1 \input texinfo @c -*-Texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (c) 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 2000, 2001
3 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c UPDATE!! On future updates--
5 @c (1) check for new machine-dep cmdline options in
6 @c md_parse_option definitions in config/tc-*.c
7 @c (2) for platform-specific directives, examine md_pseudo_op
9 @c (3) for object-format specific directives, examine obj_pseudo_op
11 @c (4) portable directives in potable[] in read.c
15 @c defaults, config file may override:
18 @include asconfig.texi
21 @c common OR combinations of conditions
41 @set abnormal-separator
45 @settitle Using @value{AS}
48 @settitle Using @value{AS} (@value{TARGET})
50 @setchapternewpage odd
55 @c WARE! Some of the machine-dependent sections contain tables of machine
56 @c instructions. Except in multi-column format, these tables look silly.
57 @c Unfortunately, Texinfo doesn't have a general-purpose multi-col format, so
58 @c the multi-col format is faked within @example sections.
60 @c Again unfortunately, the natural size that fits on a page, for these tables,
61 @c is different depending on whether or not smallbook is turned on.
62 @c This matters, because of order: text flow switches columns at each page
65 @c The format faked in this source works reasonably well for smallbook,
66 @c not well for the default large-page format. This manual expects that if you
67 @c turn on @smallbook, you will also uncomment the "@set SMALL" to enable the
68 @c tables in question. You can turn on one without the other at your
69 @c discretion, of course.
72 @c the insn tables look just as silly in info files regardless of smallbook,
73 @c might as well show 'em anyways.
79 * As: (as). The GNU assembler.
88 This file documents the GNU Assembler "@value{AS}".
90 Copyright (C) 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
92 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
93 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
94 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
95 with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
96 Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
97 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
100 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
101 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
102 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
103 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
109 @title Using @value{AS}
110 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Assembler
112 @subtitle for the @value{TARGET} family
115 @subtitle Version @value{VERSION}
118 The Free Software Foundation Inc. thanks The Nice Computer
119 Company of Australia for loaning Dean Elsner to write the
120 first (Vax) version of @code{as} for Project @sc{gnu}.
121 The proprietors, management and staff of TNCCA thank FSF for
122 distracting the boss while they got some work
125 @author Dean Elsner, Jay Fenlason & friends
129 \hfill {\it Using {\tt @value{AS}}}\par
130 \hfill Edited by Cygnus Support\par
132 %"boxit" macro for figures:
133 %Modified from Knuth's ``boxit'' macro from TeXbook (answer to exercise 21.3)
134 \gdef\boxit#1#2{\vbox{\hrule\hbox{\vrule\kern3pt
135 \vbox{\parindent=0pt\parskip=0pt\hsize=#1\kern3pt\strut\hfil
136 #2\hfil\strut\kern3pt}\kern3pt\vrule}\hrule}}%box with visible outline
137 \gdef\ibox#1#2{\hbox to #1{#2\hfil}\kern8pt}% invisible box
140 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
141 Copyright @copyright{} 1991, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
143 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
144 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
145 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
146 with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no
147 Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the
148 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
154 @top Using @value{AS}
156 This file is a user guide to the @sc{gnu} assembler @code{@value{AS}} version
159 This version of the file describes @code{@value{AS}} configured to generate
160 code for @value{TARGET} architectures.
163 This document is distributed under the terms of the GNU Free
164 Documentation License. A copy of the license is included in the
165 section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
168 * Overview:: Overview
169 * Invoking:: Command-Line Options
171 * Sections:: Sections and Relocation
173 * Expressions:: Expressions
174 * Pseudo Ops:: Assembler Directives
175 * Machine Dependencies:: Machine Dependent Features
176 * Reporting Bugs:: Reporting Bugs
177 * Acknowledgements:: Who Did What
178 * GNU Free Documentation License:: GNU Free Documentation License
186 This manual is a user guide to the @sc{gnu} assembler @code{@value{AS}}.
188 This version of the manual describes @code{@value{AS}} configured to generate
189 code for @value{TARGET} architectures.
193 @cindex invocation summary
194 @cindex option summary
195 @cindex summary of options
196 Here is a brief summary of how to invoke @code{@value{AS}}. For details,
197 @pxref{Invoking,,Comand-Line Options}.
199 @c We don't use deffn and friends for the following because they seem
200 @c to be limited to one line for the header.
