bytes
2428 within them. Such a rigid unit is called a @emph{section}. Assigning
2429 run-time addresses to sections is called @dfn{relocation}. It includes
2430 the task of adjusting mentions of object-file addresses so they refer to
2431 the proper run-time addresses.
2432 @ifset H8
2433 For the H8/300 and H8/500,
2434 and for the Hitachi SH,
2435 @code{@value{AS}} pads sections if needed to
2436 ensure they end on a word (sixteen bit) boundary.
2437 @end ifset
2438
2439 @cindex standard assembler sections
2440 An object file written by @code{@value{AS}} has at least three sections, any
2441 of which may be empty. These are named @dfn{text}, @dfn{data} and
2442 @dfn{bss} sections.
2443
2444 @ifset COFF
2445 @ifset GENERIC
2446 When it generates COFF output,
2447 @end ifset
2448 @code{@value{AS}} can also generate whatever other named sections you specify
2449 using the @samp{.section} directive (@pxref{Section,,@code{.section}}).
2450 If you do not use any directives that place output in the @samp{.text}
2451 or @samp{.data} sections, these sections still exist, but are empty.
2452 @end ifset
2453
2454 @ifset HPPA
2455 @ifset GENERIC
2456 When @code{@value{AS}} generates SOM or ELF output for the HPPA,
2457 @end ifset
2458 @code{@value{AS}} can also generate whatever other named sections you
2459 specify using the @samp{.space} and @samp{.subspace} directives. See
2460 @cite{HP9000 Series 800 Assembly Language Reference Manual}
2461 (HP 92432-90001) for details on the @samp{.space} and @samp{.subspace}
2462 assembler directives.
2463
2464 @ifset SOM
2465 Additionally, @code{@value{AS}} uses different names for the standard
2466 text, data, and bss sections when generating SOM output. Program text
2467 is placed into the @samp{$CODE$} section, data into @samp{$DATA$}, and
2468 BSS into @samp{$BSS$}.
2469 @end ifset
2470 @end ifset
2471
2472 Within the object file, the text section starts at address @code{0}, the
2473 data section follows, and the bss section follows the data section.
2474
2475 @ifset HPPA
2476 When generating either SOM or ELF output files on the HPPA, the text
2477 section starts at address @code{0}, the data section at address
2478 @code{0x4000000}, and the bss section follows the data section.
2479 @end ifset
2480
2481 To let @code{@value{LD}} know which data changes when the sections are
2482 relocated, and how to change that data, @code{@value{AS}} also writes to the
2483 object file details of the relocation needed. To perform relocation
2484 @code{@value{LD}} must know, each time an address in the object
2485 file is mentioned:
2486 @itemize @bullet
2487 @item
2488 Where in the object file is the beginning of this reference to
2489 an address?
2490 @item
2491 How long (in bytes) is this reference?
2492 @item
2493 Which section does the address refer to? What is the numeric value of
2494 @display
2495 (@var{address}) @minus{} (@var{start-address of section})?
2496 @end display
2497 @item
2498 Is the reference to an address ``Program-Counter relative''?
2499 @end itemize
2500
2501 @cindex addresses, format of
2502 @cindex section-relative addressing
2503 In fact, every address @code{@value{AS}} ever uses is expressed as
2504 @display
2505 (@var{section}) + (@var{offset into section})
2506 @end display
2507 @noindent
2508 Further, most expressions @code{@value{AS}} computes have this section-relative
2509 nature.
2510 @ifset SOM
2511 (For some object formats, such as SOM for the HPPA, some expressions are
2512 symbol-relative instead.)
2513 @end ifset
2514
2515 In this manual we use the notation @{@var{secname} @var{N}@} to mean ``offset
2516 @var{N} into section @var{secname}.''
2517
2518 Apart from text, data and bss sections you need to know about the
2519 @dfn{absolute} section. When @code{@value{LD}} mixes partial programs,
2520 addresses in the absolute section remain unchanged. For example, address
2521 @code{@{absolute 0@}} is ``relocated'' to run-time address 0 by
2522 @code{@value{LD}}. Although the linker never arranges two partial programs'
2523 data sections with overlapping addresses after linking, @emph{by definition}
2524 their absolute sections must overlap. Address @code{@{absolute@ 239@}} in one
2525 part of a program is always the same address when the program is running as
2526 address @code{@{absolute@ 239@}} in any other part of the program.
2527
2528 The idea of sections is extended to the @dfn{undefined} section. Any
2529 address whose section is unknown at assembly time is by definition
2530 rendered @{undefined @var{U}@}---where @var{U} is filled in later.
2531 Since numbers are always defined, the only way to generate an undefined
2532 address is to mention an undefined symbol. A reference to a named
2533 common block would be such a symbol: its value is unknown at assembly
2534 time so it has section @emph{undefined}.
2535
2536 By analogy the word @emph{section} is used to describe groups of sections in
2537 the linked program. @code{@value{LD}} puts all partial programs' text
2538 sections in contiguous addresses in the linked program. It is
2539 customary to refer to the @emph{text section} of a program, meaning all
2540 the addresses of all partial programs' text sections. Likewise for
2541 data and bss sections.
2542
2543 Some sections are manipulated by @code{@value{LD}}; others are invented for
2544 use of @code{@value{AS}} and have no meaning except during assembly.
2545
2546 @node Ld Sections
2547 @section Linker Sections
2548 @code{@value{LD}} deals with just four kinds of sections, summarized below.
2549
2550 @table @strong
2551
2552 @ifset COFF
2553 @cindex named sections
2554 @cindex sections, named
2555 @item named sections
2556 @end ifset
2557 @ifset aout-bout
2558 @cindex text section
2559 @cindex data section
2560 @itemx text section
2561 @itemx data section
2562 @end ifset
2563 These sections hold your program. @code{@value{AS}} and @code{@value{LD}} treat them as
2564 separate but equal sections. Anything you can say of one section is
2565 true another.
2566 @ifset aout-bout
2567 When the program is running, however, it is
2568 customary for the text section to be unalterable. The
2569 text section is often shared among processes: it contains
2570 instructions, constants and the like. The data section of a running
2571 program is usually alterable: for example, C variables would be stored
2572 in the data section.
2573 @end ifset
2574
2575 @cindex bss section
2576 @item bss section
2577 This section contains zeroed bytes when your program begins running. It
2578 is used to hold uninitialized variables or common storage. The length of
2579 each partial program's bss section is important, but because it starts
2580 out containing zeroed bytes there is no need to store explicit zero
2581 bytes in the object file. The bss section was invented to eliminate
2582 those explicit zeros from object files.
2583
2584 @cindex absolute section
2585 @item absolute section
2586 Address 0 of this section is always ``relocated'' to runtime address 0.
2587 This is useful if you want to refer to an address that @code{@value{LD}} must
2588 not change when relocating. In this sense we speak of absolute
2589 addresses being ``unrelocatable'': they do not change during relocation.
2590
2591 @cindex undefined section
2592 @item undefined section
2593 This ``section'' is a catch-all for address references to objects not in
2594 the preceding sections.
2595 @c FIXME: ref to some other doc on obj-file formats could go here.
2596 @end table
2597
2598 @cindex relocation example
2599 An idealized example of three relocatable sections follows.
2600 @ifset COFF
2601 The example uses the traditional section names @samp{.text} and @samp{.data}.
2602 @end ifset
2603 Memory addresses are on the horizontal axis.
2604
2605 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
2606 @ifinfo
2607 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
2608 @smallexample
2609 +-----+----+--+
2610 partial program # 1: |ttttt|dddd|00|
2611 +-----+----+--+
2612
2613 text data bss
2614 seg. seg. seg.
2615
2616 +---+---+---+
2617 partial program # 2: |TTT|DDD|000|
2618 +---+---+---+
2619
2620 +--+---+-----+--+----+---+-----+~~
2621 linked program: | |TTT|ttttt| |dddd|DDD|00000|
2622 +--+---+-----+--+----+---+-----+~~
2623
2624 addresses: 0 @dots{}
2625 @end smallexample
2626 @c TEXI2ROFF-KILL
2627 @end ifinfo
2628 @need 5000
2629 @tex
2630
2631 \line{\it Partial program \#1: \hfil}
2632 \line{\ibox{2.5cm}{\tt text}\ibox{2cm}{\tt data}\ibox{1cm}{\tt bss}\hfil}
2633 \line{\boxit{2.5cm}{\tt ttttt}\boxit{2cm}{\tt dddd}\boxit{1cm}{\tt 00}\hfil}
2634
2635 \line{\it Partial program \#2: \hfil}
2636 \line{\ibox{1cm}{\tt text}\ibox{1.5cm}{\tt data}\ibox{1cm}{\tt bss}\hfil}
2637 \line{\boxit{1cm}{\tt TTT}\boxit{1.5cm}{\tt DDDD}\boxit{1cm}{\tt 000}\hfil}
2638
2639 \line{\it linked program: \hfil}
2640 \line{\ibox{.5cm}{}\ibox{1cm}{\tt text}\ibox{2.5cm}{}\ibox{.75cm}{}\ibox{2cm}{\tt data}\ibox{1.5cm}{}\ibox{2cm}{\tt bss}\hfil}
2641 \line{\boxit{.5cm}{}\boxit{1cm}{\tt TTT}\boxit{2.5cm}{\tt
2642 ttttt}\boxit{.75cm}{}\boxit{2cm}{\tt dddd}\boxit{1.5cm}{\tt
2643 DDDD}\boxit{2cm}{\tt 00000}\ \dots\hfil}
2644
2645 \line{\it addresses: \hfil}
2646 \line{0\dots\hfil}
2647
2648 @end tex
2649 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
2650
2651 @node As Sections
2652 @section Assembler Internal Sections
2653
2654 @cindex internal assembler sections
2655 @cindex sections in messages, internal
2656 These sections are meant only for the internal use of @code{@value{AS}}. They
2657 have no meaning at run-time. You do not really need to know about these
2658 sections for most purposes; but they can be mentioned in @code{@value{AS}}
2659 warning messages, so it might be helpful to have an idea of their
2660 meanings to @code{@value{AS}}. These sections are used to permit the
2661 value of every expression in your assembly language program to be a
2662 section-relative address.
2663
2664 @table @b
2665 @cindex assembler internal logic error
2666 @item ASSEMBLER-INTERNAL-LOGIC-ERROR!
2667 An internal assembler logic error has been found. This means there is a
2668 bug in the assembler.
2669
2670 @cindex expr (internal section)
2671 @item expr section
2672 The assembler stores complex expression internally as combinations of
2673 symbols. When it needs to represent an expression as a symbol, it puts
2674 it in the expr section.
2675 @c FIXME item debug
2676 @c FIXME item transfer[t] vector preload
2677 @c FIXME item transfer[t] vector postload
2678 @c FIXME item register
2679 @end table
2680
2681 @node Sub-Sections
2682 @section Sub-Sections
2683
2684 @cindex numbered subsections
2685 @cindex grouping data
2686 @ifset aout-bout
2687 Assembled bytes
2688 @ifset COFF
2689 conventionally
2690 @end ifset
2691 fall into two sections: text and data.
2692 @end ifset
2693 You may have separate groups of
2694 @ifset GENERIC
2695 data in named sections
2696 @end ifset
2697 @ifclear GENERIC
2698 @ifclear aout-bout
2699 data in named sections
2700 @end ifclear
2701 @ifset aout-bout
2702 text or data
2703 @end ifset
2704 @end ifclear
2705 that you want to end up near to each other in the object file, even though they
2706 are not contiguous in the assembler source. @code{@value{AS}} allows you to
2707 use @dfn{subsections} for this purpose. Within each section, there can be
2708 numbered subsections with values from 0 to 8192. Objects assembled into the
2709 same subsection go into the object file together with other objects in the same
2710 subsection. For example, a compiler might want to store constants in the text
2711 section, but might not want to have them interspersed with the program being
2712 assembled. In this case, the compiler could issue a @samp{.text 0} before each
2713 section of code being output, and a @samp{.text 1} before each group of
2714 constants being output.
2715
2716 Subsections are optional. If you do not use subsections, everything
2717 goes in subsection number zero.
2718
2719 @ifset GENERIC
2720 Each subsection is zero-padded up to a multiple of four bytes.
2721 (Subsections may be padded a different amount on different flavors
2722 of @code{@value{AS}}.)
2723 @end ifset
2724 @ifclear GENERIC
2725 @ifset H8
2726 On the H8/300 and H8/500 platforms, each subsection is zero-padded to a word
2727 boundary (two bytes).
2728 The same is true on the Hitachi SH.
2729 @end ifset
2730 @ifset I960
2731 @c FIXME section padding (alignment)?
2732 @c Rich Pixley says padding here depends on target obj code format; that
2733 @c doesn't seem particularly useful to say without further elaboration,
2734 @c so for now I say nothing about it. If this is a generic BFD issue,
2735 @c these paragraphs might need to vanish from this manual, and be
2736 @c discussed in BFD chapter of binutils (or some such).
2737 @end ifset
2738 @ifset A29K
2739 On the AMD 29K family, no particular padding is added to section or
2740 subsection sizes; @value{AS} forces no alignment on this platform.
2741 @end ifset
2742 @end ifclear
2743
2744 Subsections appear in your object file in numeric order, lowest numbered
2745 to highest. (All this to be compatible with other people's assemblers.)
2746 The object file contains no representation of subsections; @code{@value{LD}} and
2747 other programs that manipulate object files see no trace of them.
2748 They just see all your text subsections as a text section, and all your
2749 data subsections as a data section.
2750
2751 To specify which subsection you want subsequent statements assembled
2752 into, use a numeric argument to specify it, in a @samp{.text
2753 @var{expression}} or a @samp{.data @var{expression}} statement.
2754 @ifset COFF
2755 @ifset GENERIC
2756 When generating COFF output, you
2757 @end ifset
2758 @ifclear GENERIC
2759 You
2760 @end ifclear
2761 can also use an extra subsection
2762 argument with arbitrary named sections: @samp{.section @var{name},
2763 @var{expression}}.
2764 @end ifset
2765 @var{Expression} should be an absolute expression.
2766 (@xref{Expressions}.) If you just say @samp{.text} then @samp{.text 0}
2767 is assumed. Likewise @samp{.data} means @samp{.data 0}. Assembly
2768 begins in @code{text 0}. For instance:
2769 @smallexample
2770 .text 0 # The default subsection is text 0 anyway.
2771 .ascii "This lives in the first text subsection. *"
2772 .text 1
2773 .ascii "But this lives in the second text subsection."
2774 .data 0
2775 .ascii "This lives in the data section,"
2776 .ascii "in the first data subsection."
2777 .text 0
2778 .ascii "This lives in the first text section,"
2779 .ascii "immediately following the asterisk (*)."
2780 @end smallexample
2781
2782 Each section has a @dfn{location counter} incremented by one for every byte
2783 assembled into that section. Because subsections are merely a convenience
2784 restricted to @code{@value{AS}} there is no concept of a subsection location
2785 counter. There is no way to directly manipulate a location counter---but the
2786 @code{.align} directive changes it, and any label definition captures its
2787 current value. The location counter of the section where statements are being
2788 assembled is said to be the @dfn{active} location counter.
2789
2790 @node bss
2791 @section bss Section
2792
2793 @cindex bss section
2794 @cindex common variable storage
2795 The bss section is used for local common variable storage.
2796 You may allocate address space in the bss section, but you may
2797 not dictate data to load into it before your program executes. When
2798 your program starts running, all the contents of the bss
2799 section are zeroed bytes.
2800
2801 The @code{.lcomm} pseudo-op defines a symbol in the bss section; see
2802 @ref{Lcomm,,@code{.lcomm}}.
2803
2804 The @code{.comm} pseudo-op may be used to declare a common symbol, which is
2805 another form of uninitialized symbol; see @xref{Comm,,@code{.comm}}.
2806
2807 @ifset GENERIC
2808 When assembling for a target which supports multiple sections, such as ELF or
2809 COFF, you may switch into the @code{.bss} section and define symbols as usual;
2810 see @ref{Section,,@code{.section}}. You may only assemble zero values into the
2811 section. Typically the section will only contain symbol definitions and
2812 @code{.skip} directives (@pxref{Skip,,@code{.skip}}).
2813 @end ifset
2814
2815 @node Symbols
2816 @chapter Symbols
2817
2818 @cindex symbols
2819 Symbols are a central concept: the programmer uses symbols to name
2820 things, the linker uses symbols to link, and the debugger uses symbols
2821 to debug.
2822
2823 @quotation
2824 @cindex debuggers, and symbol order
2825 @emph{Warning:} @code{@value{AS}} does not place symbols in the object file in
2826 the same order they were declared. This may break some debuggers.
2827 @end quotation
2828
2829 @menu
2830 * Labels:: Labels
2831 * Setting Symbols:: Giving Symbols Other Values
2832 * Symbol Names:: Symbol Names
2833 * Dot:: The Special Dot Symbol
2834 * Symbol Attributes:: Symbol Attributes
2835 @end menu
2836
2837 @node Labels
2838 @section Labels
2839
2840 @cindex labels
2841 A @dfn{label} is written as a symbol immediately followed by a colon
2842 @samp{:}. The symbol then represents the current value of the
2843 active location counter, and is, for example, a suitable instruction
2844 operand. You are warned if you use the same symbol to represent two
2845 different locations: the first definition overrides any other
2846 definitions.
2847
2848 @ifset HPPA
2849 On the HPPA, the usual form for a label need not be immediately followed by a
2850 colon, but instead must start in column zero. Only one label may be defined on
2851 a single line. To work around this, the HPPA version of @code{@value{AS}} also
2852 provides a special directive @code{.label} for defining labels more flexibly.
2853 @end ifset
2854
2855 @node Setting Symbols
2856 @section Giving Symbols Other Values
2857
2858 @cindex assigning values to symbols
2859 @cindex symbol values, assigning
2860 A symbol can be given an arbitrary value by writing a symbol, followed
2861 by an equals sign @samp{=}, followed by an expression
2862 (@pxref{Expressions}). This is equivalent to using the @code{.set}
2863 directive. @xref{Set,,@code{.set}}.
2864
2865 @node Symbol Names
2866 @section Symbol Names
2867
2868 @cindex symbol names
2869 @cindex names, symbol
2870 @ifclear SPECIAL-SYMS
2871 Symbol names begin with a letter or with one of @samp{._}. On most
2872 machines, you can also use @code{$} in symbol names; exceptions are
2873 noted in @ref{Machine Dependencies}. That character may be followed by any
2874 string of digits, letters, dollar signs (unless otherwise noted in
2875 @ref{Machine Dependencies}), and underscores.
2876 @end ifclear
2877 @ifset A29K
2878 For the AMD 29K family, @samp{?} is also allowed in the
2879 body of a symbol name, though not at its beginning.
2880 @end ifset
2881
2882 @ifset SPECIAL-SYMS
2883 @ifset H8
2884 Symbol names begin with a letter or with one of @samp{._}. On the
2885 Hitachi SH or the
2886 H8/500, you can also use @code{$} in symbol names. That character may
2887 be followed by any string of digits, letters, dollar signs (save on the
2888 H8/300), and underscores.
2889 @end ifset
2890 @end ifset
2891
2892 Case of letters is significant: @code{foo} is a different symbol name
2893 than @code{Foo}.
2894
2895 Each symbol has exactly one name. Each name in an assembly language program
2896 refers to exactly one symbol. You may use that symbol name any number of times
2897 in a program.
2898
2899 @subheading Local Symbol Names
2900
2901 @cindex local symbol names
2902 @cindex symbol names, local
2903 @cindex temporary symbol names
2904 @cindex symbol names, temporary
2905 Local symbols help compilers and programmers use names temporarily.
2906 There are ten local symbol names, which are re-used throughout the
2907 program. You may refer to them using the names @samp{0} @samp{1}
2908 @dots{} @samp{9}. To define a local symbol, write a label of the form
2909 @samp{@b{N}:} (where @b{N} represents any digit). To refer to the most
2910 recent previous definition of that symbol write @samp{@b{N}b}, using the
2911 same digit as when you defined the label. To refer to the next
2912 definition of a local label, write @samp{@b{N}f}---where @b{N} gives you
2913 a choice of 10 forward references. The @samp{b} stands for
2914 ``backwards'' and the @samp{f} stands for ``forwards''.
2915
2916 Local symbols are not emitted by the current @sc{gnu} C compiler.
2917
2918 There is no restriction on how you can use these labels, but
2919 remember that at any point in the assembly you can refer to at most
2920 10 prior local labels and to at most 10 forward local labels.
2921
2922 Local symbol names are only a notation device. They are immediately
2923 transformed into more conventional symbol names before the assembler
2924 uses them. The symbol names stored in the symbol table, appearing in
2925 error messages and optionally emitted to the object file have these
2926 parts:
2927
2928 @table @code
2929 @item L
2930 All local labels begin with @samp{L}. Normally both @code{@value{AS}} and
2931 @code{@value{LD}} forget symbols that start with @samp{L}. These labels are
2932 used for symbols you are never intended to see. If you use the
2933 @samp{-L} option then @code{@value{AS}} retains these symbols in the
2934 object file. If you also instruct @code{@value{LD}} to retain these symbols,
2935 you may use them in debugging.
2936
2937 @item @var{digit}
2938 If the label is written @samp{0:} then the digit is @samp{0}.
2939 If the label is written @samp{1:} then the digit is @samp{1}.
2940 And so on up through @samp{9:}.
2941
2942 @item @kbd{C-A}
2943 This unusual character is included so you do not accidentally invent
2944 a symbol of the same name. The character has ASCII value
2945 @samp{\001}.
2946
2947 @item @emph{ordinal number}
2948 This is a serial number to keep the labels distinct. The first
2949 @samp{0:} gets the number @samp{1}; The 15th @samp{0:} gets the
2950 number @samp{15}; @emph{etc.}. Likewise for the other labels @samp{1:}
2951 through @samp{9:}.
2952 @end table
2953
2954 For instance, the first @code{1:} is named @code{L1@kbd{C-A}1}, the 44th
2955 @code{3:} is named @code{L3@kbd{C-A}44}.
2956
2957 @node Dot
2958 @section The Special Dot Symbol
2959
2960 @cindex dot (symbol)
2961 @cindex @code{.} (symbol)
2962 @cindex current address
2963 @cindex location counter
2964 The special symbol @samp{.} refers to the current address that
2965 @code{@value{AS}} is assembling into. Thus, the expression @samp{melvin:
2966 .long .} defines @code{melvin} to contain its own address.
2967 Assigning a value to @code{.} is treated the same as a @code{.org}
2968 directive. Thus, the expression @samp{.=.+4} is the same as saying
2969 @ifclear no-space-dir
2970 @samp{.space 4}.
2971 @end ifclear
2972 @ifset no-space-dir
2973 @ifset A29K
2974 @samp{.block 4}.
2975 @end ifset
2976 @end ifset
2977
2978 @node Symbol Attributes
2979 @section Symbol Attributes
2980
2981 @cindex symbol attributes
2982 @cindex attributes, symbol
2983 Every symbol has, as well as its name, the attributes ``Value'' and
2984 ``Type''. Depending on output format, symbols can also have auxiliary
2985 attributes.
2986 @ifset INTERNALS
2987 The detailed definitions are in @file{a.out.h}.
2988 @end ifset
2989
2990 If you use a symbol without defining it, @code{@value{AS}} assumes zero for
2991 all these attributes, and probably won't warn you. This makes the
2992 symbol an externally defined symbol, which is generally what you
2993 would want.
2994
2995 @menu
2996 * Symbol Value:: Value
2997 * Symbol Type:: Type
2998 @ifset aout-bout
2999 @ifset GENERIC
3000 * a.out Symbols:: Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
3001 @end ifset
3002 @ifclear GENERIC
3003 @ifclear BOUT
3004 * a.out Symbols:: Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
3005 @end ifclear
3006 @ifset BOUT
3007 * a.out Symbols:: Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}, @code{b.out}
3008 @end ifset
3009 @end ifclear
3010 @end ifset
3011 @ifset COFF
3012 * COFF Symbols:: Symbol Attributes for COFF
3013 @end ifset
3014 @ifset SOM
3015 * SOM Symbols:: Symbol Attributes for SOM
3016 @end ifset
3017 @end menu
3018
3019 @node Symbol Value
3020 @subsection Value
3021
3022 @cindex value of a symbol
3023 @cindex symbol value
3024 The value of a symbol is (usually) 32 bits. For a symbol which labels a
3025 location in the text, data, bss or absolute sections the value is the
3026 number of addresses from the start of that section to the label.
3027 Naturally for text, data and bss sections the value of a symbol changes
3028 as @code{@value{LD}} changes section base addresses during linking. Absolute
3029 symbols' values do not change during linking: that is why they are
3030 called absolute.
3031
3032 The value of an undefined symbol is treated in a special way. If it is
3033 0 then the symbol is not defined in this assembler source file, and
3034 @code{@value{LD}} tries to determine its value from other files linked into the
3035 same program. You make this kind of symbol simply by mentioning a symbol
3036 name without defining it. A non-zero value represents a @code{.comm}
3037 common declaration. The value is how much common storage to reserve, in
3038 bytes (addresses). The symbol refers to the first address of the
3039 allocated storage.
3040
3041 @node Symbol Type
3042 @subsection Type
3043
3044 @cindex type of a symbol
3045 @cindex symbol type
3046 The type attribute of a symbol contains relocation (section)
3047 information, any flag settings indicating that a symbol is external, and
3048 (optionally), other information for linkers and debuggers. The exact
3049 format depends on the object-code output format in use.
3050
3051 @ifset aout-bout
3052 @ifclear GENERIC
3053 @ifset BOUT
3054 @c The following avoids a "widow" subsection title. @group would be
3055 @c better if it were available outside examples.
3056 @need 1000
3057 @node a.out Symbols
3058 @subsection Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}, @code{b.out}
3059
3060 @cindex @code{b.out} symbol attributes
3061 @cindex symbol attributes, @code{b.out}
3062 These symbol attributes appear only when @code{@value{AS}} is configured for
3063 one of the Berkeley-descended object output formats---@code{a.out} or
3064 @code{b.out}.
3065
3066 @end ifset
3067 @ifclear BOUT
3068 @node a.out Symbols
3069 @subsection Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
3070
3071 @cindex @code{a.out} symbol attributes
3072 @cindex symbol attributes, @code{a.out}
3073
3074 @end ifclear
3075 @end ifclear
3076 @ifset GENERIC
3077 @node a.out Symbols
3078 @subsection Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
3079
3080 @cindex @code{a.out} symbol attributes
3081 @cindex symbol attributes, @code{a.out}
3082
3083 @end ifset
3084 @menu
3085 * Symbol Desc:: Descriptor
3086 * Symbol Other:: Other
3087 @end menu
3088
3089 @node Symbol Desc
3090 @subsubsection Descriptor
3091
3092 @cindex descriptor, of @code{a.out} symbol
3093 This is an arbitrary 16-bit value. You may establish a symbol's
3094 descriptor value by using a @code{.desc} statement
3095 (@pxref{Desc,,@code{.desc}}). A descriptor value means nothing to
3096 @code{@value{AS}}.
3097
3098 @node Symbol Other
3099 @subsubsection Other
3100
3101 @cindex other attribute, of @code{a.out} symbol
3102 This is an arbitrary 8-bit value. It means nothing to @code{@value{AS}}.
3103 @end ifset
3104
3105 @ifset COFF
3106 @node COFF Symbols
3107 @subsection Symbol Attributes for COFF
3108
3109 @cindex COFF symbol attributes
3110 @cindex symbol attributes, COFF
3111
3112 The COFF format supports a multitude of auxiliary symbol attributes;
3113 like the primary symbol attributes, they are set between @code{.def} and
3114 @code{.endef} directives.
3115
3116 @subsubsection Primary Attributes
3117
3118 @cindex primary attributes, COFF symbols
3119 The symbol name is set with @code{.def}; the value and type,
3120 respectively, with @code{.val} and @code{.type}.
3121
3122 @subsubsection Auxiliary Attributes
3123
3124 @cindex auxiliary attributes, COFF symbols
3125 The @code{@value{AS}} directives @code{.dim}, @code{.line}, @code{.scl},
3126 @code{.size}, and @code{.tag} can generate auxiliary symbol table
3127 information for COFF.
3128 @end ifset
3129
3130 @ifset SOM
3131 @node SOM Symbols
3132 @subsection Symbol Attributes for SOM
3133
3134 @cindex SOM symbol attributes
3135 @cindex symbol attributes, SOM
3136
3137 The SOM format for the HPPA supports a multitude of symbol attributes set with
3138 the @code{.EXPORT} and @code{.IMPORT} directives.
3139
3140 The attributes are described in @cite{HP9000 Series 800 Assembly
3141 Language Reference Manual} (HP 92432-90001) under the @code{IMPORT} and
3142 @code{EXPORT} assembler directive documentation.
3143 @end ifset
3144
3145 @node Expressions
3146 @chapter Expressions
3147
3148 @cindex expressions
3149 @cindex addresses
3150 @cindex numeric values
3151 An @dfn{expression} specifies an address or numeric value.
3152 Whitespace may precede and/or follow an expression.
3153
3154 The result of an expression must be an absolute number, or else an offset into
3155 a particular section. If an expression is not absolute, and there is not
3156 enough information when @code{@value{AS}} sees the expression to know its
3157 section, a second pass over the source program might be necessary to interpret
3158 the expression---but the second pass is currently not implemented.
3159 @code{@value{AS}} aborts with an error message in this situation.
3160
3161 @menu
3162 * Empty Exprs:: Empty Expressions
3163 * Integer Exprs:: Integer Expressions
3164 @end menu
3165
3166 @node Empty Exprs
3167 @section Empty Expressions
3168
3169 @cindex empty expressions
3170 @cindex expressions, empty
3171 An empty expression has no value: it is just whitespace or null.
3172 Wherever an absolute expression is required, you may omit the
3173 expression, and @code{@value{AS}} assumes a value of (absolute) 0. This
3174 is compatible with other assemblers.
3175
3176 @node Integer Exprs
3177 @section Integer Expressions
3178
3179 @cindex integer expressions
3180 @cindex expressions, integer
3181 An @dfn{integer expression} is one or more @emph{arguments} delimited
3182 by @emph{operators}.
3183
3184 @menu
3185 * Arguments:: Arguments
3186 * Operators:: Operators
3187 * Prefix Ops:: Prefix Operators
3188 * Infix Ops:: Infix Operators
3189 @end menu
3190
3191 @node Arguments
3192 @subsection Arguments
3193
3194 @cindex expression arguments
3195 @cindex arguments in expressions
3196 @cindex operands in expressions
3197 @cindex arithmetic operands
3198 @dfn{Arguments} are symbols, numbers or subexpressions. In other
3199 contexts arguments are sometimes called ``arithmetic operands''. In
3200 this manual, to avoid confusing them with the ``instruction operands'' of
3201 the machine language, we use the term ``argument'' to refer to parts of
3202 expressions only, reserving the word ``operand'' to refer only to machine
3203 instruction operands.
3204
3205 Symbols are evaluated to yield @{@var{section} @var{NNN}@} where
3206 @var{section} is one of text, data, bss, absolute,
3207 or undefined. @var{NNN} is a signed, 2's complement 32 bit
3208 integer.
3209
3210 Numbers are usually integers.
3211
3212 A number can be a flonum or bignum. In this case, you are warned
3213 that only the low order 32 bits are used, and @code{@value{AS}} pretends
3214 these 32 bits are an integer. You may write integer-manipulating
3215 instructions that act on exotic constants, compatible with other
3216 assemblers.
3217
3218 @cindex subexpressions
3219 Subexpressions are a left parenthesis @samp{(} followed by an integer
3220 expression, followed by a right parenthesis @samp{)}; or a prefix
3221 operator followed by an argument.
3222
3223 @node Operators
3224 @subsection Operators
3225
3226 @cindex operators, in expressions
3227 @cindex arithmetic functions
3228 @cindex functions, in expressions
3229 @dfn{Operators} are arithmetic functions, like @code{+} or @code{%}. Prefix
3230 operators are followed by an argument. Infix operators appear
3231 between their arguments. Operators may be preceded and/or followed by
3232 whitespace.
3233
3234 @node Prefix Ops
3235 @subsection Prefix Operator
3236
3237 @cindex prefix operators
3238 @code{@value{AS}} has the following @dfn{prefix operators}. They each take
3239 one argument, which must be absolute.
3240
3241 @c the tex/end tex stuff surrounding this small table is meant to make
3242 @c it align, on the printed page, with the similar table in the next
3243 @c section (which is inside an enumerate).
3244 @tex
3245 \global\advance\leftskip by \itemindent
3246 @end tex
3247
3248 @table @code
3249 @item -
3250 @dfn{Negation}. Two's complement negation.
3251 @item ~
3252 @dfn{Complementation}. Bitwise not.
3253 @end table
3254
3255 @tex
3256 \global\advance\leftskip by -\itemindent
3257 @end tex
3258
3259 @node Infix Ops
3260 @subsection Infix Operators
3261
3262 @cindex infix operators
3263 @cindex operators, permitted arguments
3264 @dfn{Infix operators} take two arguments, one on either side. Operators
3265 have precedence, but operations with equal precedence are performed left
3266 to right. Apart from @code{+} or @code{-}, both arguments must be
3267 absolute, and the result is absolute.
3268
3269 @enumerate
3270 @cindex operator precedence
3271 @cindex precedence of operators
3272
3273 @item
3274 Highest Precedence
3275
3276 @table @code
3277 @item *
3278 @dfn{Multiplication}.
3279
3280 @item /
3281 @dfn{Division}. Truncation is the same as the C operator @samp{/}
3282
3283 @item %
3284 @dfn{Remainder}.
3285
3286 @item <
3287 @itemx <<
3288 @dfn{Shift Left}. Same as the C operator @samp{<<}.
3289
3290 @item >
3291 @itemx >>
3292 @dfn{Shift Right}. Same as the C operator @samp{>>}.
3293 @end table
3294
3295 @item
3296 Intermediate precedence
3297
3298 @table @code
3299 @item |
3300
3301 @dfn{Bitwise Inclusive Or}.
3302
3303 @item &
3304 @dfn{Bitwise And}.
3305
3306 @item ^
3307 @dfn{Bitwise Exclusive Or}.
3308
3309 @item !
3310 @dfn{Bitwise Or Not}.
3311 @end table
3312
3313 @item
3314 Low Precedence
3315
3316 @table @code
3317 @cindex addition, permitted arguments
3318 @cindex plus, permitted arguments
3319 @cindex arguments for addition
3320 @item +
3321 @dfn{Addition}. If either argument is absolute, the result has the section of
3322 the other argument. You may not add together arguments from different
3323 sections.
3324
3325 @cindex subtraction, permitted arguments
3326 @cindex minus, permitted arguments
3327 @cindex arguments for subtraction
3328 @item -
3329 @dfn{Subtraction}. If the right argument is absolute, the
3330 result has the section of the left argument.
3331 If both arguments are in the same section, the result is absolute.
3332 You may not subtract arguments from different sections.
3333 @c FIXME is there still something useful to say about undefined - undefined ?
3334
3335 @cindex comparison expressions
3336 @cindex expressions, comparison
3337 @item ==
3338 @dfn{Is Equal To}
3339 @item <>
3340 @dfn{Is Not Equal To}
3341 @item <
3342 @dfn{Is Less Than}
3343 @itemx >
3344 @dfn{Is Greater Than}
3345 @itemx >=
3346 @dfn{Is Greater Than Or Equal To}
3347 @itemx <=
3348 @dfn{Is Less Than Or Equal To}
3349
3350 The comparison operators can be used as infix operators. A true results has a
3351 value of -1 whereas a false result has a value of 0. Note, these operators
3352 perform signed comparisons.
3353 @end table
3354
3355 @item Lowest Precedence
3356
3357 @table @code
3358 @item &&
3359 @dfn{Logical And}.
3360
3361 @item ||
3362 @dfn{Logical Or}.
3363
3364 These two logical operations can be used to combine the results of sub
3365 expressions. Note, unlike the comparison operators a true result returns a
3366 value of 1 but a false results does still return 0. Also note that the logical
3367 or operator has a slightly lower precedence than logical and.
3368
3369 @end table
3370 @end enumerate
3371
3372 In short, it's only meaningful to add or subtract the @emph{offsets} in an
3373 address; you can only have a defined section in one of the two arguments.
3374
3375 @node Pseudo Ops
3376 @chapter Assembler Directives
3377
3378 @cindex directives, machine independent
3379 @cindex pseudo-ops, machine independent
3380 @cindex machine independent directives
3381 All assembler directives have names that begin with a period (@samp{.}).
3382 The rest of the name is letters, usually in lower case.
3383
3384 This chapter discusses directives that are available regardless of the
3385 target machine configuration for the @sc{gnu} assembler.