202 @value{AS} [ -a[cdhlns][=file] ] [ -D ] [ --defsym @var{sym}=@var{val} ]
203 [ -f ] [ --gstabs ] [ --gdwarf2 ] [ --help ] [ -I @var{dir} ] [ -J ] [ -K ] [ -L ]
204 [ --keep-locals ] [ -o @var{objfile} ] [ -R ] [ --statistics ] [ -v ]
205 [ -version ] [ --version ] [ -W ] [ --warn ] [ --fatal-warnings ]
206 [ -w ] [ -x ] [ -Z ] [ --target-help ]
208 @c am29k has no machine-dependent assembler options
215 [ -m[arm]1 | -m[arm]2 | -m[arm]250 | -m[arm]3 | -m[arm]6 | -m[arm]60 |
216 -m[arm]600 | -m[arm]610 | -m[arm]620 | -m[arm]7[t][[d]m[i]][fe] | -m[arm]70 |
217 -m[arm]700 | -m[arm]710[c] | -m[arm]7100 | -m[arm]7500 | -m[arm]8 |
218 -m[arm]810 | -m[arm]9 | -m[arm]920 | -m[arm]920t | -m[arm]9tdmi |
219 -mstrongarm | -mstrongarm110 | -mstrongarm1100 ]
220 [ -m[arm]v2 | -m[arm]v2a | -m[arm]v3 | -m[arm]v3m | -m[arm]v4 | -m[arm]v4t |
221 -m[arm]v5 | -[arm]v5t | -[arm]v5te ]
223 [ -mfpa10 | -mfpa11 | -mfpe-old | -mno-fpu ]
225 [ -mapcs-32 | -mapcs-26 | -mapcs-float | -mapcs-reentrant ]
226 [ -mthumb-interwork ]
237 @c Hitachi family chips have no machine-dependent assembler options
240 @c HPPA has no machine-dependent assembler options (yet).
246 @c The order here is important. See c-sparc.texi.
247 [ -Av6 | -Av7 | -Av8 | -Asparclet | -Asparclite
248 -Av8plus | -Av8plusa | -Av9 | -Av9a ]
249 [ -xarch=v8plus | -xarch=v8plusa ] [ -bump ] [ -32 | -64 ]
252 [ -mcpu=54[123589] | -mcpu=54[56]lp ] [ -mfar-mode | -mf ]
253 [ -merrors-to-file <filename> | -me <filename> ]
256 @c Z8000 has no machine-dependent assembler options
259 @c see md_parse_option in tc-i960.c
260 [ -ACA | -ACA_A | -ACB | -ACC | -AKA | -AKB | -AKC | -AMC ]
264 [ --m32rx | --[no-]warn-explicit-parallel-conflicts | --W[n]p ]
267 [ -l ] [ -m68000 | -m68010 | -m68020 | ... ]
270 [ -jsri2bsr ] [ -sifilter ] [ -relax ]
274 [ -m68hc11 | -m68hc12 ]
275 [ --force-long-branchs ] [ --short-branchs ] [ --strict-direct-mode ]
276 [ --print-insn-syntax ] [ --print-opcodes ] [ --generate-example ]
279 [ -nocpp ] [ -EL ] [ -EB ] [ -G @var{num} ] [ -mcpu=@var{CPU} ]
280 [ -mips1 ] [ -mips2 ] [ -mips3 ] [ -mips4 ] [ -mips5 ]
281 [ -mips32 ] [ -mips64 ]
282 [ -m4650 ] [ -no-m4650 ]
283 [ --trap ] [ --break ]
284 [ --emulation=@var{name} ]
286 [ -- | @var{files} @dots{} ]
291 Turn on listings, in any of a variety of ways:
295 omit false conditionals
298 omit debugging directives
301 include high-level source
307 include macro expansions
310 omit forms processing
316 set the name of the listing file
319 You may combine these options; for example, use @samp{-aln} for assembly
320 listing without forms processing. The @samp{=file} option, if used, must be
321 the last one. By itself, @samp{-a} defaults to @samp{-ahls}.
324 Ignored. This option is accepted for script compatibility with calls to
327 @item --defsym @var{sym}=@var{value}
328 Define the symbol @var{sym} to be @var{value} before assembling the input file.
329 @var{value} must be an integer constant. As in C, a leading @samp{0x}
330 indicates a hexadecimal value, and a leading @samp{0} indicates an octal value.
333 ``fast''---skip whitespace and comment preprocessing (assume source is
337 Generate stabs debugging information for each assembler line. This
338 may help debugging assembler code, if the debugger can handle it.
341 Generate DWARF2 debugging information for each assembler line. This
342 may help debugging assembler code, if the debugger can handle it. Note - this
343 option is only supported by some targets, not all of them.
346 Print a summary of the command line options and exit.
349 Print a summary of all target specific options and exit.
352 Add directory @var{dir} to the search list for @code{.include} directives.
355 Don't warn about signed overflow.
358 @ifclear DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
359 This option is accepted but has no effect on the @value{TARGET} family.
361 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
362 Issue warnings when difference tables altered for long displacements.
367 Keep (in the symbol table) local symbols. On traditional a.out systems
368 these start with @samp{L}, but different systems have different local
371 @item -o @var{objfile}
372 Name the object-file output from @code{@value{AS}} @var{objfile}.
375 Fold the data section into the text section.
378 Print the maximum space (in bytes) and total time (in seconds) used by
381 @item --strip-local-absolute
382 Remove local absolute symbols from the outgoing symbol table.
386 Print the @code{as} version.
389 Print the @code{as} version and exit.
393 Suppress warning messages.
395 @item --fatal-warnings
396 Treat warnings as errors.
399 Don't suppress warning messages or treat them as errors.
408 Generate an object file even after errors.
410 @item -- | @var{files} @dots{}
411 Standard input, or source files to assemble.
416 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
421 This option selects the core processor variant.
423 Select either big-endian (-EB) or little-endian (-EL) output.
428 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the ARM
432 @item -m[arm][1|2|3|6|7|8|9][...]
433 Specify which ARM processor variant is the target.
434 @item -m[arm]v[2|2a|3|3m|4|4t|5|5t]
435 Specify which ARM architecture variant is used by the target.
436 @item -mthumb | -mall
437 Enable or disable Thumb only instruction decoding.
438 @item -mfpa10 | -mfpa11 | -mfpe-old | -mno-fpu
439 Select which Floating Point architecture is the target.
440 @item -mapcs-32 | -mapcs-26 | -mapcs-float | -mapcs-reentrant | -moabi
441 Select which procedure calling convention is in use.
443 Select either big-endian (-EB) or little-endian (-EL) output.
444 @item -mthumb-interwork
445 Specify that the code has been generated with interworking between Thumb and
448 Specify that PIC code has been generated.
453 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
456 @cindex D10V optimization
457 @cindex optimization, D10V
459 Optimize output by parallelizing instructions.
464 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for a D30V
467 @cindex D30V optimization
468 @cindex optimization, D30V
470 Optimize output by parallelizing instructions.
474 Warn when nops are generated.
476 @cindex D30V nops after 32-bit multiply
478 Warn when a nop after a 32-bit multiply instruction is generated.
483 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
484 Intel 80960 processor.
487 @item -ACA | -ACA_A | -ACB | -ACC | -AKA | -AKB | -AKC | -AMC
488 Specify which variant of the 960 architecture is the target.
491 Add code to collect statistics about branches taken.
494 Do not alter compare-and-branch instructions for long displacements;
501 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
502 Mitsubishi M32R series.
507 Specify which processor in the M32R family is the target. The default
508 is normally the M32R, but this option changes it to the M32RX.
510 @item --warn-explicit-parallel-conflicts or --Wp
511 Produce warning messages when questionable parallel constructs are
514 @item --no-warn-explicit-parallel-conflicts or --Wnp
515 Do not produce warning messages when questionable parallel constructs are
522 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
523 Motorola 68000 series.
528 Shorten references to undefined symbols, to one word instead of two.
530 @item -m68000 | -m68008 | -m68010 | -m68020 | -m68030 | -m68040 | -m68060
531 @itemx | -m68302 | -m68331 | -m68332 | -m68333 | -m68340 | -mcpu32 | -m5200
532 Specify what processor in the 68000 family is the target. The default
533 is normally the 68020, but this can be changed at configuration time.
535 @item -m68881 | -m68882 | -mno-68881 | -mno-68882
536 The target machine does (or does not) have a floating-point coprocessor.
537 The default is to assume a coprocessor for 68020, 68030, and cpu32. Although
538 the basic 68000 is not compatible with the 68881, a combination of the
539 two can be specified, since it's possible to do emulation of the
540 coprocessor instructions with the main processor.
542 @item -m68851 | -mno-68851
543 The target machine does (or does not) have a memory-management
544 unit coprocessor. The default is to assume an MMU for 68020 and up.
551 For details about the PDP-11 machine dependent features options,
552 see @ref{PDP-11-Options}.
555 @item -mpic | -mno-pic
556 Generate position-independent (or position-dependent) code. The
557 default is @code{-mpic}.