3386 @ifset GENERIC
3387 Some machine configurations provide additional directives.
3388 @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3389 @end ifset
3390 @ifclear GENERIC
3391 @ifset machine-directives
3392 @xref{Machine Dependencies} for additional directives.
3393 @end ifset
3394 @end ifclear
3395
3396 @menu
3397 * Abort:: @code{.abort}
3398 @ifset COFF
3399 * ABORT:: @code{.ABORT}
3400 @end ifset
3401
3402 * Align:: @code{.align @var{abs-expr} , @var{abs-expr}}
3403 * Ascii:: @code{.ascii "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3404 * Asciz:: @code{.asciz "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3405 * Balign:: @code{.balign @var{abs-expr} , @var{abs-expr}}
3406 * Byte:: @code{.byte @var{expressions}}
3407 * Comm:: @code{.comm @var{symbol} , @var{length} }
3408 * Data:: @code{.data @var{subsection}}
3409 @ifset COFF
3410 * Def:: @code{.def @var{name}}
3411 @end ifset
3412 @ifset aout-bout
3413 * Desc:: @code{.desc @var{symbol}, @var{abs-expression}}
3414 @end ifset
3415 @ifset COFF
3416 * Dim:: @code{.dim}
3417 @end ifset
3418
3419 * Double:: @code{.double @var{flonums}}
3420 * Eject:: @code{.eject}
3421 * Else:: @code{.else}
3422 * Elseif:: @code{.elseif}
3423 * End:: @code{.end}
3424 @ifset COFF
3425 * Endef:: @code{.endef}
3426 @end ifset
3427
3428 * Endfunc:: @code{.endfunc}
3429 * Endif:: @code{.endif}
3430 * Equ:: @code{.equ @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3431 * Equiv:: @code{.equiv @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3432 * Err:: @code{.err}
3433 * Exitm:: @code{.exitm}
3434 * Extern:: @code{.extern}
3435 * Fail:: @code{.fail}
3436 @ifclear no-file-dir
3437 * File:: @code{.file @var{string}}
3438 @end ifclear
3439
3440 * Fill:: @code{.fill @var{repeat} , @var{size} , @var{value}}
3441 * Float:: @code{.float @var{flonums}}
3442 * Func:: @code{.func}
3443 * Global:: @code{.global @var{symbol}}, @code{.globl @var{symbol}}
3444 @ifset ELF
3445 * Hidden:: @code{.hidden @var{names}}
3446 @end ifset
3447
3448 * hword:: @code{.hword @var{expressions}}
3449 * Ident:: @code{.ident}
3450 * If:: @code{.if @var{absolute expression}}
3451 * Include:: @code{.include "@var{file}"}
3452 * Int:: @code{.int @var{expressions}}
3453 @ifset ELF
3454 * Internal:: @code{.internal @var{names}}
3455 @end ifset
3456
3457 * Irp:: @code{.irp @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
3458 * Irpc:: @code{.irpc @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
3459 * Lcomm:: @code{.lcomm @var{symbol} , @var{length}}
3460 * Lflags:: @code{.lflags}
3461 @ifclear no-line-dir
3462 * Line:: @code{.line @var{line-number}}
3463 @end ifclear
3464
3465 * Ln:: @code{.ln @var{line-number}}
3466 * Linkonce:: @code{.linkonce [@var{type}]}
3467 * List:: @code{.list}
3468 * Long:: @code{.long @var{expressions}}
3469 @ignore
3470 * Lsym:: @code{.lsym @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3471 @end ignore
3472
3473 * Macro:: @code{.macro @var{name} @var{args}}@dots{}
3474 * MRI:: @code{.mri @var{val}}
3475 * Nolist:: @code{.nolist}
3476 * Octa:: @code{.octa @var{bignums}}
3477 * Org:: @code{.org @var{new-lc} , @var{fill}}
3478 * P2align:: @code{.p2align @var{abs-expr} , @var{abs-expr}}
3479 @ifset ELF
3480 * PopSection:: @code{.popsection}
3481 * Previous:: @code{.previous}
3482 @end ifset
3483
3484 * Print:: @code{.print @var{string}}
3485 @ifset ELF
3486 * Protected:: @code{.protected @var{names}}
3487 @end ifset
3488
3489 * Psize:: @code{.psize @var{lines}, @var{columns}}
3490 * Purgem:: @code{.purgem @var{name}}
3491 @ifset ELF
3492 * PushSection:: @code{.pushsection @var{name}}
3493 @end ifset
3494
3495 * Quad:: @code{.quad @var{bignums}}
3496 * Rept:: @code{.rept @var{count}}
3497 * Sbttl:: @code{.sbttl "@var{subheading}"}
3498 @ifset COFF
3499 * Scl:: @code{.scl @var{class}}
3500 * Section:: @code{.section @var{name}, @var{subsection}}
3501 @end ifset
3502
3503 * Set:: @code{.set @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3504 * Short:: @code{.short @var{expressions}}
3505 * Single:: @code{.single @var{flonums}}
3506 * Size:: @code{.size [@var{name} , @var{expression}]}
3507 * Skip:: @code{.skip @var{size} , @var{fill}}
3508 * Sleb128:: @code{.sleb128 @var{expressions}}
3509 * Space:: @code{.space @var{size} , @var{fill}}
3510 @ifset have-stabs
3511 * Stab:: @code{.stabd, .stabn, .stabs}
3512 @end ifset
3513
3514 * String:: @code{.string "@var{str}"}
3515 * Struct:: @code{.struct @var{expression}}
3516 @ifset ELF
3517 * SubSection:: @code{.subsection}
3518 * Symver:: @code{.symver @var{name},@var{name2@@nodename}}
3519 @end ifset
3520
3521 @ifset COFF
3522 * Tag:: @code{.tag @var{structname}}
3523 @end ifset
3524
3525 * Text:: @code{.text @var{subsection}}
3526 * Title:: @code{.title "@var{heading}"}
3527 * Type:: @code{.type <@var{int} | @var{name} , @var{type description}>}
3528 * Uleb128:: @code{.uleb128 @var{expressions}}
3529 @ifset COFF
3530 * Val:: @code{.val @var{addr}}
3531 @end ifset
3532
3533 @ifset ELF
3534 * Version:: @code{.version "@var{string}"}
3535 * VTableEntry:: @code{.vtable_entry @var{table}, @var{offset}}
3536 * VTableInherit:: @code{.vtable_inherit @var{child}, @var{parent}}
3537 * Weak:: @code{.weak @var{names}}
3538 @end ifset
3539
3540 * Word:: @code{.word @var{expressions}}
3541 * Deprecated:: Deprecated Directives
3542 @end menu
3543
3544 @node Abort
3545 @section @code{.abort}
3546
3547 @cindex @code{abort} directive
3548 @cindex stopping the assembly
3549 This directive stops the assembly immediately. It is for
3550 compatibility with other assemblers. The original idea was that the
3551 assembly language source would be piped into the assembler. If the sender
3552 of the source quit, it could use this directive tells @code{@value{AS}} to
3553 quit also. One day @code{.abort} will not be supported.
3554
3555 @ifset COFF
3556 @node ABORT
3557 @section @code{.ABORT}
3558
3559 @cindex @code{ABORT} directive
3560 When producing COFF output, @code{@value{AS}} accepts this directive as a
3561 synonym for @samp{.abort}.
3562
3563 @ifset BOUT
3564 When producing @code{b.out} output, @code{@value{AS}} accepts this directive,
3565 but ignores it.
3566 @end ifset
3567 @end ifset
3568
3569 @node Align
3570 @section @code{.align @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}}
3571
3572 @cindex padding the location counter
3573 @cindex @code{align} directive
3574 Pad the location counter (in the current subsection) to a particular storage
3575 boundary. The first expression (which must be absolute) is the alignment
3576 required, as described below.
3577
3578 The second expression (also absolute) gives the fill value to be stored in the
3579 padding bytes. It (and the comma) may be omitted. If it is omitted, the
3580 padding bytes are normally zero. However, on some systems, if the section is
3581 marked as containing code and the fill value is omitted, the space is filled
3582 with no-op instructions.
3583
3584 The third expression is also absolute, and is also optional. If it is present,
3585 it is the maximum number of bytes that should be skipped by this alignment
3586 directive. If doing the alignment would require skipping more bytes than the
3587 specified maximum, then the alignment is not done at all. You can omit the
3588 fill value (the second argument) entirely by simply using two commas after the
3589 required alignment; this can be useful if you want the alignment to be filled
3590 with no-op instructions when appropriate.
3591
3592 The way the required alignment is specified varies from system to system.
3593 For the a29k, hppa, m68k, m88k, w65, sparc, and Hitachi SH, and i386 using ELF
3594 format,
3595 the first expression is the
3596 alignment request in bytes. For example @samp{.align 8} advances
3597 the location counter until it is a multiple of 8. If the location counter
3598 is already a multiple of 8, no change is needed.
3599
3600 For other systems, including the i386 using a.out format, and the arm and
3601 strongarm, it is the
3602 number of low-order zero bits the location counter must have after
3603 advancement. For example @samp{.align 3} advances the location
3604 counter until it a multiple of 8. If the location counter is already a
3605 multiple of 8, no change is needed.
3606
3607 This inconsistency is due to the different behaviors of the various
3608 native assemblers for these systems which GAS must emulate.
3609 GAS also provides @code{.balign} and @code{.p2align} directives,
3610 described later, which have a consistent behavior across all
3611 architectures (but are specific to GAS).
3612
3613 @node Ascii
3614 @section @code{.ascii "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3615
3616 @cindex @code{ascii} directive
3617 @cindex string literals
3618 @code{.ascii} expects zero or more string literals (@pxref{Strings})
3619 separated by commas. It assembles each string (with no automatic
3620 trailing zero byte) into consecutive addresses.
3621
3622 @node Asciz
3623 @section @code{.asciz "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3624
3625 @cindex @code{asciz} directive
3626 @cindex zero-terminated strings
3627 @cindex null-terminated strings
3628 @code{.asciz} is just like @code{.ascii}, but each string is followed by
3629 a zero byte. The ``z'' in @samp{.asciz} stands for ``zero''.
3630
3631 @node Balign
3632 @section @code{.balign[wl] @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}}
3633
3634 @cindex padding the location counter given number of bytes
3635 @cindex @code{balign} directive
3636 Pad the location counter (in the current subsection) to a particular
3637 storage boundary. The first expression (which must be absolute) is the
3638 alignment request in bytes. For example @samp{.balign 8} advances
3639 the location counter until it is a multiple of 8. If the location counter
3640 is already a multiple of 8, no change is needed.
3641
3642 The second expression (also absolute) gives the fill value to be stored in the
3643 padding bytes. It (and the comma) may be omitted. If it is omitted, the
3644 padding bytes are normally zero. However, on some systems, if the section is
3645 marked as containing code and the fill value is omitted, the space is filled
3646 with no-op instructions.
3647
3648 The third expression is also absolute, and is also optional. If it is present,
3649 it is the maximum number of bytes that should be skipped by this alignment
3650 directive. If doing the alignment would require skipping more bytes than the
3651 specified maximum, then the alignment is not done at all. You can omit the
3652 fill value (the second argument) entirely by simply using two commas after the
3653 required alignment; this can be useful if you want the alignment to be filled
3654 with no-op instructions when appropriate.
3655
3656 @cindex @code{balignw} directive
3657 @cindex @code{balignl} directive
3658 The @code{.balignw} and @code{.balignl} directives are variants of the
3659 @code{.balign} directive. The @code{.balignw} directive treats the fill
3660 pattern as a two byte word value. The @code{.balignl} directives treats the
3661 fill pattern as a four byte longword value. For example, @code{.balignw
3662 4,0x368d} will align to a multiple of 4. If it skips two bytes, they will be
3663 filled in with the value 0x368d (the exact placement of the bytes depends upon
3664 the endianness of the processor). If it skips 1 or 3 bytes, the fill value is
3665 undefined.
3666
3667 @node Byte
3668 @section @code{.byte @var{expressions}}
3669
3670 @cindex @code{byte} directive
3671 @cindex integers, one byte
3672 @code{.byte} expects zero or more expressions, separated by commas.
3673 Each expression is assembled into the next byte.
3674
3675 @node Comm
3676 @section @code{.comm @var{symbol} , @var{length} }
3677
3678 @cindex @code{comm} directive
3679 @cindex symbol, common
3680 @code{.comm} declares a common symbol named @var{symbol}. When linking, a
3681 common symbol in one object file may be merged with a defined or common symbol
3682 of the same name in another object file. If @code{@value{LD}} does not see a
3683 definition for the symbol--just one or more common symbols--then it will
3684 allocate @var{length} bytes of uninitialized memory. @var{length} must be an
3685 absolute expression. If @code{@value{LD}} sees multiple common symbols with
3686 the same name, and they do not all have the same size, it will allocate space
3687 using the largest size.
3688
3689 @ifset ELF
3690 When using ELF, the @code{.comm} directive takes an optional third argument.
3691 This is the desired alignment of the symbol, specified as a byte boundary (for
3692 example, an alignment of 16 means that the least significant 4 bits of the
3693 address should be zero). The alignment must be an absolute expression, and it
3694 must be a power of two. If @code{@value{LD}} allocates uninitialized memory
3695 for the common symbol, it will use the alignment when placing the symbol. If
3696 no alignment is specified, @code{@value{AS}} will set the alignment to the
3697 largest power of two less than or equal to the size of the symbol, up to a
3698 maximum of 16.
3699 @end ifset
3700
3701 @ifset HPPA
3702 The syntax for @code{.comm} differs slightly on the HPPA. The syntax is
3703 @samp{@var{symbol} .comm, @var{length}}; @var{symbol} is optional.
3704 @end ifset
3705
3706 @node Data
3707 @section @code{.data @var{subsection}}
3708
3709 @cindex @code{data} directive
3710 @code{.data} tells @code{@value{AS}} to assemble the following statements onto the
3711 end of the data subsection numbered @var{subsection} (which is an
3712 absolute expression). If @var{subsection} is omitted, it defaults
3713 to zero.
3714
3715 @ifset COFF
3716 @node Def
3717 @section @code{.def @var{name}}
3718
3719 @cindex @code{def} directive
3720 @cindex COFF symbols, debugging
3721 @cindex debugging COFF symbols
3722 Begin defining debugging information for a symbol @var{name}; the
3723 definition extends until the @code{.endef} directive is encountered.
3724 @ifset BOUT
3725
3726 This directive is only observed when @code{@value{AS}} is configured for COFF
3727 format output; when producing @code{b.out}, @samp{.def} is recognized,
3728 but ignored.
3729 @end ifset
3730 @end ifset
3731
3732 @ifset aout-bout
3733 @node Desc
3734 @section @code{.desc @var{symbol}, @var{abs-expression}}
3735
3736 @cindex @code{desc} directive
3737 @cindex COFF symbol descriptor
3738 @cindex symbol descriptor, COFF
3739 This directive sets the descriptor of the symbol (@pxref{Symbol Attributes})
3740 to the low 16 bits of an absolute expression.
3741
3742 @ifset COFF
3743 The @samp{.desc} directive is not available when @code{@value{AS}} is
3744 configured for COFF output; it is only for @code{a.out} or @code{b.out}
3745 object format. For the sake of compatibility, @code{@value{AS}} accepts
3746 it, but produces no output, when configured for COFF.
3747 @end ifset
3748 @end ifset
3749
3750 @ifset COFF
3751 @node Dim
3752 @section @code{.dim}
3753
3754 @cindex @code{dim} directive
3755 @cindex COFF auxiliary symbol information
3756 @cindex auxiliary symbol information, COFF
3757 This directive is generated by compilers to include auxiliary debugging
3758 information in the symbol table. It is only permitted inside
3759 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs.
3760 @ifset BOUT
3761
3762 @samp{.dim} is only meaningful when generating COFF format output; when
3763 @code{@value{AS}} is generating @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but
3764 ignores it.
3765 @end ifset
3766 @end ifset
3767
3768 @node Double
3769 @section @code{.double @var{flonums}}
3770
3771 @cindex @code{double} directive
3772 @cindex floating point numbers (double)
3773 @code{.double} expects zero or more flonums, separated by commas. It
3774 assembles floating point numbers.
3775 @ifset GENERIC
3776 The exact kind of floating point numbers emitted depends on how
3777 @code{@value{AS}} is configured. @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3778 @end ifset
3779 @ifclear GENERIC
3780 @ifset IEEEFLOAT
3781 On the @value{TARGET} family @samp{.double} emits 64-bit floating-point numbers
3782 in @sc{ieee} format.
3783 @end ifset
3784 @end ifclear
3785
3786 @node Eject
3787 @section @code{.eject}
3788
3789 @cindex @code{eject} directive
3790 @cindex new page, in listings
3791 @cindex page, in listings
3792 @cindex listing control: new page
3793 Force a page break at this point, when generating assembly listings.
3794
3795 @node Else
3796 @section @code{.else}
3797
3798 @cindex @code{else} directive
3799 @code{.else} is part of the @code{@value{AS}} support for conditional
3800 assembly; @pxref{If,,@code{.if}}. It marks the beginning of a section
3801 of code to be assembled if the condition for the preceding @code{.if}
3802 was false.
3803
3804 @node Elseif
3805 @section @code{.elseif}
3806
3807 @cindex @code{elseif} directive
3808 @code{.elseif} is part of the @code{@value{AS}} support for conditional
3809 assembly; @pxref{If,,@code{.if}}. It is shorthand for beginning a new
3810 @code{.if} block that would otherwise fill the entire @code{.else} section.
3811
3812 @node End
3813 @section @code{.end}
3814
3815 @cindex @code{end} directive
3816 @code{.end} marks the end of the assembly file. @code{@value{AS}} does not
3817 process anything in the file past the @code{.end} directive.
3818
3819 @ifset COFF
3820 @node Endef
3821 @section @code{.endef}
3822
3823 @cindex @code{endef} directive
3824 This directive flags the end of a symbol definition begun with
3825 @code{.def}.
3826 @ifset BOUT
3827
3828 @samp{.endef} is only meaningful when generating COFF format output; if
3829 @code{@value{AS}} is configured to generate @code{b.out}, it accepts this
3830 directive but ignores it.
3831 @end ifset
3832 @end ifset
3833
3834 @node Endfunc
3835 @section @code{.endfunc}
3836 @cindex @code{endfunc} directive
3837 @code{.endfunc} marks the end of a function specified with @code{.func}.