560 @itemx -mall-extensions
561 Enable all instruction set extensions. This is the default.
563 @item -mno-extensions
564 Disable all instruction set extensions.
566 @item -m@var{extension} | -mno-@var{extension}
567 Enable (or disable) a particular instruction set extension.
570 Enable the instruction set extensions supported by a particular CPU, and
571 disable all other extensions.
573 @item -m@var{machine}
574 Enable the instruction set extensions supported by a particular machine
575 model, and disable all other extensions.
581 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
582 a picoJava processor.
586 @cindex PJ endianness
587 @cindex endianness, PJ
588 @cindex big endian output, PJ
590 Generate ``big endian'' format output.
592 @cindex little endian output, PJ
594 Generate ``little endian'' format output.
600 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the
601 Motorola 68HC11 or 68HC12 series.
605 @item -m68hc11 | -m68hc12
606 Specify what processor is the target. The default is
607 defined by the configuration option when building the assembler.
609 @item --force-long-branchs
610 Relative branches are turned into absolute ones. This concerns
611 conditional branches, unconditional branches and branches to a
614 @item -S | --short-branchs
615 Do not turn relative branchs into absolute ones
616 when the offset is out of range.
618 @item --strict-direct-mode
619 Do not turn the direct addressing mode into extended addressing mode
620 when the instruction does not support direct addressing mode.
622 @item --print-insn-syntax
623 Print the syntax of instruction in case of error.
625 @item --print-opcodes
626 print the list of instructions with syntax and then exit.
628 @item --generate-example
629 print an example of instruction for each possible instruction and then exit.
630 This option is only useful for testing @code{@value{AS}}.
636 The following options are available when @code{@value{AS}} is configured
637 for the SPARC architecture:
640 @item -Av6 | -Av7 | -Av8 | -Asparclet | -Asparclite
641 @itemx -Av8plus | -Av8plusa | -Av9 | -Av9a
642 Explicitly select a variant of the SPARC architecture.
644 @samp{-Av8plus} and @samp{-Av8plusa} select a 32 bit environment.
645 @samp{-Av9} and @samp{-Av9a} select a 64 bit environment.
647 @samp{-Av8plusa} and @samp{-Av9a} enable the SPARC V9 instruction set with
648 UltraSPARC extensions.
650 @item -xarch=v8plus | -xarch=v8plusa
651 For compatibility with the Solaris v9 assembler. These options are
652 equivalent to -Av8plus and -Av8plusa, respectively.
655 Warn when the assembler switches to another architecture.
660 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for the 'c54x
665 Enable extended addressing mode. All addresses and relocations will assume
666 extended addressing (usually 23 bits).
667 @item -mcpu=@var{CPU_VERSION}
668 Sets the CPU version being compiled for.
669 @item -merrors-to-file @var{FILENAME}
670 Redirect error output to a file, for broken systems which don't support such
671 behaviour in the shell.
676 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
681 This option sets the largest size of an object that can be referenced
682 implicitly with the @code{gp} register. It is only accepted for targets that
683 use ECOFF format, such as a DECstation running Ultrix. The default value is 8.
685 @cindex MIPS endianness
686 @cindex endianness, MIPS
687 @cindex big endian output, MIPS
689 Generate ``big endian'' format output.
691 @cindex little endian output, MIPS
693 Generate ``little endian'' format output.
701 Generate code for a particular MIPS Instruction Set Architecture level.
702 @samp{-mips1} corresponds to the @sc{r2000} and @sc{r3000} processors,
703 @samp{-mips2} to the @sc{r6000} processor, and @samp{-mips3} to the @sc{r4000}
705 @samp{-mips5}, @samp{-mips32}, and @samp{-mips64} correspond
706 to generic @sc{MIPS V}, @sc{MIPS32}, and @sc{MIPS64} ISA
707 processors, respectively.
711 Generate code for the MIPS @sc{r4650} chip. This tells the assembler to accept
712 the @samp{mad} and @samp{madu} instruction, and to not schedule @samp{nop}
713 instructions around accesses to the @samp{HI} and @samp{LO} registers.
714 @samp{-no-m4650} turns off this option.
716 @item -mcpu=@var{CPU}
717 Generate code for a particular MIPS cpu. It is exactly equivalent to
718 @samp{-m@var{cpu}}, except that there are more value of @var{cpu}
722 @item --emulation=@var{name}
723 This option causes @code{@value{AS}} to emulate @code{@value{AS}} configured
724 for some other target, in all respects, including output format (choosing
725 between ELF and ECOFF only), handling of pseudo-opcodes which may generate
726 debugging information or store symbol table information, and default
727 endianness. The available configuration names are: @samp{mipsecoff},
728 @samp{mipself}, @samp{mipslecoff}, @samp{mipsbecoff}, @samp{mipslelf},
729 @samp{mipsbelf}. The first two do not alter the default endianness from that
730 of the primary target for which the assembler was configured; the others change
731 the default to little- or big-endian as indicated by the @samp{b} or @samp{l}
732 in the name. Using @samp{-EB} or @samp{-EL} will override the endianness
733 selection in any case.