3838
3839 @node Endif
3840 @section @code{.endif}
3841
3842 @cindex @code{endif} directive
3843 @code{.endif} is part of the @code{@value{AS}} support for conditional assembly;
3844 it marks the end of a block of code that is only assembled
3845 conditionally. @xref{If,,@code{.if}}.
3846
3847 @node Equ
3848 @section @code{.equ @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3849
3850 @cindex @code{equ} directive
3851 @cindex assigning values to symbols
3852 @cindex symbols, assigning values to
3853 This directive sets the value of @var{symbol} to @var{expression}.
3854 It is synonymous with @samp{.set}; @pxref{Set,,@code{.set}}.
3855
3856 @ifset HPPA
3857 The syntax for @code{equ} on the HPPA is
3858 @samp{@var{symbol} .equ @var{expression}}.
3859 @end ifset
3860
3861 @node Equiv
3862 @section @code{.equiv @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3863 @cindex @code{equiv} directive
3864 The @code{.equiv} directive is like @code{.equ} and @code{.set}, except that
3865 the assembler will signal an error if @var{symbol} is already defined.
3866
3867 Except for the contents of the error message, this is roughly equivalent to
3868 @smallexample
3869 .ifdef SYM
3870 .err
3871 .endif
3872 .equ SYM,VAL
3873 @end smallexample
3874
3875 @node Err
3876 @section @code{.err}
3877 @cindex @code{err} directive
3878 If @code{@value{AS}} assembles a @code{.err} directive, it will print an error
3879 message and, unless the @code{-Z} option was used, it will not generate an
3880 object file. This can be used to signal error an conditionally compiled code.
3881
3882 @node Exitm
3883 @section @code{.exitm}
3884 Exit early from the current macro definition. @xref{Macro}.
3885
3886 @node Extern
3887 @section @code{.extern}
3888
3889 @cindex @code{extern} directive
3890 @code{.extern} is accepted in the source program---for compatibility
3891 with other assemblers---but it is ignored. @code{@value{AS}} treats
3892 all undefined symbols as external.
3893
3894 @node Fail
3895 @section @code{.fail @var{expression}}
3896
3897 @cindex @code{fail} directive
3898 Generates an error or a warning. If the value of the @var{expression} is 500
3899 or more, @code{@value{AS}} will print a warning message. If the value is less
3900 than 500, @code{@value{AS}} will print an error message. The message will
3901 include the value of @var{expression}. This can occasionally be useful inside
3902 complex nested macros or conditional assembly.
3903
3904 @ifclear no-file-dir
3905 @node File
3906 @section @code{.file @var{string}}
3907
3908 @cindex @code{file} directive
3909 @cindex logical file name
3910 @cindex file name, logical
3911 @code{.file} tells @code{@value{AS}} that we are about to start a new logical
3912 file. @var{string} is the new file name. In general, the filename is
3913 recognized whether or not it is surrounded by quotes @samp{"}; but if you wish
3914 to specify an empty file name, you must give the quotes--@code{""}. This
3915 statement may go away in future: it is only recognized to be compatible with
3916 old @code{@value{AS}} programs.
3917 @ifset A29K
3918 In some configurations of @code{@value{AS}}, @code{.file} has already been
3919 removed to avoid conflicts with other assemblers. @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3920 @end ifset
3921 @end ifclear
3922
3923 @node Fill
3924 @section @code{.fill @var{repeat} , @var{size} , @var{value}}
3925
3926 @cindex @code{fill} directive
3927 @cindex writing patterns in memory
3928 @cindex patterns, writing in memory
3929 @var{repeat}, @var{size} and @var{value} are absolute expressions.
3930 This emits @var{repeat} copies of @var{size} bytes. @var{Repeat}
3931 may be zero or more. @var{Size} may be zero or more, but if it is
3932 more than 8, then it is deemed to have the value 8, compatible with
3933 other people's assemblers. The contents of each @var{repeat} bytes
3934 is taken from an 8-byte number. The highest order 4 bytes are
3935 zero. The lowest order 4 bytes are @var{value} rendered in the
3936 byte-order of an integer on the computer @code{@value{AS}} is assembling for.
3937 Each @var{size} bytes in a repetition is taken from the lowest order
3938 @var{size} bytes of this number. Again, this bizarre behavior is
3939 compatible with other people's assemblers.
3940
3941 @var{size} and @var{value} are optional.
3942 If the second comma and @var{value} are absent, @var{value} is
3943 assumed zero. If the first comma and following tokens are absent,
3944 @var{size} is assumed to be 1.
3945
3946 @node Float
3947 @section @code{.float @var{flonums}}
3948
3949 @cindex floating point numbers (single)
3950 @cindex @code{float} directive
3951 This directive assembles zero or more flonums, separated by commas. It
3952 has the same effect as @code{.single}.
3953 @ifset GENERIC
3954 The exact kind of floating point numbers emitted depends on how
3955 @code{@value{AS}} is configured.
3956 @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3957 @end ifset
3958 @ifclear GENERIC
3959 @ifset IEEEFLOAT
3960 On the @value{TARGET} family, @code{.float} emits 32-bit floating point numbers
3961 in @sc{ieee} format.
3962 @end ifset
3963 @end ifclear
3964
3965 @node Func
3966 @section @code{.func @var{name}[,@var{label}]}
3967 @cindex @code{func} directive
3968 @code{.func} emits debugging information to denote function @var{name}, and
3969 is ignored unless the file is assembled with debugging enabled.
3970 Only @samp{--gstabs} is currently supported.
3971 @var{label} is the entry point of the function and if omitted @var{name}
3972 prepended with the @samp{leading char} is used.
3973 @samp{leading char} is usually @code{_} or nothing, depending on the target.
3974 All functions are currently defined to have @code{void} return type.
3975 The function must be terminated with @code{.endfunc}.
3976
3977 @node Global
3978 @section @code{.global @var{symbol}}, @code{.globl @var{symbol}}
3979
3980 @cindex @code{global} directive
3981 @cindex symbol, making visible to linker
3982 @code{.global} makes the symbol visible to @code{@value{LD}}. If you define
3983 @var{symbol} in your partial program, its value is made available to
3984 other partial programs that are linked with it. Otherwise,
3985 @var{symbol} takes its attributes from a symbol of the same name
3986 from another file linked into the same program.
3987
3988 Both spellings (@samp{.globl} and @samp{.global}) are accepted, for
3989 compatibility with other assemblers.
3990
3991 @ifset HPPA
3992 On the HPPA, @code{.global} is not always enough to make it accessible to other
3993 partial programs. You may need the HPPA-only @code{.EXPORT} directive as well.
3994 @xref{HPPA Directives,, HPPA Assembler Directives}.
3995 @end ifset
3996
3997 @ifset ELF
3998 @node Hidden
3999 @section @code{.hidden @var{names}}
4000
4001 @cindex @code{.hidden} directive
4002 @cindex Visibility
4003 This one of the ELF visibility directives. The other two are
4004 @code{.internal} (@pxref{Internal,,@code{.internal}}) and
4005 @code{.protected} (@pxref{Protected,,@code{.protected}}).
4006
4007 This directive overrides the named symbols default visibility (which is set by
4008 their binding: local, global or weak). The directive sets the visibility to
4009 @code{hidden} which means that the symbols are not visible to other components.
4010 Such symbols are always considered to be @code{protected} as well.
4011 @end ifset
4012
4013 @node hword
4014 @section @code{.hword @var{expressions}}
4015
4016 @cindex @code{hword} directive
4017 @cindex integers, 16-bit
4018 @cindex numbers, 16-bit
4019 @cindex sixteen bit integers
4020 This expects zero or more @var{expressions}, and emits
4021 a 16 bit number for each.
4022
4023 @ifset GENERIC
4024 This directive is a synonym for @samp{.short}; depending on the target
4025 architecture, it may also be a synonym for @samp{.word}.
4026 @end ifset
4027 @ifclear GENERIC
4028 @ifset W32
4029 This directive is a synonym for @samp{.short}.
4030 @end ifset
4031 @ifset W16
4032 This directive is a synonym for both @samp{.short} and @samp{.word}.
4033 @end ifset
4034 @end ifclear
4035
4036 @node Ident
4037 @section @code{.ident}
4038
4039 @cindex @code{ident} directive
4040 This directive is used by some assemblers to place tags in object files.
4041 @code{@value{AS}} simply accepts the directive for source-file
4042 compatibility with such assemblers, but does not actually emit anything
4043 for it.
4044
4045 @node If
4046 @section @code{.if @var{absolute expression}}
4047
4048 @cindex conditional assembly
4049 @cindex @code{if} directive
4050 @code{.if} marks the beginning of a section of code which is only
4051 considered part of the source program being assembled if the argument
4052 (which must be an @var{absolute expression}) is non-zero. The end of
4053 the conditional section of code must be marked by @code{.endif}
4054 (@pxref{Endif,,@code{.endif}}); optionally, you may include code for the
4055 alternative condition, flagged by @code{.else} (@pxref{Else,,@code{.else}}).
4056 If you have several conditions to check, @code{.elseif} may be used to avoid
4057 nesting blocks if/else within each subsequent @code{.else} block.
4058
4059 The following variants of @code{.if} are also supported:
4060 @table @code
4061 @cindex @code{ifdef} directive
4062 @item .ifdef @var{symbol}
4063 Assembles the following section of code if the specified @var{symbol}
4064 has been defined.
4065
4066 @cindex @code{ifc} directive
4067 @item .ifc @var{string1},@var{string2}
4068 Assembles the following section of code if the two strings are the same. The
4069 strings may be optionally quoted with single quotes. If they are not quoted,
4070 the first string stops at the first comma, and the second string stops at the
4071 end of the line. Strings which contain whitespace should be quoted. The
4072 string comparison is case sensitive.
4073
4074 @cindex @code{ifeq} directive
4075 @item .ifeq @var{absolute expression}
4076 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is zero.
4077
4078 @cindex @code{ifeqs} directive
4079 @item .ifeqs @var{string1},@var{string2}
4080 Another form of @code{.ifc}. The strings must be quoted using double quotes.
4081
4082 @cindex @code{ifge} directive
4083 @item .ifge @var{absolute expression}
4084 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is greater than or
4085 equal to zero.
4086
4087 @cindex @code{ifgt} directive
4088 @item .ifgt @var{absolute expression}
4089 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is greater than zero.
4090
4091 @cindex @code{ifle} directive
4092 @item .ifle @var{absolute expression}
4093 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is less than or equal
4094 to zero.
4095
4096 @cindex @code{iflt} directive
4097 @item .iflt @var{absolute expression}
4098 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is less than zero.
4099
4100 @cindex @code{ifnc} directive
4101 @item .ifnc @var{string1},@var{string2}.
4102 Like @code{.ifc}, but the sense of the test is reversed: this assembles the
4103 following section of code if the two strings are not the same.
4104
4105 @cindex @code{ifndef} directive
4106 @cindex @code{ifnotdef} directive
4107 @item .ifndef @var{symbol}
4108 @itemx .ifnotdef @var{symbol}
4109 Assembles the following section of code if the specified @var{symbol}
4110 has not been defined. Both spelling variants are equivalent.
4111
4112 @cindex @code{ifne} directive
4113 @item .ifne @var{absolute expression}
4114 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is not equal to zero
4115 (in other words, this is equivalent to @code{.if}).
4116
4117 @cindex @code{ifnes} directive
4118 @item .ifnes @var{string1},@var{string2}
4119 Like @code{.ifeqs}, but the sense of the test is reversed: this assembles the
4120 following section of code if the two strings are not the same.
4121 @end table
4122
4123 @node Include
4124 @section @code{.include "@var{file}"}
4125
4126 @cindex @code{include} directive
4127 @cindex supporting files, including
4128 @cindex files, including
4129 This directive provides a way to include supporting files at specified
4130 points in your source program. The code from @var{file} is assembled as
4131 if it followed the point of the @code{.include}; when the end of the
4132 included file is reached, assembly of the original file continues. You
4133 can control the search paths used with the @samp{-I} command-line option
4134 (@pxref{Invoking,,Command-Line Options}). Quotation marks are required
4135 around @var{file}.
4136
4137 @node Int
4138 @section @code{.int @var{expressions}}
4139
4140 @cindex @code{int} directive
4141 @cindex integers, 32-bit
4142 Expect zero or more @var{expressions}, of any section, separated by commas.
4143 For each expression, emit a number that, at run time, is the value of that
4144 expression. The byte order and bit size of the number depends on what kind
4145 of target the assembly is for.
4146
4147 @ifclear GENERIC
4148 @ifset H8
4149 On the H8/500 and most forms of the H8/300, @code{.int} emits 16-bit
4150 integers. On the H8/300H and the Hitachi SH, however, @code{.int} emits
4151 32-bit integers.
4152 @end ifset
4153 @end ifclear
4154
4155 @ifset ELF
4156 @node Internal
4157 @section @code{.internal @var{names}}
4158
4159 @cindex @code{.internal} directive
4160 @cindex Visibility
4161 This one of the ELF visibility directives. The other two are
4162 @code{.hidden} (@pxref{Hidden,,@code{.hidden}}) and
4163 @code{.protected} (@pxref{Protected,,@code{.protected}}).
4164
4165 This directive overrides the named symbols default visibility (which is set by
4166 their binding: local, global or weak). The directive sets the visibility to
4167 @code{internal} which means that the symbols are considered to be @code{hidden}
4168 (ie not visible to other components), and that some extra, processor specific
4169 processing must also be performed upon the symbols as well.
4170 @end ifset
4171
4172 @node Irp
4173 @section @code{.irp @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
4174
4175 @cindex @code{irp} directive
4176 Evaluate a sequence of statements assigning different values to @var{symbol}.
4177 The sequence of statements starts at the @code{.irp} directive, and is
4178 terminated by an @code{.endr} directive. For each @var{value}, @var{symbol} is
4179 set to @var{value}, and the sequence of statements is assembled. If no
4180 @var{value} is listed, the sequence of statements is assembled once, with
4181 @var{symbol} set to the null string. To refer to @var{symbol} within the
4182 sequence of statements, use @var{\symbol}.
4183
4184 For example, assembling
4185
4186 @example
4187 .irp param,1,2,3
4188 move d\param,sp@@-
4189 .endr
4190 @end example
4191
4192 is equivalent to assembling
4193
4194 @example
4195 move d1,sp@@-
4196 move d2,sp@@-
4197 move d3,sp@@-
4198 @end example
4199
4200 @node Irpc
4201 @section @code{.irpc @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
4202
4203 @cindex @code{irpc} directive
4204 Evaluate a sequence of statements assigning different values to @var{symbol}.
4205 The sequence of statements starts at the @code{.irpc} directive, and is
4206 terminated by an @code{.endr} directive. For each character in @var{value},
4207 @var{symbol} is set to the character, and the sequence of statements is
4208 assembled. If no @var{value} is listed, the sequence of statements is
4209 assembled once, with @var{symbol} set to the null string. To refer to
4210 @var{symbol} within the sequence of statements, use @var{\symbol}.
4211
4212 For example, assembling
4213
4214 @example
4215 .irpc param,123
4216 move d\param,sp@@-
4217 .endr
4218 @end example
4219
4220 is equivalent to assembling
4221
4222 @example
4223 move d1,sp@@-
4224 move d2,sp@@-
4225 move d3,sp@@-
4226 @end example
4227
4228 @node Lcomm
4229 @section @code{.lcomm @var{symbol} , @var{length}}
4230
4231 @cindex @code{lcomm} directive
4232 @cindex local common symbols
4233 @cindex symbols, local common
4234 Reserve @var{length} (an absolute expression) bytes for a local common
4235 denoted by @var{symbol}. The section and value of @var{symbol} are
4236 those of the new local common. The addresses are allocated in the bss
4237 section, so that at run-time the bytes start off zeroed. @var{Symbol}
4238 is not declared global (@pxref{Global,,@code{.global}}), so is normally
4239 not visible to @code{@value{LD}}.
4240
4241 @ifset GENERIC
4242 Some targets permit a third argument to be used with @code{.lcomm}. This
4243 argument specifies the desired alignment of the symbol in the bss section.
4244 @end ifset
4245
4246 @ifset HPPA
4247 The syntax for @code{.lcomm} differs slightly on the HPPA. The syntax is
4248 @samp{@var{symbol} .lcomm, @var{length}}; @var{symbol} is optional.
4249 @end ifset
4250
4251 @node Lflags
4252 @section @code{.lflags}
4253
4254 @cindex @code{lflags} directive (ignored)
4255 @code{@value{AS}} accepts this directive, for compatibility with other
4256 assemblers, but ignores it.
4257
4258 @ifclear no-line-dir
4259 @node Line
4260 @section @code{.line @var{line-number}}
4261
4262 @cindex @code{line} directive
4263 @end ifclear
4264 @ifset no-line-dir
4265 @node Ln
4266 @section @code{.ln @var{line-number}}
4267
4268 @cindex @code{ln} directive
4269 @end ifset
4270 @cindex logical line number
4271 @ifset aout-bout
4272 Change the logical line number. @var{line-number} must be an absolute
4273 expression. The next line has that logical line number. Therefore any other
4274 statements on the current line (after a statement separator character) are
4275 reported as on logical line number @var{line-number} @minus{} 1. One day
4276 @code{@value{AS}} will no longer support this directive: it is recognized only
4277 for compatibility with existing assembler programs.
4278
4279 @ifset GENERIC
4280 @ifset A29K
4281 @emph{Warning:} In the AMD29K configuration of @value{AS}, this command is
4282 not available; use the synonym @code{.ln} in that context.
4283 @end ifset
4284 @end ifset
4285 @end ifset
4286
4287 @ifclear no-line-dir
4288 Even though this is a directive associated with the @code{a.out} or
4289 @code{b.out} object-code formats, @code{@value{AS}} still recognizes it
4290 when producing COFF output, and treats @samp{.line} as though it
4291 were the COFF @samp{.ln} @emph{if} it is found outside a
4292 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pair.
4293
4294 Inside a @code{.def}, @samp{.line} is, instead, one of the directives
4295 used by compilers to generate auxiliary symbol information for
4296 debugging.
4297 @end ifclear
4298
4299 @node Linkonce
4300 @section @code{.linkonce [@var{type}]}
4301 @cindex COMDAT
4302 @cindex @code{linkonce} directive
4303 @cindex common sections
4304 Mark the current section so that the linker only includes a single copy of it.
4305 This may be used to include the same section in several different object files,
4306 but ensure that the linker will only include it once in the final output file.
4307 The @code{.linkonce} pseudo-op must be used for each instance of the section.
4308 Duplicate sections are detected based on the section name, so it should be
4309 unique.
4310
4311 This directive is only supported by a few object file formats; as of this
4312 writing, the only object file format which supports it is the Portable
4313 Executable format used on Windows NT.
4314
4315 The @var{type} argument is optional. If specified, it must be one of the
4316 following strings. For example:
4317 @smallexample
4318 .linkonce same_size
4319 @end smallexample
4320 Not all types may be supported on all object file formats.
4321
4322 @table @code
4323 @item discard
4324 Silently discard duplicate sections. This is the default.
4325
4326 @item one_only
4327 Warn if there are duplicate sections, but still keep only one copy.
4328
4329 @item same_size
4330 Warn if any of the duplicates have different sizes.
4331
4332 @item same_contents
4333 Warn if any of the duplicates do not have exactly the same contents.
4334 @end table
4335
4336 @node Ln
4337 @section @code{.ln @var{line-number}}
4338
4339 @cindex @code{ln} directive
4340 @ifclear no-line-dir
4341 @samp{.ln} is a synonym for @samp{.line}.
4342 @end ifclear
4343 @ifset no-line-dir
4344 Tell @code{@value{AS}} to change the logical line number. @var{line-number}
4345 must be an absolute expression. The next line has that logical
4346 line number, so any other statements on the current line (after a
4347 statement separator character @code{;}) are reported as on logical
4348 line number @var{line-number} @minus{} 1.
4349 @ifset BOUT
4350
4351 This directive is accepted, but ignored, when @code{@value{AS}} is
4352 configured for @code{b.out}; its effect is only associated with COFF
4353 output format.
4354 @end ifset
4355 @end ifset
4356
4357 @node MRI
4358 @section @code{.mri @var{val}}
4359
4360 @cindex @code{mri} directive
4361 @cindex MRI mode, temporarily
4362 If @var{val} is non-zero, this tells @code{@value{AS}} to enter MRI mode. If
4363 @var{val} is zero, this tells @code{@value{AS}} to exit MRI mode. This change
4364 affects code assembled until the next @code{.mri} directive, or until the end
4365 of the file. @xref{M, MRI mode, MRI mode}.
4366
4367 @node List
4368 @section @code{.list}
4369
4370 @cindex @code{list} directive
4371 @cindex listing control, turning on
4372 Control (in conjunction with the @code{.nolist} directive) whether or
4373 not assembly listings are generated. These two directives maintain an
4374 internal counter (which is zero initially). @code{.list} increments the
4375 counter, and @code{.nolist} decrements it. Assembly listings are
4376 generated whenever the counter is greater than zero.
4377
4378 By default, listings are disabled. When you enable them (with the
4379 @samp{-a} command line option; @pxref{Invoking,,Command-Line Options}),
4380 the initial value of the listing counter is one.
4381
4382 @node Long
4383 @section @code{.long @var{expressions}}
4384
4385 @cindex @code{long} directive
4386 @code{.long} is the same as @samp{.int}, @pxref{Int,,@code{.int}}.
4387
4388 @ignore
4389 @c no one seems to know what this is for or whether this description is
4390 @c what it really ought to do
4391 @node Lsym
4392 @section @code{.lsym @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
4393
4394 @cindex @code{lsym} directive
4395 @cindex symbol, not referenced in assembly
4396 @code{.lsym} creates a new symbol named @var{symbol}, but does not put it in
4397 the hash table, ensuring it cannot be referenced by name during the
4398 rest of the assembly. This sets the attributes of the symbol to be
4399 the same as the expression value:
4400 @smallexample
4401 @var{other} = @var{descriptor} = 0
4402 @var{type} = @r{(section of @var{expression})}
4403 @var{value} = @var{expression}
4404 @end smallexample
4405 @noindent
4406 The new symbol is not flagged as external.
4407 @end ignore
4408
4409 @node Macro
4410 @section @code{.macro}
4411
4412 @cindex macros
4413 The commands @code{.macro} and @code{.endm} allow you to define macros that
4414 generate assembly output. For example, this definition specifies a macro
4415 @code{sum} that puts a sequence of numbers into memory:
4416
4417 @example
4418 .macro sum from=0, to=5
4419 .long \from
4420 .if \to-\from
4421 sum "(\from+1)",\to
4422 .endif
4423 .endm
4424 @end example
4425
4426 @noindent
4427 With that definition, @samp{SUM 0,5} is equivalent to this assembly input:
4428
4429 @example
4430 .long 0
4431 .long 1
4432 .long 2
4433 .long 3
4434 .long 4
4435 .long 5
4436 @end example
4437
4438 @ftable @code
4439 @item .macro @var{macname}
4440 @itemx .macro @var{macname} @var{macargs} @dots{}
4441 @cindex @code{macro} directive
4442 Begin the definition of a macro called @var{macname}. If your macro
4443 definition requires arguments, specify their names after the macro name,
4444 separated by commas or spaces. You can supply a default value for any
4445 macro argument by following the name with @samp{=@var{deflt}}. For
4446 example, these are all valid @code{.macro} statements:
4447
4448 @table @code
4449 @item .macro comm
4450 Begin the definition of a macro called @code{comm}, which takes no
4451 arguments.
4452
4453 @item .macro plus1 p, p1
4454 @itemx .macro plus1 p p1
4455 Either statement begins the definition of a macro called @code{plus1},
4456 which takes two arguments; within the macro definition, write
4457 @samp{\p} or @samp{\p1} to evaluate the arguments.
4458
4459 @item .macro reserve_str p1=0 p2
4460 Begin the definition of a macro called @code{reserve_str}, with two
4461 arguments. The first argument has a default value, but not the second.
4462 After the definition is complete, you can call the macro either as
4463 @samp{reserve_str @var{a},@var{b}} (with @samp{\p1} evaluating to
4464 @var{a} and @samp{\p2} evaluating to @var{b}), or as @samp{reserve_str
4465 ,@var{b}} (with @samp{\p1} evaluating as the default, in this case
4466 @samp{0}, and @samp{\p2} evaluating to @var{b}).
4467 @end table
4468
4469 When you call a macro, you can specify the argument values either by
4470 position, or by keyword. For example, @samp{sum 9,17} is equivalent to
4471 @samp{sum to=17, from=9}.
4472
4473 @item .endm
4474 @cindex @code{endm} directive
4475 Mark the end of a macro definition.
4476
4477 @item .exitm
4478 @cindex @code{exitm} directive
4479 Exit early from the current macro definition.
4480
4481 @cindex number of macros executed
4482 @cindex macros, count executed
4483 @item \@@
4484 @code{@value{AS}} maintains a counter of how many macros it has
4485 executed in this pseudo-variable; you can copy that number to your
4486 output with @samp{\@@}, but @emph{only within a macro definition}.
4487
4488 @ignore
4489 @item LOCAL @var{name} [ , @dots{} ]
4490 @emph{Warning: @code{LOCAL} is only available if you select ``alternate
4491 macro syntax'' with @samp{-a} or @samp{--alternate}.} @xref{Alternate,,
4492 Alternate macro syntax}.
4493
4494 Generate a string replacement for each of the @var{name} arguments, and
4495 replace any instances of @var{name} in each macro expansion. The
4496 replacement string is unique in the assembly, and different for each
4497 separate macro expansion. @code{LOCAL} allows you to write macros that
4498 define symbols, without fear of conflict between separate macro expansions.
4499 @end ignore
4500 @end ftable
4501
4502 @node Nolist
4503 @section @code{.nolist}
4504
4505 @cindex @code{nolist} directive
4506 @cindex listing control, turning off
4507 Control (in conjunction with the @code{.list} directive) whether or
4508 not assembly listings are generated. These two directives maintain an
4509 internal counter (which is zero initially). @code{.list} increments the
4510 counter, and @code{.nolist} decrements it. Assembly listings are
4511 generated whenever the counter is greater than zero.
4512
4513 @node Octa
4514 @section @code{.octa @var{bignums}}
4515
4516 @c FIXME: double size emitted for "octa" on i960, others? Or warn?
4517 @cindex @code{octa} directive
4518 @cindex integer, 16-byte
4519 @cindex sixteen byte integer
4520 This directive expects zero or more bignums, separated by commas. For each
4521 bignum, it emits a 16-byte integer.
4522
4523 The term ``octa'' comes from contexts in which a ``word'' is two bytes;
4524 hence @emph{octa}-word for 16 bytes.
4525
4526 @node Org
4527 @section @code{.org @var{new-lc} , @var{fill}}
4528
4529 @cindex @code{org} directive
4530 @cindex location counter, advancing
4531 @cindex advancing location counter
4532 @cindex current address, advancing
4533 Advance the location counter of the current section to
4534 @var{new-lc}. @var{new-lc} is either an absolute expression or an
4535 expression with the same section as the current subsection. That is,
4536 you can't use @code{.org} to cross sections: if @var{new-lc} has the
4537 wrong section, the @code{.org} directive is ignored. To be compatible
4538 with former assemblers, if the section of @var{new-lc} is absolute,
4539 @code{@value{AS}} issues a warning, then pretends the section of @var{new-lc}
4540 is the same as the current subsection.
4541
4542 @code{.org} may only increase the location counter, or leave it
4543 unchanged; you cannot use @code{.org} to move the location counter
4544 backwards.
4545
4546 @c double negative used below "not undefined" because this is a specific
4547 @c reference to "undefined" (as SEG_UNKNOWN is called in this manual)
4548 @c section. doc@cygnus.com 18feb91
4549 Because @code{@value{AS}} tries to assemble programs in one pass, @var{new-lc}
4550 may not be undefined. If you really detest this restriction we eagerly await
4551 a chance to share your improved assembler.
4552
4553 Beware that the origin is relative to the start of the section, not
4554 to the start of the subsection. This is compatible with other
4555 people's assemblers.
4556
4557 When the location counter (of the current subsection) is advanced, the
4558 intervening bytes are filled with @var{fill} which should be an
4559 absolute expression. If the comma and @var{fill} are omitted,
4560 @var{fill} defaults to zero.
4561
4562 @node P2align
4563 @section @code{.p2align[wl] @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}}
4564
4565 @cindex padding the location counter given a power of two
4566 @cindex @code{p2align} directive
4567 Pad the location counter (in the current subsection) to a particular
4568 storage boundary. The first expression (which must be absolute) is the
4569 number of low-order zero bits the location counter must have after
4570 advancement. For example @samp{.p2align 3} advances the location
4571 counter until it a multiple of 8. If the location counter is already a
4572 multiple of 8, no change is needed.
4573
4574 The second expression (also absolute) gives the fill value to be stored in the
4575 padding bytes. It (and the comma) may be omitted. If it is omitted, the
4576 padding bytes are normally zero. However, on some systems, if the section is
4577 marked as containing code and the fill value is omitted, the space is filled
4578 with no-op instructions.
4579
4580 The third expression is also absolute, and is also optional. If it is present,
4581 it is the maximum number of bytes that should be skipped by this alignment
4582 directive. If doing the alignment would require skipping more bytes than the
4583 specified maximum, then the alignment is not done at all. You can omit the
4584 fill value (the second argument) entirely by simply using two commas after the
4585 required alignment; this can be useful if you want the alignment to be filled
4586 with no-op instructions when appropriate.
4587
4588 @cindex @code{p2alignw} directive
4589 @cindex @code{p2alignl} directive
4590 The @code{.p2alignw} and @code{.p2alignl} directives are variants of the
4591 @code{.p2align} directive. The @code{.p2alignw} directive treats the fill
4592 pattern as a two byte word value. The @code{.p2alignl} directives treats the
4593 fill pattern as a four byte longword value. For example, @code{.p2alignw
4594 2,0x368d} will align to a multiple of 4. If it skips two bytes, they will be
4595 filled in with the value 0x368d (the exact placement of the bytes depends upon
4596 the endianness of the processor). If it skips 1 or 3 bytes, the fill value is
4597 undefined.
4598
4599 @ifset ELF
4600 @node Previous
4601 @section @code{.previous}
4602
4603 @cindex @code{.previous} directive
4604 @cindex Section Stack
4605 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4606 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}),
4607 @code{.pushsection} (@pxref{PushSection}), and @code{.popsection}
4608 (@pxref{PopSection}).
4609
4610 This directive swaps the current section (and subsection) with most recently
4611 referenced section (and subsection) prior to this one. Multiple
4612 @code{.previous} directives in a row will flip between two sections (and their
4613 subsections).
4614
4615 In terms of the section stack, this directive swaps the current section with
4616 the top section on the section stack.
4617 @end ifset
4618
4619 @ifset ELF
4620 @node PopSection
4621 @section @code{.popsection}
4622
4623 @cindex @code{.popsection} directive
4624 @cindex Section Stack
4625 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4626 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}),
4627 @code{.pushsection} (@pxref{PushSection}), and @code{.previous}
4628 (@pxref{Previous}).
4629
4630 This directive replaces the current section (and subsection) with the top
4631 section (and subsection) on the section stack. This section is popped off the
4632 stack.
4633 @end ifset
4634
4635 @node Print
4636 @section @code{.print @var{string}}
4637
4638 @cindex @code{print} directive
4639 @code{@value{AS}} will print @var{string} on the standard output during
4640 assembly. You must put @var{string} in double quotes.
4641
4642 @ifset ELF
4643 @node Protected
4644 @section @code{.protected @var{names}}
4645
4646 @cindex @code{.protected} directive
4647 @cindex Visibility
4648 This one of the ELF visibility directives. The other two are
4649 @code{.hidden} (@pxref{Hidden}) and @code{.internal} (@pxref{Internal}).
4650
4651 This directive overrides the named symbols default visibility (which is set by
4652 their binding: local, global or weak). The directive sets the visibility to
4653 @code{protected} which means that any references to the symbols from within the
4654 components that defines them must be resolved to the definition in that
4655 component, even if a definition in another component would normally preempt
4656 this.
4657 @end ifset
4658
4659 @node Psize
4660 @section @code{.psize @var{lines} , @var{columns}}
4661
4662 @cindex @code{psize} directive
4663 @cindex listing control: paper size
4664 @cindex paper size, for listings
4665 Use this directive to declare the number of lines---and, optionally, the
4666 number of columns---to use for each page, when generating listings.
4667
4668 If you do not use @code{.psize}, listings use a default line-count
4669 of 60. You may omit the comma and @var{columns} specification; the
4670 default width is 200 columns.
4671
4672 @code{@value{AS}} generates formfeeds whenever the specified number of
4673 lines is exceeded (or whenever you explicitly request one, using
4674 @code{.eject}).
4675
4676 If you specify @var{lines} as @code{0}, no formfeeds are generated save
4677 those explicitly specified with @code{.eject}.
4678
4679 @node Purgem
4680 @section @code{.purgem @var{name}}
4681
4682 @cindex @code{purgem} directive
4683 Undefine the macro @var{name}, so that later uses of the string will not be
4684 expanded. @xref{Macro}.
4685
4686 @ifset ELF
4687 @node PushSection
4688 @section @code{.pushsection @var{name} , @var{subsection}}
4689
4690 @cindex @code{.pushsection} directive
4691 @cindex Section Stack
4692 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4693 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}),
4694 @code{.popsection} (@pxref{PopSection}), and @code{.previous}
4695 (@pxref{Previous}).
4696
4697 This directive is a synonym for @code{.section}. It pushes the current section
4698 (and subsection) onto the top of the section stack, and then replaces the
4699 current section and subsection with @code{name} and @code{subsection}.
4700 @end ifset
4701
4702 @node Quad
4703 @section @code{.quad @var{bignums}}
4704
4705 @cindex @code{quad} directive
4706 @code{.quad} expects zero or more bignums, separated by commas. For
4707 each bignum, it emits
4708 @ifclear bignum-16
4709 an 8-byte integer. If the bignum won't fit in 8 bytes, it prints a
4710 warning message; and just takes the lowest order 8 bytes of the bignum.
4711 @cindex eight-byte integer
4712 @cindex integer, 8-byte
4713
4714 The term ``quad'' comes from contexts in which a ``word'' is two bytes;
4715 hence @emph{quad}-word for 8 bytes.
4716 @end ifclear
4717 @ifset bignum-16
4718 a 16-byte integer. If the bignum won't fit in 16 bytes, it prints a
4719 warning message; and just takes the lowest order 16 bytes of the bignum.
4720 @cindex sixteen-byte integer
4721 @cindex integer, 16-byte
4722 @end ifset
4723
4724 @node Rept
4725 @section @code{.rept @var{count}}
4726
4727 @cindex @code{rept} directive
4728 Repeat the sequence of lines between the @code{.rept} directive and the next
4729 @code{.endr} directive @var{count} times.
4730
4731 For example, assembling
4732
4733 @example
4734 .rept 3
4735 .long 0
4736 .endr
4737 @end example
4738
4739 is equivalent to assembling
4740
4741 @example
4742 .long 0
4743 .long 0
4744 .long 0
4745 @end example
4746
4747 @node Sbttl
4748 @section @code{.sbttl "@var{subheading}"}
4749
4750 @cindex @code{sbttl} directive
4751 @cindex subtitles for listings
4752 @cindex listing control: subtitle
4753 Use @var{subheading} as the title (third line, immediately after the
4754 title line) when generating assembly listings.
4755
4756 This directive affects subsequent pages, as well as the current page if
4757 it appears within ten lines of the top of a page.
4758
4759 @ifset COFF
4760 @node Scl
4761 @section @code{.scl @var{class}}
4762
4763 @cindex @code{scl} directive
4764 @cindex symbol storage class (COFF)
4765 @cindex COFF symbol storage class
4766 Set the storage-class value for a symbol. This directive may only be
4767 used inside a @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pair. Storage class may flag
4768 whether a symbol is static or external, or it may record further
4769 symbolic debugging information.
4770 @ifset BOUT
4771
4772 The @samp{.scl} directive is primarily associated with COFF output; when
4773 configured to generate @code{b.out} output format, @code{@value{AS}}
4774 accepts this directive but ignores it.
4775 @end ifset
4776 @end ifset
4777
4778 @node Section
4779 @section @code{.section @var{name}} (COFF version)
4780
4781 @cindex @code{section} directive
4782 @cindex named section
4783 Use the @code{.section} directive to assemble the following code into a section
4784 named @var{name}.
4785
4786 This directive is only supported for targets that actually support arbitrarily
4787 named sections; on @code{a.out} targets, for example, it is not accepted, even
4788 with a standard @code{a.out} section name.