735 This option is currently supported only when the primary target
736 @code{@value{AS}} is configured for is a MIPS ELF or ECOFF target.
737 Furthermore, the primary target or others specified with
738 @samp{--enable-targets=@dots{}} at configuration time must include support for
739 the other format, if both are to be available. For example, the Irix 5
740 configuration includes support for both.
742 Eventually, this option will support more configurations, with more
743 fine-grained control over the assembler's behavior, and will be supported for
747 @code{@value{AS}} ignores this option. It is accepted for compatibility with
755 Control how to deal with multiplication overflow and division by zero.
756 @samp{--trap} or @samp{--no-break} (which are synonyms) take a trap exception
757 (and only work for Instruction Set Architecture level 2 and higher);
758 @samp{--break} or @samp{--no-trap} (also synonyms, and the default) take a
764 The following options are available when @value{AS} is configured for
770 Enable or disable the JSRI to BSR transformation. By default this is enabled.
771 The command line option @samp{-nojsri2bsr} can be used to disable it.
775 Enable or disable the silicon filter behaviour. By default this is disabled.
776 The default can be overridden by the @samp{-sifilter} command line option.
779 Alter jump instructions for long displacements.
781 @item -mcpu=[210|340]
782 Select the cpu type on the target hardware. This controls which instructions
786 Assemble for a big endian target.
789 Assemble for a little endian target.
795 * Manual:: Structure of this Manual
796 * GNU Assembler:: The GNU Assembler
797 * Object Formats:: Object File Formats
798 * Command Line:: Command Line
799 * Input Files:: Input Files
800 * Object:: Output (Object) File
801 * Errors:: Error and Warning Messages
805 @section Structure of this Manual
807 @cindex manual, structure and purpose
808 This manual is intended to describe what you need to know to use
809 @sc{gnu} @code{@value{AS}}. We cover the syntax expected in source files, including
810 notation for symbols, constants, and expressions; the directives that
811 @code{@value{AS}} understands; and of course how to invoke @code{@value{AS}}.
814 We also cover special features in the @value{TARGET}
815 configuration of @code{@value{AS}}, including assembler directives.
818 This manual also describes some of the machine-dependent features of
819 various flavors of the assembler.
822 @cindex machine instructions (not covered)
823 On the other hand, this manual is @emph{not} intended as an introduction
824 to programming in assembly language---let alone programming in general!
825 In a similar vein, we make no attempt to introduce the machine
826 architecture; we do @emph{not} describe the instruction set, standard
827 mnemonics, registers or addressing modes that are standard to a
828 particular architecture.
830 You may want to consult the manufacturer's
831 machine architecture manual for this information.
835 For information on the H8/300 machine instruction set, see @cite{H8/300
836 Series Programming Manual} (Hitachi ADE--602--025). For the H8/300H,
837 see @cite{H8/300H Series Programming Manual} (Hitachi).
840 For information on the H8/500 machine instruction set, see @cite{H8/500
841 Series Programming Manual} (Hitachi M21T001).
844 For information on the Hitachi SH machine instruction set, see
845 @cite{SH-Microcomputer User's Manual} (Hitachi Micro Systems, Inc.).
848 For information on the Z8000 machine instruction set, see @cite{Z8000 CPU Technical Manual}
852 @c I think this is premature---doc@cygnus.com, 17jan1991
854 Throughout this manual, we assume that you are running @dfn{GNU},
855 the portable operating system from the @dfn{Free Software
856 Foundation, Inc.}. This restricts our attention to certain kinds of
857 computer (in particular, the kinds of computers that @sc{gnu} can run on);
858 once this assumption is granted examples and definitions need less
861 @code{@value{AS}} is part of a team of programs that turn a high-level
862 human-readable series of instructions into a low-level
863 computer-readable series of instructions. Different versions of
864 @code{@value{AS}} are used for different kinds of computer.
867 @c There used to be a section "Terminology" here, which defined
868 @c "contents", "byte", "word", and "long". Defining "word" to any
869 @c particular size is confusing when the .word directive may generate 16
870 @c bits on one machine and 32 bits on another; in general, for the user
871 @c version of this manual, none of these terms seem essential to define.