4789
4790 For COFF targets, the @code{.section} directive is used in one of the following
4791 ways:
4792
4793 @smallexample
4794 .section @var{name}[, "@var{flags}"]
4795 .section @var{name}[, @var{subsegment}]
4796 @end smallexample
4797
4798 If the optional argument is quoted, it is taken as flags to use for the
4799 section. Each flag is a single character. The following flags are recognized:
4800 @table @code
4801 @item b
4802 bss section (uninitialized data)
4803 @item n
4804 section is not loaded
4805 @item w
4806 writable section
4807 @item d
4808 data section
4809 @item r
4810 read-only section
4811 @item x
4812 executable section
4813 @item s
4814 shared section (meaningful for PE targets)
4815 @end table
4816
4817 If no flags are specified, the default flags depend upon the section name. If
4818 the section name is not recognized, the default will be for the section to be
4819 loaded and writable. Note the @code{n} and @code{w} flags remove attributes
4820 from the section, rather than adding them, so if they are used on their own it
4821 will be as if no flags had been specified at all.
4822
4823 If the optional argument to the @code{.section} directive is not quoted, it is
4824 taken as a subsegment number (@pxref{Sub-Sections}).
4825
4826
4827 @section @code{.section @var{name}} (ELF version)
4828
4829 @cindex @code{section} directive
4830 @cindex named section
4831 @ifset ELF
4832 @cindex Section Stack
4833 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4834 @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}), @code{.pushsection}
4835 (@pxref{PushSection}), @code{.popsection} (@pxref{PopSection}), and
4836 @code{.previous} (@pxref{Previous}).
4837 @end ifset
4838
4839 For ELF targets, the @code{.section} directive is used like this:
4840
4841 @smallexample
4842 .section @var{name} [, "@var{flags}"[, @@@var{type}]]
4843 @end smallexample
4844
4845 The optional @var{flags} argument is a quoted string which may contain any
4846 combination of the following characters:
4847 @table @code
4848 @item a
4849 section is allocatable
4850 @item w
4851 section is writable
4852 @item x
4853 section is executable
4854 @end table
4855
4856 The optional @var{type} argument may contain one of the following constants:
4857 @table @code
4858 @item @@progbits
4859 section contains data
4860 @item @@nobits
4861 section does not contain data (i.e., section only occupies space)
4862 @end table
4863
4864 If no flags are specified, the default flags depend upon the section name. If
4865 the section name is not recognized, the default will be for the section to have
4866 none of the above flags: it will not be allocated in memory, nor writable, nor
4867 executable. The section will contain data.
4868
4869 For ELF targets, the assembler supports another type of @code{.section}
4870 directive for compatibility with the Solaris assembler:
4871
4872 @smallexample
4873 .section "@var{name}"[, @var{flags}...]
4874 @end smallexample
4875
4876 Note that the section name is quoted. There may be a sequence of comma
4877 separated flags:
4878 @table @code
4879 @item #alloc
4880 section is allocatable
4881 @item #write
4882 section is writable
4883 @item #execinstr
4884 section is executable
4885 @end table
4886
4887 This directive replaces the current section and subsection. The replaced
4888 section and subsection are pushed onto the section stack. See the contents of
4889 the gas testsuite directory @code{gas/testsuite/gas/elf} for some examples of
4890 how this directive and the other section stack directives work.
4891
4892 @node Set
4893 @section @code{.set @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
4894
4895 @cindex @code{set} directive
4896 @cindex symbol value, setting
4897 Set the value of @var{symbol} to @var{expression}. This
4898 changes @var{symbol}'s value and type to conform to
4899 @var{expression}. If @var{symbol} was flagged as external, it remains
4900 flagged (@pxref{Symbol Attributes}).
4901
4902 You may @code{.set} a symbol many times in the same assembly.
4903
4904 If you @code{.set} a global symbol, the value stored in the object
4905 file is the last value stored into it.
4906
4907 @ifset HPPA
4908 The syntax for @code{set} on the HPPA is
4909 @samp{@var{symbol} .set @var{expression}}.
4910 @end ifset
4911
4912 @node Short
4913 @section @code{.short @var{expressions}}
4914
4915 @cindex @code{short} directive
4916 @ifset GENERIC
4917 @code{.short} is normally the same as @samp{.word}.
4918 @xref{Word,,@code{.word}}.
4919
4920 In some configurations, however, @code{.short} and @code{.word} generate
4921 numbers of different lengths; @pxref{Machine Dependencies}.
4922 @end ifset
4923 @ifclear GENERIC
4924 @ifset W16
4925 @code{.short} is the same as @samp{.word}. @xref{Word,,@code{.word}}.
4926 @end ifset
4927 @ifset W32
4928 This expects zero or more @var{expressions}, and emits
4929 a 16 bit number for each.
4930 @end ifset
4931 @end ifclear
4932
4933 @node Single
4934 @section @code{.single @var{flonums}}
4935
4936 @cindex @code{single} directive
4937 @cindex floating point numbers (single)
4938 This directive assembles zero or more flonums, separated by commas. It
4939 has the same effect as @code{.float}.
4940 @ifset GENERIC
4941 The exact kind of floating point numbers emitted depends on how
4942 @code{@value{AS}} is configured. @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
4943 @end ifset
4944 @ifclear GENERIC
4945 @ifset IEEEFLOAT
4946 On the @value{TARGET} family, @code{.single} emits 32-bit floating point
4947 numbers in @sc{ieee} format.
4948 @end ifset
4949 @end ifclear
4950
4951 @node Size
4952 @section @code{.size} (COFF version)
4953
4954 @cindex @code{size} directive
4955 This directive is generated by compilers to include auxiliary debugging
4956 information in the symbol table. It is only permitted inside
4957 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs.
4958
4959 @ifset BOUT
4960 @samp{.size} is only meaningful when generating COFF format output; when
4961 @code{@value{AS}} is generating @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but
4962 ignores it.
4963 @end ifset
4964
4965 @section @code{.size @var{name} , @var{expression}} (ELF version)
4966 @cindex @code{size} directive
4967
4968 This directive is used to set the size associated with a symbol @var{name}.
4969 The size in bytes is computed from @var{expression} which can make use of label
4970 arithmetic. This directive is typically used to set the size of function
4971 symbols.
4972
4973 @node Sleb128
4974 @section @code{.sleb128 @var{expressions}}
4975
4976 @cindex @code{sleb128} directive
4977 @var{sleb128} stands for ``signed little endian base 128.'' This is a
4978 compact, variable length representation of numbers used by the DWARF
4979 symbolic debugging format. @xref{Uleb128,@code{.uleb128}}.
4980
4981 @ifclear no-space-dir
4982 @node Skip
4983 @section @code{.skip @var{size} , @var{fill}}
4984
4985 @cindex @code{skip} directive
4986 @cindex filling memory
4987 This directive emits @var{size} bytes, each of value @var{fill}. Both
4988 @var{size} and @var{fill} are absolute expressions. If the comma and
4989 @var{fill} are omitted, @var{fill} is assumed to be zero. This is the same as
4990 @samp{.space}.
4991
4992 @node Space
4993 @section @code{.space @var{size} , @var{fill}}
4994
4995 @cindex @code{space} directive
4996 @cindex filling memory
4997 This directive emits @var{size} bytes, each of value @var{fill}. Both
4998 @var{size} and @var{fill} are absolute expressions. If the comma
4999 and @var{fill} are omitted, @var{fill} is assumed to be zero. This is the same
5000 as @samp{.skip}.
5001
5002 @ifset HPPA
5003 @quotation
5004 @emph{Warning:} @code{.space} has a completely different meaning for HPPA
5005 targets; use @code{.block} as a substitute. See @cite{HP9000 Series 800
5006 Assembly Language Reference Manual} (HP 92432-90001) for the meaning of the
5007 @code{.space} directive. @xref{HPPA Directives,,HPPA Assembler Directives},
5008 for a summary.
5009 @end quotation
5010 @end ifset
5011 @end ifclear
5012
5013 @ifset A29K
5014 @ifclear GENERIC
5015 @node Space
5016 @section @code{.space}
5017 @cindex @code{space} directive
5018 @end ifclear
5019 On the AMD 29K, this directive is ignored; it is accepted for
5020 compatibility with other AMD 29K assemblers.
5021
5022 @quotation
5023 @emph{Warning:} In most versions of the @sc{gnu} assembler, the directive
5024 @code{.space} has the effect of @code{.block} @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
5025 @end quotation
5026 @end ifset
5027
5028 @ifset have-stabs
5029 @node Stab
5030 @section @code{.stabd, .stabn, .stabs}
5031
5032 @cindex symbolic debuggers, information for
5033 @cindex @code{stab@var{x}} directives
5034 There are three directives that begin @samp{.stab}.
5035 All emit symbols (@pxref{Symbols}), for use by symbolic debuggers.
5036 The symbols are not entered in the @code{@value{AS}} hash table: they
5037 cannot be referenced elsewhere in the source file.
5038 Up to five fields are required:
5039
5040 @table @var
5041 @item string
5042 This is the symbol's name. It may contain any character except
5043 @samp{\000}, so is more general than ordinary symbol names. Some
5044 debuggers used to code arbitrarily complex structures into symbol names
5045 using this field.
5046
5047 @item type
5048 An absolute expression. The symbol's type is set to the low 8 bits of
5049 this expression. Any bit pattern is permitted, but @code{@value{LD}}
5050 and debuggers choke on silly bit patterns.
5051
5052 @item other
5053 An absolute expression. The symbol's ``other'' attribute is set to the
5054 low 8 bits of this expression.
5055
5056 @item desc
5057 An absolute expression. The symbol's descriptor is set to the low 16
5058 bits of this expression.
5059
5060 @item value
5061 An absolute expression which becomes the symbol's value.
5062 @end table
5063
5064 If a warning is detected while reading a @code{.stabd}, @code{.stabn},
5065 or @code{.stabs} statement, the symbol has probably already been created;
5066 you get a half-formed symbol in your object file. This is
5067 compatible with earlier assemblers!
5068
5069 @table @code
5070 @cindex @code{stabd} directive
5071 @item .stabd @var{type} , @var{other} , @var{desc}
5072
5073 The ``name'' of the symbol generated is not even an empty string.
5074 It is a null pointer, for compatibility. Older assemblers used a
5075 null pointer so they didn't waste space in object files with empty
5076 strings.
5077
5078 The symbol's value is set to the location counter,
5079 relocatably. When your program is linked, the value of this symbol
5080 is the address of the location counter when the @code{.stabd} was
5081 assembled.
5082
5083 @cindex @code{stabn} directive
5084 @item .stabn @var{type} , @var{other} , @var{desc} , @var{value}
5085 The name of the symbol is set to the empty string @code{""}.
5086
5087 @cindex @code{stabs} directive
5088 @item .stabs @var{string} , @var{type} , @var{other} , @var{desc} , @var{value}
5089 All five fields are specified.
5090 @end table
5091 @end ifset
5092 @c end have-stabs
5093
5094 @node String
5095 @section @code{.string} "@var{str}"
5096
5097 @cindex string, copying to object file
5098 @cindex @code{string} directive
5099
5100 Copy the characters in @var{str} to the object file. You may specify more than
5101 one string to copy, separated by commas. Unless otherwise specified for a
5102 particular machine, the assembler marks the end of each string with a 0 byte.
5103 You can use any of the escape sequences described in @ref{Strings,,Strings}.
5104
5105 @node Struct
5106 @section @code{.struct @var{expression}}
5107
5108 @cindex @code{struct} directive
5109 Switch to the absolute section, and set the section offset to @var{expression},
5110 which must be an absolute expression. You might use this as follows:
5111 @smallexample
5112 .struct 0
5113 field1:
5114 .struct field1 + 4
5115 field2:
5116 .struct field2 + 4
5117 field3:
5118 @end smallexample
5119 This would define the symbol @code{field1} to have the value 0, the symbol
5120 @code{field2} to have the value 4, and the symbol @code{field3} to have the
5121 value 8. Assembly would be left in the absolute section, and you would need to
5122 use a @code{.section} directive of some sort to change to some other section
5123 before further assembly.
5124
5125 @ifset ELF
5126 @node SubSection
5127 @section @code{.subsection @var{name}}
5128
5129 @cindex @code{.subsection} directive
5130 @cindex Section Stack
5131 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
5132 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.pushsection} (@pxref{PushSection}),
5133 @code{.popsection} (@pxref{PopSection}), and @code{.previous}
5134 (@pxref{Previous}).
5135
5136 This directive replaces the current subsection with @code{name}. The current
5137 section is not changed. The replaced subsection is put onto the section stack
5138 in place of the then current top of stack subsection.
5139 @end ifset
5140
5141 @ifset ELF
5142 @node Symver
5143 @section @code{.symver}
5144 @cindex @code{symver} directive
5145 @cindex symbol versioning
5146 @cindex versions of symbols
5147 Use the @code{.symver} directive to bind symbols to specific version nodes
5148 within a source file. This is only supported on ELF platforms, and is
5149 typically used when assembling files to be linked into a shared library.
5150 There are cases where it may make sense to use this in objects to be bound
5151 into an application itself so as to override a versioned symbol from a
5152 shared library.
5153
5154 For ELF targets, the @code{.symver} directive can be used like this:
5155 @smallexample
5156 .symver @var{name}, @var{name2@@nodename}
5157 @end smallexample
5158 If the symbol @var{name} is defined within the file
5159 being assembled, the @code{.symver} directive effectively creates a symbol
5160 alias with the name @var{name2@@nodename}, and in fact the main reason that we
5161 just don't try and create a regular alias is that the @var{@@} character isn't
5162 permitted in symbol names. The @var{name2} part of the name is the actual name
5163 of the symbol by which it will be externally referenced. The name @var{name}
5164 itself is merely a name of convenience that is used so that it is possible to
5165 have definitions for multiple versions of a function within a single source
5166 file, and so that the compiler can unambiguously know which version of a
5167 function is being mentioned. The @var{nodename} portion of the alias should be
5168 the name of a node specified in the version script supplied to the linker when
5169 building a shared library. If you are attempting to override a versioned
5170 symbol from a shared library, then @var{nodename} should correspond to the
5171 nodename of the symbol you are trying to override.
5172
5173 If the symbol @var{name} is not defined within the file being assembled, all
5174 references to @var{name} will be changed to @var{name2@@nodename}. If no
5175 reference to @var{name} is made, @var{name2@@nodename} will be removed from the
5176 symbol table.
5177
5178 Another usage of the @code{.symver} directive is:
5179 @smallexample
5180 .symver @var{name}, @var{name2@@@@nodename}
5181 @end smallexample
5182 In this case, the symbol @var{name} must exist and be defined within
5183 the file being assembled. It is similar to @var{name2@@nodename}. The
5184 difference is @var{name2@@@@nodename} will also be used to resolve
5185 references to @var{name2} by the linker.
5186
5187 The third usage of the @code{.symver} directive is:
5188 @smallexample
5189 .symver @var{name}, @var{name2@@@@@@nodename}
5190 @end smallexample
5191 When @var{name} is not defined within the
5192 file being assembled, it is treated as @var{name2@@nodename}. When
5193 @var{name} is defined within the file being assembled, the symbol
5194 name, @var{name}, will be changed to @var{name2@@@@nodename}.
5195 @end ifset
5196
5197 @ifset COFF
5198 @node Tag
5199 @section @code{.tag @var{structname}}
5200
5201 @cindex COFF structure debugging
5202 @cindex structure debugging, COFF
5203 @cindex @code{tag} directive
5204 This directive is generated by compilers to include auxiliary debugging
5205 information in the symbol table. It is only permitted inside
5206 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs. Tags are used to link structure
5207 definitions in the symbol table with instances of those structures.
5208 @ifset BOUT
5209
5210 @samp{.tag} is only used when generating COFF format output; when
5211 @code{@value{AS}} is generating @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but
5212 ignores it.
5213 @end ifset
5214 @end ifset
5215
5216 @node Text
5217 @section @code{.text @var{subsection}}
5218
5219 @cindex @code{text} directive
5220 Tells @code{@value{AS}} to assemble the following statements onto the end of
5221 the text subsection numbered @var{subsection}, which is an absolute
5222 expression. If @var{subsection} is omitted, subsection number zero
5223 is used.
5224
5225 @node Title
5226 @section @code{.title "@var{heading}"}
5227
5228 @cindex @code{title} directive
5229 @cindex listing control: title line
5230 Use @var{heading} as the title (second line, immediately after the
5231 source file name and pagenumber) when generating assembly listings.
5232
5233 This directive affects subsequent pages, as well as the current page if
5234 it appears within ten lines of the top of a page.
5235
5236 @node Type
5237 @section @code{.type @var{int}} (COFF version)
5238
5239 @cindex COFF symbol type
5240 @cindex symbol type, COFF
5241 @cindex @code{type} directive
5242 This directive, permitted only within @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs,
5243 records the integer @var{int} as the type attribute of a symbol table entry.
5244
5245 @ifset BOUT
5246 @samp{.type} is associated only with COFF format output; when
5247 @code{@value{AS}} is configured for @code{b.out} output, it accepts this
5248 directive but ignores it.
5249 @end ifset
5250
5251 @section @code{.type @var{name} , @var{type description}} (ELF version)
5252
5253 @cindex ELF symbol type
5254 @cindex symbol type, ELF
5255 @cindex @code{type} directive
5256 This directive is used to set the type of symbol @var{name} to be either a
5257 function symbol or an object symbol. There are five different syntaxes
5258 supported for the @var{type description} field, in order to provide
5259 compatibility with various other assemblers. The syntaxes supported are:
5260
5261 @smallexample
5262 .type <name>,#function
5263 .type <name>,#object
5264
5265 .type <name>,@@function
5266 .type <name>,@@object
5267
5268 .type <name>,%function
5269 .type <name>,%object
5270
5271 .type <name>,"function"
5272 .type <name>,"object"
5273
5274 .type <name> STT_FUNCTION
5275 .type <name> STT_OBJECT
5276 @end smallexample
5277
5278 @node Uleb128
5279 @section @code{.uleb128 @var{expressions}}
5280
5281 @cindex @code{uleb128} directive
5282 @var{uleb128} stands for ``unsigned little endian base 128.'' This is a
5283 compact, variable length representation of numbers used by the DWARF
5284 symbolic debugging format. @xref{Sleb128,@code{.sleb128}}.