872 @c They were used very little even in the former draft of the manual;
873 @c this draft makes an effort to avoid them (except in names of
877 @section The GNU Assembler
879 @sc{gnu} @code{as} is really a family of assemblers.
881 This manual describes @code{@value{AS}}, a member of that family which is
882 configured for the @value{TARGET} architectures.
884 If you use (or have used) the @sc{gnu} assembler on one architecture, you
885 should find a fairly similar environment when you use it on another
886 architecture. Each version has much in common with the others,
887 including object file formats, most assembler directives (often called
888 @dfn{pseudo-ops}) and assembler syntax.@refill
890 @cindex purpose of @sc{gnu} assembler
891 @code{@value{AS}} is primarily intended to assemble the output of the
892 @sc{gnu} C compiler @code{@value{GCC}} for use by the linker
893 @code{@value{LD}}. Nevertheless, we've tried to make @code{@value{AS}}
894 assemble correctly everything that other assemblers for the same
895 machine would assemble.
897 Any exceptions are documented explicitly (@pxref{Machine Dependencies}).
900 @c This remark should appear in generic version of manual; assumption
901 @c here is that generic version sets M680x0.
902 This doesn't mean @code{@value{AS}} always uses the same syntax as another
903 assembler for the same architecture; for example, we know of several
904 incompatible versions of 680x0 assembly language syntax.
907 Unlike older assemblers, @code{@value{AS}} is designed to assemble a source
908 program in one pass of the source file. This has a subtle impact on the
909 @kbd{.org} directive (@pxref{Org,,@code{.org}}).
912 @section Object File Formats
914 @cindex object file format
915 The @sc{gnu} assembler can be configured to produce several alternative
916 object file formats. For the most part, this does not affect how you
917 write assembly language programs; but directives for debugging symbols
918 are typically different in different file formats. @xref{Symbol
919 Attributes,,Symbol Attributes}.
922 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} is configured to produce
923 @value{OBJ-NAME} format object files.
925 @c The following should exhaust all configs that set MULTI-OBJ, ideally
927 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} can be configured to produce either
928 @code{a.out} or COFF format object files.
931 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} can be configured to produce either
932 @code{b.out} or COFF format object files.
935 On the @value{TARGET}, @code{@value{AS}} can be configured to produce either
936 SOM or ELF format object files.
941 @section Command Line
943 @cindex command line conventions
944 After the program name @code{@value{AS}}, the command line may contain
945 options and file names. Options may appear in any order, and may be
946 before, after, or between file names. The order of file names is
949 @cindex standard input, as input file
951 @file{--} (two hyphens) by itself names the standard input file
952 explicitly, as one of the files for @code{@value{AS}} to assemble.
954 @cindex options, command line
955 Except for @samp{--} any command line argument that begins with a
956 hyphen (@samp{-}) is an option. Each option changes the behavior of
957 @code{@value{AS}}. No option changes the way another option works. An
958 option is a @samp{-} followed by one or more letters; the case of
959 the letter is important. All options are optional.
961 Some options expect exactly one file name to follow them. The file
962 name may either immediately follow the option's letter (compatible
963 with older assemblers) or it may be the next command argument (@sc{gnu}
964 standard). These two command lines are equivalent:
967 @value{AS} -o my-object-file.o mumble.s
968 @value{AS} -omy-object-file.o mumble.s
975 @cindex source program
977 We use the phrase @dfn{source program}, abbreviated @dfn{source}, to
978 describe the program input to one run of @code{@value{AS}}. The program may
979 be in one or more files; how the source is partitioned into files
980 doesn't change the meaning of the source.
982 @c I added "con" prefix to "catenation" just to prove I can overcome my
983 @c APL training... doc@cygnus.com
984 The source program is a concatenation of the text in all the files, in the
987 Each time you run @code{@value{AS}} it assembles exactly one source
988 program. The source program is made up of one or more files.
989 (The standard input is also a file.)
991 You give @code{@value{AS}} a command line that has zero or more input file
992 names. The input files are read (from left file name to right). A
993 command line argument (in any position) that has no special meaning
994 is taken to be an input file name.
996 If you give @code{@value{AS}} no file names it attempts to read one input file
997 from the @code{@value{AS}} standard input, which is normally your terminal. You
998 may have to type @key{ctl-D} to tell @code{@value{AS}} there is no more program
1001 Use @samp{--} if you need to explicitly name the standard input file
1002 in your command line.
1004 If the source is empty, @code{@value{AS}} produces a small, empty object
1007 @subheading Filenames and Line-numbers
1009 @cindex input file linenumbers
1010 @cindex line numbers, in input files
1011 There are two ways of locating a line in the input file (or files) and
1012 either may be used in reporting error messages. One way refers to a line
1013 number in a physical file; the other refers to a line number in a
1014 ``logical'' file. @xref{Errors, ,Error and Warning Messages}.
1016 @dfn{Physical files} are those files named in the command line given
1017 to @code{@value{AS}}.
1019 @dfn{Logical files} are simply names declared explicitly by assembler
1020 directives; they bear no relation to physical files. Logical file names help
1021 error messages reflect the original source file, when @code{@value{AS}} source
1022 is itself synthesized from other files. @code{@value{AS}} understands the
1023 @samp{#} directives emitted by the @code{@value{GCC}} preprocessor. See also
1024 @ref{File,,@code{.file}}.
1027 @section Output (Object) File
1033 Every time you run @code{@value{AS}} it produces an output file, which is
1034 your assembly language program translated into numbers. This file
1035 is the object file. Its default name is
1043 @code{b.out} when @code{@value{AS}} is configured for the Intel 80960.
1045 You can give it another name by using the @code{-o} option. Conventionally,
1046 object file names end with @file{.o}. The default name is used for historical
1047 reasons: older assemblers were capable of assembling self-contained programs
1048 directly into a runnable program. (For some formats, this isn't currently
1049 possible, but it can be done for the @code{a.out} format.)
1053 The object file is meant for input to the linker @code{@value{LD}}. It contains
1054 assembled program code, information to help @code{@value{LD}} integrate
1055 the assembled program into a runnable file, and (optionally) symbolic
1056 information for the debugger.
1058 @c link above to some info file(s) like the description of a.out.
1059 @c don't forget to describe @sc{gnu} info as well as Unix lossage.
1062 @section Error and Warning Messages
1064 @cindex error messages
1065 @cindex warning messages
1066 @cindex messages from assembler
1067 @code{@value{AS}} may write warnings and error messages to the standard error
1068 file (usually your terminal). This should not happen when a compiler
1069 runs @code{@value{AS}} automatically. Warnings report an assumption made so
1070 that @code{@value{AS}} could keep assembling a flawed program; errors report a
1071 grave problem that stops the assembly.
1073 @cindex format of warning messages
1074 Warning messages have the format
1077 file_name:@b{NNN}:Warning Message Text
1081 @cindex line numbers, in warnings/errors
1082 (where @b{NNN} is a line number). If a logical file name has been given
1083 (@pxref{File,,@code{.file}}) it is used for the filename, otherwise the name of
1084 the current input file is used. If a logical line number was given
1086 (@pxref{Line,,@code{.line}})
1090 (@pxref{Line,,@code{.line}})
1093 (@pxref{Ln,,@code{.ln}})
1096 then it is used to calculate the number printed,
1097 otherwise the actual line in the current source file is printed. The
1098 message text is intended to be self explanatory (in the grand Unix
1101 @cindex format of error messages
1102 Error messages have the format
1104 file_name:@b{NNN}:FATAL:Error Message Text
1106 The file name and line number are derived as for warning
1107 messages. The actual message text may be rather less explanatory
1108 because many of them aren't supposed to happen.
1111 @chapter Command-Line Options
1113 @cindex options, all versions of assembler
1114 This chapter describes command-line options available in @emph{all}
1115 versions of the @sc{gnu} assembler; @pxref{Machine Dependencies}, for options specific
1117 to the @value{TARGET}.
1120 to particular machine architectures.
1123 If you are invoking @code{@value{AS}} via the @sc{gnu} C compiler (version 2),
1124 you can use the @samp{-Wa} option to pass arguments through to the assembler.
1125 The assembler arguments must be separated from each other (and the @samp{-Wa})
1126 by commas. For example:
1129 gcc -c -g -O -Wa,-alh,-L file.c
1133 This passes two options to the assembler: @samp{-alh} (emit a listing to
1134 standard output with with high-level and assembly source) and @samp{-L} (retain
1135 local symbols in the symbol table).
1137 Usually you do not need to use this @samp{-Wa} mechanism, since many compiler
1138 command-line options are automatically passed to the assembler by the compiler.
1139 (You can call the @sc{gnu} compiler driver with the @samp{-v} option to see
1140 precisely what options it passes to each compilation pass, including the
1144 * a:: -a[cdhlns] enable listings
1145 * D:: -D for compatibility
1146 * f:: -f to work faster
1147 * I:: -I for .include search path
1148 @ifclear DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1149 * K:: -K for compatibility
1151 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1152 * K:: -K for difference tables
1155 * L:: -L to retain local labels
1156 * M:: -M or --mri to assemble in MRI compatibility mode
1157 * MD:: --MD for dependency tracking
1158 * o:: -o to name the object file
1159 * R:: -R to join data and text sections
1160 * statistics:: --statistics to see statistics about assembly
1161 * traditional-format:: --traditional-format for compatible output
1162 * v:: -v to announce version
1163 * W:: -W, --no-warn, --warn, --fatal-warnings to control warnings
1164 * Z:: -Z to make object file even after errors
1168 @section Enable Listings: @code{-a[cdhlns]}
1177 @cindex listings, enabling
1178 @cindex assembly listings, enabling
1180 These options enable listing output from the assembler. By itself,
1181 @samp{-a} requests high-level, assembly, and symbols listing.
1182 You can use other letters to select specific options for the list:
1183 @samp{-ah} requests a high-level language listing,
1184 @samp{-al} requests an output-program assembly listing, and
1185 @samp{-as} requests a symbol table listing.
1186 High-level listings require that a compiler debugging option like
1187 @samp{-g} be used, and that assembly listings (@samp{-al}) be requested
1190 Use the @samp{-ac} option to omit false conditionals from a listing. Any lines
1191 which are not assembled because of a false @code{.if} (or @code{.ifdef}, or any
1192 other conditional), or a true @code{.if} followed by an @code{.else}, will be
1193 omitted from the listing.
1195 Use the @samp{-ad} option to omit debugging directives from the
1198 Once you have specified one of these options, you can further control
1199 listing output and its appearance using the directives @code{.list},
1200 @code{.nolist}, @code{.psize}, @code{.eject}, @code{.title}, and
1202 The @samp{-an} option turns off all forms processing.
1203 If you do not request listing output with one of the @samp{-a} options, the
1204 listing-control directives have no effect.
1206 The letters after @samp{-a} may be combined into one option,
1207 @emph{e.g.}, @samp{-aln}.
1213 This option has no effect whatsoever, but it is accepted to make it more
1214 likely that scripts written for other assemblers also work with
1218 @section Work Faster: @code{-f}
1221 @cindex trusted compiler
1222 @cindex faster processing (@code{-f})
1223 @samp{-f} should only be used when assembling programs written by a
1224 (trusted) compiler. @samp{-f} stops the assembler from doing whitespace
1225 and comment preprocessing on
1226 the input file(s) before assembling them. @xref{Preprocessing,
1230 @emph{Warning:} if you use @samp{-f} when the files actually need to be
1231 preprocessed (if they contain comments, for example), @code{@value{AS}} does
1236 @section @code{.include} search path: @code{-I} @var{path}
1238 @kindex -I @var{path}
1239 @cindex paths for @code{.include}
1240 @cindex search path for @code{.include}
1241 @cindex @code{include} directive search path
1242 Use this option to add a @var{path} to the list of directories
1243 @code{@value{AS}} searches for files specified in @code{.include}
1244 directives (@pxref{Include,,@code{.include}}). You may use @code{-I} as
1245 many times as necessary to include a variety of paths. The current
1246 working directory is always searched first; after that, @code{@value{AS}}
1247 searches any @samp{-I} directories in the same order as they were
1248 specified (left to right) on the command line.
1251 @section Difference Tables: @code{-K}
1254 @ifclear DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1255 On the @value{TARGET} family, this option is allowed, but has no effect. It is
1256 permitted for compatibility with the @sc{gnu} assembler on other platforms,
1257 where it can be used to warn when the assembler alters the machine code
1258 generated for @samp{.word} directives in difference tables. The @value{TARGET}
1259 family does not have the addressing limitations that sometimes lead to this
1260 alteration on other platforms.
1263 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
1264 @cindex difference tables, warning
1265 @cindex warning for altered difference tables
1266 @code{@value{AS}} sometimes alters the code emitted for directives of the form
1267 @samp{.word @var{sym1}-@var{sym2}}; @pxref{Word,,@code{.word}}.
1268 You can use the @samp{-K} option if you want a warning issued when this
1273 @section Include Local Labels: @code{-L}
1276 @cindex local labels, retaining in output
1277 Labels beginning with @samp{L} (upper case only) are called @dfn{local
1278 labels}. @xref{Symbol Names}. Normally you do not see such labels when
1279 debugging, because they are intended for the use of programs (like
1280 compilers) that compose assembler programs, not for