5285
5286 @ifset COFF
5287 @node Val
5288 @section @code{.val @var{addr}}
5289
5290 @cindex @code{val} directive
5291 @cindex COFF value attribute
5292 @cindex value attribute, COFF
5293 This directive, permitted only within @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs,
5294 records the address @var{addr} as the value attribute of a symbol table
5295 entry.
5296 @ifset BOUT
5297
5298 @samp{.val} is used only for COFF output; when @code{@value{AS}} is
5299 configured for @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but ignores it.
5300 @end ifset
5301 @end ifset
5302
5303 @ifset ELF
5304 @node Version
5305 @section @code{.version "@var{string}"}
5306
5307 @cindex @code{.version}
5308 This directive creates a @code{.note} section and places into it an ELF
5309 formatted note of type NT_VERSION. The note's name is set to @code{string}.
5310 @end ifset
5311
5312 @ifset ELF
5313 @node VTableEntry
5314 @section @code{.vtable_entry @var{table}, @var{offset}}
5315
5316 @cindex @code{.vtable_entry}
5317 This directive finds or creates a symbol @code{table} and creates a
5318 @code{VTABLE_ENTRY} relocation for it with an addend of @code{offset}.
5319
5320 @node VTableInherit
5321 @section @code{.vtable_inherit @var{child}, @var{parent}}
5322
5323 @cindex @code{.vtable_inherit}
5324 This directive finds the symbol @code{child} and finds or creates the symbol
5325 @code{parent} and then creates a @code{VTABLE_INHERIT} relocation for the
5326 parent whose addend is the value of the child symbol. As a special case the
5327 parent name of @code{0} is treated as refering the @code{*ABS*} section.
5328 @end ifset
5329
5330 @ifset ELF
5331 @node Weak
5332 @section @code{.weak @var{names}}
5333
5334 @cindex @code{.weak}
5335 This directive sets the weak attribute on the comma separated list of symbol
5336 @code{names}. If the symbols do not already exist, they will be created.
5337 @end ifset
5338
5339 @node Word
5340 @section @code{.word @var{expressions}}
5341
5342 @cindex @code{word} directive
5343 This directive expects zero or more @var{expressions}, of any section,
5344 separated by commas.
5345 @ifclear GENERIC
5346 @ifset W32
5347 For each expression, @code{@value{AS}} emits a 32-bit number.
5348 @end ifset
5349 @ifset W16
5350 For each expression, @code{@value{AS}} emits a 16-bit number.
5351 @end ifset
5352 @end ifclear
5353 @ifset GENERIC
5354
5355 The size of the number emitted, and its byte order,
5356 depend on what target computer the assembly is for.
5357 @end ifset
5358
5359 @c on amd29k, i960, sparc the "special treatment to support compilers" doesn't
5360 @c happen---32-bit addressability, period; no long/short jumps.
5361 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
5362 @cindex difference tables altered
5363 @cindex altered difference tables
5364 @quotation
5365 @emph{Warning: Special Treatment to support Compilers}
5366 @end quotation
5367
5368 @ifset GENERIC
5369 Machines with a 32-bit address space, but that do less than 32-bit
5370 addressing, require the following special treatment. If the machine of
5371 interest to you does 32-bit addressing (or doesn't require it;
5372 @pxref{Machine Dependencies}), you can ignore this issue.
5373
5374 @end ifset
5375 In order to assemble compiler output into something that works,
5376 @code{@value{AS}} occasionally does strange things to @samp{.word} directives.
5377 Directives of the form @samp{.word sym1-sym2} are often emitted by
5378 compilers as part of jump tables. Therefore, when @code{@value{AS}} assembles a
5379 directive of the form @samp{.word sym1-sym2}, and the difference between
5380 @code{sym1} and @code{sym2} does not fit in 16 bits, @code{@value{AS}}
5381 creates a @dfn{secondary jump table}, immediately before the next label.
5382 This secondary jump table is preceded by a short-jump to the
5383 first byte after the secondary table. This short-jump prevents the flow
5384 of control from accidentally falling into the new table. Inside the
5385 table is a long-jump to @code{sym2}. The original @samp{.word}
5386 contains @code{sym1} minus the address of the long-jump to
5387 @code{sym2}.
5388
5389 If there were several occurrences of @samp{.word sym1-sym2} before the
5390 secondary jump table, all of them are adjusted. If there was a
5391 @samp{.word sym3-sym4}, that also did not fit in sixteen bits, a
5392 long-jump to @code{sym4} is included in the secondary jump table,
5393 and the @code{.word} directives are adjusted to contain @code{sym3}
5394 minus the address of the long-jump to @code{sym4}; and so on, for as many
5395 entries in the original jump table as necessary.
5396
5397 @ifset INTERNALS
5398 @emph{This feature may be disabled by compiling @code{@value{AS}} with the
5399 @samp{-DWORKING_DOT_WORD} option.} This feature is likely to confuse
5400 assembly language programmers.
5401 @end ifset
5402 @end ifset
5403 @c end DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
5404
5405 @node Deprecated
5406 @section Deprecated Directives
5407
5408 @cindex deprecated directives
5409 @cindex obsolescent directives
5410 One day these directives won't work.
5411 They are included for compatibility with older assemblers.
5412 @table @t
5413 @item .abort
5414 @item .line
5415 @end table
5416
5417 @ifset GENERIC
5418 @node Machine Dependencies
5419 @chapter Machine Dependent Features
5420
5421 @cindex machine dependencies
5422 The machine instruction sets are (almost by definition) different on
5423 each machine where @code{@value{AS}} runs. Floating point representations
5424 vary as well, and @code{@value{AS}} often supports a few additional
5425 directives or command-line options for compatibility with other
5426 assemblers on a particular platform. Finally, some versions of
5427 @code{@value{AS}} support special pseudo-instructions for branch
5428 optimization.
5429
5430 This chapter discusses most of these differences, though it does not
5431 include details on any machine's instruction set. For details on that
5432 subject, see the hardware manufacturer's manual.
5433
5434 @menu
5435 @ifset A29K
5436 * AMD29K-Dependent:: AMD 29K Dependent Features
5437 @end ifset
5438 @ifset ARC
5439 * ARC-Dependent:: ARC Dependent Features
5440 @end ifset
5441 @ifset ARM
5442 * ARM-Dependent:: ARM Dependent Features
5443 @end ifset
5444 @ifset D10V
5445 * D10V-Dependent:: D10V Dependent Features
5446 @end ifset
5447 @ifset D30V
5448 * D30V-Dependent:: D30V Dependent Features
5449 @end ifset
5450 @ifset H8/300
5451 * H8/300-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/300 Dependent Features
5452 @end ifset
5453 @ifset H8/500
5454 * H8/500-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/500 Dependent Features
5455 @end ifset
5456 @ifset HPPA
5457 * HPPA-Dependent:: HPPA Dependent Features
5458 @end ifset
5459 @ifset I370
5460 * ESA/390-Dependent:: IBM ESA/390 Dependent Features
5461 @end ifset
5462 @ifset I80386
5463 * i386-Dependent:: Intel 80386 and AMD x86-64 Dependent Features
5464 @end ifset
5465 @ifset I860
5466 * i860-Dependent:: Intel 80860 Dependent Features
5467 @end ifset
5468 @ifset I960
5469 * i960-Dependent:: Intel 80960 Dependent Features
5470 @end ifset
5471 @ifset M32R
5472 * M32R-Dependent:: M32R Dependent Features
5473 @end ifset
5474 @ifset M680X0
5475 * M68K-Dependent:: M680x0 Dependent Features
5476 @end ifset
5477 @ifset M68HC11
5478 * M68HC11-Dependent:: M68HC11 and 68HC12 Dependent Features
5479 @end ifset
5480 @ifset MIPS
5481 * MIPS-Dependent:: MIPS Dependent Features
5482 @end ifset
5483 @ifset SH
5484 * SH-Dependent:: Hitachi SH Dependent Features
5485 @end ifset
5486 @ifset PDP11
5487 * PDP-11-Dependent:: PDP-11 Dependent Features
5488 @end ifset
5489 @ifset PJ
5490 * PJ-Dependent:: picoJava Dependent Features
5491 @end ifset
5492 @ifset SPARC
5493 * Sparc-Dependent:: SPARC Dependent Features
5494 @end ifset
5495 @ifset TIC54X
5496 * TIC54X-Dependent:: TI TMS320C54x Dependent Features
5497 @end ifset
5498 @ifset V850
5499 * V850-Dependent:: V850 Dependent Features
5500 @end ifset
5501 @ifset Z8000
5502 * Z8000-Dependent:: Z8000 Dependent Features
5503 @end ifset
5504 @ifset VAX
5505 * Vax-Dependent:: VAX Dependent Features
5506 @end ifset
5507 @end menu
5508
5509 @lowersections
5510 @end ifset
5511
5512 @c The following major nodes are *sections* in the GENERIC version, *chapters*
5513 @c in single-cpu versions. This is mainly achieved by @lowersections. There is a
5514 @c peculiarity: to preserve cross-references, there must be a node called
5515 @c "Machine Dependencies". Hence the conditional nodenames in each
5516 @c major node below. Node defaulting in makeinfo requires adjacency of
5517 @c node and sectioning commands; hence the repetition of @chapter BLAH
5518 @c in both conditional blocks.
5519
5520 @ifset ARC
5521 @include c-arc.texi
5522 @end ifset
5523
5524 @ifset A29K
5525 @include c-a29k.texi
5526 @end ifset
5527
5528 @ifset ARM
5529 @include c-arm.texi
5530 @end ifset
5531
5532 @ifset Hitachi-all
5533 @ifclear GENERIC
5534 @node Machine Dependencies
5535 @chapter Machine Dependent Features
5536
5537 The machine instruction sets are different on each Hitachi chip family,
5538 and there are also some syntax differences among the families. This
5539 chapter describes the specific @code{@value{AS}} features for each
5540 family.
5541
5542 @menu
5543 * H8/300-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/300 Dependent Features
5544 * H8/500-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/500 Dependent Features
5545 * SH-Dependent:: Hitachi SH Dependent Features
5546 @end menu
5547 @lowersections
5548 @end ifclear
5549 @end ifset
5550
5551 @ifset D10V
5552 @include c-d10v.texi
5553 @end ifset
5554
5555 @ifset D30V
5556 @include c-d30v.texi
5557 @end ifset
5558
5559 @ifset H8/300
5560 @include c-h8300.texi
5561 @end ifset
5562
5563 @ifset H8/500
5564 @include c-h8500.texi
5565 @end ifset
5566
5567 @ifset HPPA
5568 @include c-hppa.texi
5569 @end ifset
5570
5571 @ifset I370
5572 @include c-i370.texi
5573 @end ifset
5574
5575 @ifset I80386
5576 @include c-i386.texi
5577 @end ifset
5578
5579 @ifset I860
5580 @include c-i860.texi
5581 @end ifset
5582
5583 @ifset I960
5584 @include c-i960.texi
5585 @end ifset
5586
5587 @ifset M32R
5588 @include c-m32r.texi
5589 @end ifset
5590
5591 @ifset M680X0
5592 @include c-m68k.texi
5593 @end ifset
5594
5595 @ifset M68HC11
5596 @include c-m68hc11.texi
5597 @end ifset
5598
5599 @ifset MIPS
5600 @include c-mips.texi
5601 @end ifset
5602
5603 @ifset NS32K
5604 @include c-ns32k.texi
5605 @end ifset
5606
5607 @ifset PDP11
5608 @include c-pdp11.texi
5609 @end ifset
5610
5611 @ifset PJ
5612 @include c-pj.texi
5613 @end ifset
5614
5615 @ifset SH
5616 @include c-sh.texi
5617 @end ifset
5618
5619 @ifset SPARC
5620 @include c-sparc.texi
5621 @end ifset
5622
5623 @ifset TIC54X
5624 @include c-tic54x.texi
5625 @end ifset
5626
5627 @ifset Z8000
5628 @include c-z8k.texi
5629 @end ifset
5630
5631 @ifset VAX
5632 @include c-vax.texi
5633 @end ifset
5634
5635 @ifset V850
5636 @include c-v850.texi
5637 @end ifset
5638
5639 @ifset GENERIC
5640 @c reverse effect of @down at top of generic Machine-Dep chapter
5641 @raisesections
5642 @end ifset
5643
5644 @node Reporting Bugs
5645 @chapter Reporting Bugs
5646 @cindex bugs in assembler
5647 @cindex reporting bugs in assembler
5648
5649 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @code{@value{AS}} reliable.
5650
5651 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it may
5652 not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help the
5653 entire community by making the next version of @code{@value{AS}} work better.
5654 Bug reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @code{@value{AS}}.
5655
5656 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
5657 information that enables us to fix the bug.
5658
5659 @menu
5660 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
5661 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
5662 @end menu
5663
5664 @node Bug Criteria
5665 @section Have you found a bug?
5666 @cindex bug criteria
5667
5668 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
5669
5670 @itemize @bullet
5671 @cindex fatal signal
5672 @cindex assembler crash
5673 @cindex crash of assembler
5674 @item
5675 If the assembler gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
5676 @code{@value{AS}} bug. Reliable assemblers never crash.
5677
5678 @cindex error on valid input
5679 @item
5680 If @code{@value{AS}} produces an error message for valid input, that is a bug.
5681
5682 @cindex invalid input
5683 @item
5684 If @code{@value{AS}} does not produce an error message for invalid input, that
5685 is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of ``invalid input'' might
5686 be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support for traditional practice''.
5687
5688 @item
5689 If you are an experienced user of assemblers, your suggestions for improvement
5690 of @code{@value{AS}} are welcome in any case.
5691 @end itemize
5692
5693 @node Bug Reporting
5694 @section How to report bugs
5695 @cindex bug reports
5696 @cindex assembler bugs, reporting
5697
5698 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products. If
5699 you obtained @code{@value{AS}} from a support organization, we recommend you
5700 contact that organization first.
5701
5702 You can find contact information for many support companies and
5703 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
5704 distribution.
5705
5706 In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for @code{@value{AS}}
5707 to @samp{bug-binutils@@gnu.org}.
5708
5709 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
5710 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
5711 fact or leave it out, state it!
5712
5713 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the problem
5714 and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might assume that the
5715 name of a symbol you use in an example does not matter. Well, probably it does
5716 not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a stray memory reference which
5717 happens to fetch from the location where that name is stored in memory;
5718 perhaps, if the name were different, the contents of that location would fool
5719 the assembler into doing the right thing despite the bug. Play it safe and
5720 give a specific, complete example. That is the easiest thing for you to do,
5721 and the most helpful.
5722
5723 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the bug if
5724 it is new to us. Therefore, always write your bug reports on the assumption
5725 that the bug has not been reported previously.
5726
5727 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
5728 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
5729 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
5730 bugs properly.
5731
5732 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
5733
5734 @itemize @bullet
5735 @item
5736 The version of @code{@value{AS}}. @code{@value{AS}} announces it if you start
5737 it with the @samp{--version} argument.
5738
5739 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
5740 the bug in the current version of @code{@value{AS}}.
5741
5742 @item
5743 Any patches you may have applied to the @code{@value{AS}} source.
5744
5745 @item
5746 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
5747 version number.
5748
5749 @item
5750 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @code{@value{AS}}---e.g.
5751 ``@code{gcc-2.7}''.
5752
5753 @item
5754 The command arguments you gave the assembler to assemble your example and
5755 observe the bug. To guarantee you will not omit something important, list them
5756 all. A copy of the Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
5757
5758 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
5759 and then we might not encounter the bug.
5760
5761 @item
5762 A complete input file that will reproduce the bug. If the bug is observed when
5763 the assembler is invoked via a compiler, send the assembler source, not the
5764 high level language source. Most compilers will produce the assembler source
5765 when run with the @samp{-S} option. If you are using @code{@value{GCC}}, use
5766 the options @samp{-v --save-temps}; this will save the assembler source in a
5767 file with an extension of @file{.s}, and also show you exactly how
5768 @code{@value{AS}} is being run.
5769
5770 @item
5771 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
5772 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
5773
5774 Of course, if the bug is that @code{@value{AS}} gets a fatal signal, then we
5775 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might not
5776 notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us a chance to
5777 make a mistake.
5778
5779 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still say so
5780 explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your copy of
5781 @code{@value{AS}} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in the C
5782 library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might crash and ours
5783 would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when ours fails to crash, we
5784 would know that the bug was not happening for us. If you had not told us to
5785 expect a crash, then we would not be able to draw any conclusion from our
5786 observations.
5787
5788 @item
5789 If you wish to suggest changes to the @code{@value{AS}} source, send us context
5790 diffs, as generated by @code{diff} with the @samp{-u}, @samp{-c}, or @samp{-p}
5791 option. Always send diffs from the old file to the new file. If you even
5792 discuss something in the @code{@value{AS}} source, refer to it by context, not
5793 by line number.
5794
5795 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
5796 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
5797 @end itemize
5798
5799 Here are some things that are not necessary:
5800
5801 @itemize @bullet
5802 @item
5803 A description of the envelope of the bug.
5804
5805 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
5806 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
5807 changes will not affect it.
5808
5809 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
5810 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
5811 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
5812 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
5813
5814 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
5815 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
5816 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
5817 less time, and so on.
5818
5819 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
5820 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
5821
5822 @item
5823 A patch for the bug.
5824
5825 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
5826 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
5827 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
5828 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
5829
5830 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @code{@value{AS}} it is very hard to
5831 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path through
5832 the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able to construct
5833 one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
5834
5835 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
5836 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
5837 help us to understand.
5838
5839 @item
5840 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
5841
5842 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
5843 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
5844 @end itemize
5845
5846 @node Acknowledgements
5847 @chapter Acknowledgements
5848
5849 If you have contributed to @code{@value{AS}} and your name isn't listed here,
5850 it is not meant as a slight. We just don't know about it. Send mail to the
5851 maintainer, and we'll correct the situation. Currently
5852 @c (January 1994),
5853 the maintainer is Ken Raeburn (email address @code{raeburn@@cygnus.com}).
5854
5855 Dean Elsner wrote the original @sc{gnu} assembler for the VAX.@footnote{Any
5856 more details?}
5857
5858 Jay Fenlason maintained GAS for a while, adding support for GDB-specific debug
5859 information and the 68k series machines, most of the preprocessing pass, and
5860 extensive changes in @file{messages.c}, @file{input-file.c}, @file{write.c}.
5861
5862 K. Richard Pixley maintained GAS for a while, adding various enhancements and
5863 many bug fixes, including merging support for several processors, breaking GAS
5864 up to handle multiple object file format back ends (including heavy rewrite,
5865 testing, an integration of the coff and b.out back ends), adding configuration
5866 including heavy testing and verification of cross assemblers and file splits
5867 and renaming, converted GAS to strictly ANSI C including full prototypes, added
5868 support for m680[34]0 and cpu32, did considerable work on i960 including a COFF
5869 port (including considerable amounts of reverse engineering), a SPARC opcode
5870 file rewrite, DECstation, rs6000, and hp300hpux host ports, updated ``know''
5871 assertions and made them work, much other reorganization, cleanup, and lint.
5872
5873 Ken Raeburn wrote the high-level BFD interface code to replace most of the code
5874 in format-specific I/O modules.
5875
5876 The original VMS support was contributed by David L. Kashtan. Eric Youngdale
5877 has done much work with it since.
5878
5879 The Intel 80386 machine description was written by Eliot Dresselhaus.
5880
5881 Minh Tran-Le at IntelliCorp contributed some AIX 386 support.
5882
5883 The Motorola 88k machine description was contributed by Devon Bowen of Buffalo
5884 University and Torbjorn Granlund of the Swedish Institute of Computer Science.
5885
5886 Keith Knowles at the Open Software Foundation wrote the original MIPS back end
5887 (@file{tc-mips.c}, @file{tc-mips.h}), and contributed Rose format support
5888 (which hasn't been merged in yet). Ralph Campbell worked with the MIPS code to
5889 support a.out format.
5890
5891 Support for the Zilog Z8k and Hitachi H8/300 and H8/500 processors (tc-z8k,
5892 tc-h8300, tc-h8500), and IEEE 695 object file format (obj-ieee), was written by
5893 Steve Chamberlain of Cygnus Support. Steve also modified the COFF back end to
5894 use BFD for some low-level operations, for use with the H8/300 and AMD 29k
5895 targets.
5896
5897 John Gilmore built the AMD 29000 support, added @code{.include} support, and
5898 simplified the configuration of which versions accept which directives. He
5899 updated the 68k machine description so that Motorola's opcodes always produced
5900 fixed-size instructions (e.g. @code{jsr}), while synthetic instructions
5901 remained shrinkable (@code{jbsr}). John fixed many bugs, including true tested
5902 cross-compilation support, and one bug in relaxation that took a week and
5903 required the proverbial one-bit fix.
5904
5905 Ian Lance Taylor of Cygnus Support merged the Motorola and MIT syntax for the
5906 68k, completed support for some COFF targets (68k, i386 SVR3, and SCO Unix),
5907 added support for MIPS ECOFF and ELF targets, wrote the initial RS/6000 and
5908 PowerPC assembler, and made a few other minor patches.
5909
5910 Steve Chamberlain made @code{@value{AS}} able to generate listings.
5911
5912 Hewlett-Packard contributed support for the HP9000/300.
5913
5914 Jeff Law wrote GAS and BFD support for the native HPPA object format (SOM)
5915 along with a fairly extensive HPPA testsuite (for both SOM and ELF object
5916 formats). This work was supported by both the Center for Software Science at
5917 the University of Utah and Cygnus Support.
5918
5919 Support for ELF format files has been worked on by Mark Eichin of Cygnus
5920 Support (original, incomplete implementation for SPARC), Pete Hoogenboom and
5921 Jeff Law at the University of Utah (HPPA mainly), Michael Meissner of the Open
5922 Software Foundation (i386 mainly), and Ken Raeburn of Cygnus Support (sparc,
5923 and some initial 64-bit support).
5924
5925 Linas Vepstas added GAS support for the ESA/390 "IBM 370" architecture.
5926
5927 Richard Henderson rewrote the Alpha assembler. Klaus Kaempf wrote GAS and BFD
5928 support for openVMS/Alpha.
5929
5930 Timothy Wall, Michael Hayes, and Greg Smart contributed to the various tic*
5931 flavors.
5932
5933 Several engineers at Cygnus Support have also provided many small bug fixes and
5934 configuration enhancements.
5935
5936 Many others have contributed large or small bugfixes and enhancements. If
5937 you have contributed significant work and are not mentioned on this list, and
5938 want to be, let us know. Some of the history has been lost; we are not
5939 intentionally leaving anyone out.
5940
5941 @node GNU Free Documentation License
5942 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
5943
5944 GNU Free Documentation License
5945
5946 Version 1.1, March 2000
5947
5948 Copyright (C) 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5949 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
5950
5951 Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
5952 of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
5953
5954
5955 0. PREAMBLE
5956
5957 The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other
5958 written document "free" in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone
5959 the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without
5960 modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially. Secondarily,
5961 this License preserves for the author and publisher a way to get
5962 credit for their work, while not being considered responsible for
5963 modifications made by others.
5964
5965 This License is a kind of "copyleft", which means that derivative
5966 works of the document must themselves be free in the same sense. It
5967 complements the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft
5968 license designed for free software.
5969
5970 We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free
5971 software, because free software needs free documentation: a free
5972 program should come with manuals providing the same freedoms that the
5973 software does. But this License is not limited to software manuals;
5974 it can be used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or
5975 whether it is published as a printed book. We recommend this License
5976 principally for works whose purpose is instruction or reference.
5977
5978
5979 1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS
5980
5981 This License applies to any manual or other work that contains a
5982 notice placed by the copyright holder saying it can be distributed
5983 under the terms of this License. The "Document", below, refers to any
5984 such manual or work. Any member of the public is a licensee, and is
5985 addressed as "you".
5986
5987 A "Modified Version" of the Document means any work containing the
5988 Document or a portion of it, either copied verbatim, or with
5989 modifications and/or translated into another language.
5990
5991 A "Secondary Section" is a named appendix or a front-matter section of
5992 the Document that deals exclusively with the relationship of the
5993 publishers or authors of the Document to the Document's overall subject
5994 (or to related matters) and contains nothing that could fall directly
5995 within that overall subject. (For example, if the Document is in part a
5996 textbook of mathematics, a Secondary Section may not explain any
5997 mathematics.) The relationship could be a matter of historical
5998 connection with the subject or with related matters, or of legal,
5999 commercial, philosophical, ethical or political position regarding
6000 them.
6001
6002 The "Invariant Sections" are certain Secondary Sections whose titles
6003 are designated, as being those of Invariant Sections, in the notice
6004 that says that the Document is released under this License.
6005
6006 The "Cover Texts" are certain short passages of text that are listed,
6007 as Front-Cover Texts or Back-Cover Texts, in the notice that says that
6008 the Document is released under this License.
6009
6010 A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy,
6011 represented in a format whose specification is available to the
6012 general public, whose contents can be viewed and edited directly and
6013 straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of
6014 pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available
6015 drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or
6016 for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input
6017 to text formatters. A copy made in an otherwise Transparent file
6018 format whose markup has been designed to thwart or discourage
6019 subsequent modification by readers is not Transparent. A copy that is
6020 not "Transparent" is called "Opaque".
6021
6022 Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain
6023 ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format, SGML
6024 or XML using a publicly available DTD, and standard-conforming simple
6025 HTML designed for human modification. Opaque formats include
6026 PostScript, PDF, proprietary formats that can be read and edited only
6027 by proprietary word processors, SGML or XML for which the DTD and/or
6028 processing tools are not generally available, and the
6029 machine-generated HTML produced by some word processors for output
6030 purposes only.
6031
6032 The "Title Page" means, for a printed book, the title page itself,
6033 plus such following pages as are needed to hold, legibly, the material
6034 this License requires to appear in the title page. For works in
6035 formats which do not have any title page as such, "Title Page" means
6036 the text near the most prominent appearance of the work's title,
6037 preceding the beginning of the body of the text.
6038
6039
6040 2. VERBATIM COPYING
6041
6042 You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either
6043 commercially or noncommercially, provided that this License, the
6044 copyright notices, and the license notice saying this License applies
6045 to the Document are reproduced in all copies, and that you add no other
6046 conditions whatsoever to those of this License. You may not use
6047 technical measures to obstruct or control the reading or further
6048 copying of the copies you make or distribute. However, you may accept
6049 compensation in exchange for copies. If you distribute a large enough
6050 number of copies you must also follow the conditions in section 3.
6051
6052 You may also lend copies, under the same conditions stated above, and
6053 you may publicly display copies.
6054
6055
6056 3. COPYING IN QUANTITY
6057
6058 If you publish printed copies of the Document numbering more than 100,
6059 and the Document's license notice requires Cover Texts, you must enclose
6060 the copies in covers that carry, clearly and legibly, all these Cover
6061 Texts: Front-Cover Texts on the front cover, and Back-Cover Texts on
6062 the back cover. Both covers must also clearly and legibly identify
6063 you as the publisher of these copies. The front cover must present
6064 the full title with all words of the title equally prominent and
6065 visible. You may add other material on the covers in addition.
6066 Copying with changes limited to the covers, as long as they preserve
6067 the title of the Document and satisfy these conditions, can be treated
6068 as verbatim copying in other respects.
6069
6070 If the required texts for either cover are too voluminous to fit
6071 legibly, you should put the first ones listed (as many as fit
6072 reasonably) on the actual cover, and continue the rest onto adjacent
6073 pages.
6074
6075 If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document numbering
6076 more than 100, you must either include a machine-readable Transparent
6077 copy along with each Opaque copy, or state in or with each Opaque copy
6078 a publicly-accessible computer-network location containing a complete
6079 Transparent copy of the Document, free of added material, which the
6080 general network-using public has access to download anonymously at no
6081 charge using public-standard network protocols. If you use the latter
6082 option, you must take reasonably prudent steps, when you begin
6083 distribution of Opaque copies in quantity, to ensure that this
6084 Transparent copy will remain thus accessible at the stated location
6085 until at least one year after the last time you distribute an Opaque
6086 copy (directly or through your agents or retailers) of that edition to
6087 the public.
6088
6089 It is requested, but not required, that you contact the authors of the
6090 Document well before redistributing any large number of copies, to give
6091 them a chance to provide you with an updated version of the Document.
6092
6093
6094 4. MODIFICATIONS
6095
6096 You may copy and distribute a Modified Version of the Document under
6097 the conditions of sections 2 and 3 above, provided that you release
6098 the Modified Version under precisely this License, with the Modified
6099 Version filling the role of the Document, thus licensing distribution
6100 and modification of the Modified Version to whoever possesses a copy
6101 of it. In addition, you must do these things in the Modified Version:
6102
6103 A. Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title distinct
6104 from that of the Document, and from those of previous versions
6105 (which should, if there were any, be listed in the History section
6106 of the Document). You may use the same title as a previous version
6107 if the original publisher of that version gives permission.
6108 B. List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or entities
6109 responsible for authorship of the modifications in the Modified
6110 Version, together with at least five of the principal authors of the
6111 Document (all of its principal authors, if it has less than five).
6112 C. State on the Title page the name of the publisher of the
6113 Modified Version, as the publisher.
6114 D. Preserve all the copyright notices of the Document.
6115 E. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modifications
6116 adjacent to the other copyright notices.
6117 F. Include, immediately after the copyright notices, a license notice
6118 giving the public permission to use the Modified Version under the
6119 terms of this License, in the form shown in the Addendum below.
6120 G. Preserve in that license notice the full lists of Invariant Sections
6121 and required Cover Texts given in the Document's license notice.
6122 H. Include an unaltered copy of this License.
6123 I. Preserve the section entitled "History", and its title, and add to
6124 it an item stating at least the title, year, new authors, and
6125 publisher of the Modified Version as given on the Title Page. If
6126 there is no section entitled "History" in the Document, create one
6127 stating the title, year, authors, and publisher of the Document as
6128 given on its Title Page, then add an item describing the Modified
6129 Version as stated in the previous sentence.
6130 J. Preserve the network location, if any, given in the Document for
6131 public access to a Transparent copy of the Document, and likewise
6132 the network locations given in the Document for previous versions
6133 it was based on. These may be placed in the "History" section.
6134 You may omit a network location for a work that was published at
6135 least four years before the Document itself, or if the original
6136 publisher of the version it refers to gives permission.
6137 K. In any section entitled "Acknowledgements" or "Dedications",
6138 preserve the section's title, and preserve in the section all the
6139 substance and tone of each of the contributor acknowledgements
6140 and/or dedications given therein.
6141 L. Preserve all the Invariant Sections of the Document,
6142 unaltered in their text and in their titles. Section numbers
6143 or the equivalent are not considered part of the section titles.
6144 M. Delete any section entitled "Endorsements". Such a section
6145 may not be included in the Modified Version.
6146 N. Do not retitle any existing section as "Endorsements"
6147 or to conflict in title with any Invariant Section.
6148
6149 If the Modified Version includes new front-matter sections or
6150 appendices that qualify as Secondary Sections and contain no material
6151 copied from the Document, you may at your option designate some or all
6152 of these sections as invariant. To do this, add their titles to the
6153 list of Invariant Sections in the Modified Version's license notice.
6154 These titles must be distinct from any other section titles.
6155
6156 You may add a section entitled "Endorsements", provided it contains
6157 nothing but endorsements of your Modified Version by various
6158 parties--for example, statements of peer review or that the text has
6159 been approved by an organization as the authoritative definition of a
6160 standard.
6161
6162 You may add a passage of up to five words as a Front-Cover Text, and a
6163 passage of up to 25 words as a Back-Cover Text, to the end of the list
6164 of Cover Texts in the Modified Version. Only one passage of
6165 Front-Cover Text and one of Back-Cover Text may be added by (or
6166 through arrangements made by) any one entity. If the Document already
6167 includes a cover text for the same cover, previously added by you or
6168 by arrangement made by the same entity you are acting on behalf of,
6169 you may not add another; but you may replace the old one, on explicit
6170 permission from the previous publisher that added the old one.
6171
6172 The author(s) and publisher(s) of the Document do not by this License
6173 give permission to use their names for publicity for or to assert or
6174 imply endorsement of any Modified Version.
6175
6176
6177 5. COMBINING DOCUMENTS
6178
6179 You may combine the Document with other documents released under this
6180 License, under the terms defined in section 4 above for modified
6181 versions, provided that you include in the combination all of the
6182 Invariant Sections of all of the original documents, unmodified, and
6183 list them all as Invariant Sections of your combined work in its
6184 license notice.
6185
6186 The combined work need only contain one copy of this License, and
6187 multiple identical Invariant Sections may be replaced with a single
6188 copy. If there are multiple Invariant Sections with the same name but
6189 different contents, make the title of each such section unique by
6190 adding at the end of it, in parentheses, the name of the original
6191 author or publisher of that section if known, or else a unique number.
6192 Make the same adjustment to the section titles in the list of
6193 Invariant Sections in the license notice of the combined work.
6194
6195 In the combination, you must combine any sections entitled "History"
6196 in the various original documents, forming one section entitled
6197 "History"; likewise combine any sections entitled "Acknowledgements",
6198 and any sections entitled "Dedications". You must delete all sections
6199 entitled "Endorsements."
6200
6201
6202 6. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS
6203
6204 You may make a collection consisting of the Document and other documents
6205 released under this License, and replace the individual copies of this
6206 License in the various documents with a single copy that is included in
6207 the collection, provided that you follow the rules of this License for
6208 verbatim copying of each of the documents in all other respects.
6209
6210 You may extract a single document from such a collection, and distribute
6211 it individually under this License, provided you insert a copy of this
6212 License into the extracted document, and follow this License in all
6213 other respects regarding verbatim copying of that document.
6214
6215
6216 7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS
6217
6218 A compilation of the Document or its derivatives with other separate
6219 and independent documents or works, in or on a volume of a storage or
6220 distribution medium, does not as a whole count as a Modified Version
6221 of the Document, provided no compilation copyright is claimed for the
6222 compilation. Such a compilation is called an "aggregate", and this
6223 License does not apply to the other self-contained works thus compiled
6224 with the Document, on account of their being thus compiled, if they
6225 are not themselves derivative works of the Document.
6226
6227 If the Cover Text requirement of section 3 is applicable to these
6228 copies of the Document, then if the Document is less than one quarter
6229 of the entire aggregate, the Document's Cover Texts may be placed on
6230 covers that surround only the Document within the aggregate.
6231 Otherwise they must appear on covers around the whole aggregate.
6232
6233
6234 8. TRANSLATION
6235
6236 Translation is considered a kind of modification, so you may
6237 distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section 4.
6238 Replacing Invariant Sections with translations requires special
6239 permission from their copyright holders, but you may include
6240 translations of some or all Invariant Sections in addition to the
6241 original versions of these Invariant Sections. You may include a
6242 translation of this License provided that you also include the
6243 original English version of this License. In case of a disagreement
6244 between the translation and the original English version of this
6245 License, the original English version will prevail.
6246
6247
6248 9. TERMINATION
6249
6250 You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document except
6251 as expressly provided for under this License. Any other attempt to
6252 copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Document is void, and will
6253 automatically terminate your rights under this License. However,
6254 parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under this
6255 License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
6256 parties remain in full compliance.
6257
6258
6259 10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE
6260
6261 The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions
6262 of the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time. Such new
6263 versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may
6264 differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. See
6265 http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/.
6266
6267 Each version of the License is given a distinguishing version number.
6268 If the Document specifies that a particular numbered version of this
6269 License "or any later version" applies to it, you have the option of
6270 following the terms and conditions either of that specified version or
6271 of any later version that has been published (not as a draft) by the
6272 Free Software Foundation. If the Document does not specify a version
6273 number of this License, you may choose any version ever published (not
6274 as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation.
6275
6276
6277 ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents
6278
6279 To use this License in a document you have written, include a copy of
6280 the License in the document and put the following copyright and
6281 license notices just after the title page:
6282
6283 @smallexample
6284 Copyright (c) YEAR YOUR NAME.
6285 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
6286 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
6287 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
6288 with the Invariant Sections being LIST THEIR TITLES, with the
6289 Front-Cover Texts being LIST, and with the Back-Cover Texts being LIST.
6290 A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
6291 Free Documentation License".
6292 @end smallexample
6293
6294 If you have no Invariant Sections, write "with no Invariant Sections"
6295 instead of saying which ones are invariant. If you have no
6296 Front-Cover Texts, write "no Front-Cover Texts" instead of
6297 "Front-Cover Texts being LIST"; likewise for Back-Cover Texts.
6298
6299 If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we
6300 recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of
6301 free software license, such as the GNU General Public License,
6302 to permit their use in free software.
6303
6304 @node Index
6305 @unnumbered Index
6306
6307 @printindex cp
6308
6309 @contents
6310 @bye
6311 @c Local Variables:
6312 @c fill-column: 79
6313 @c End: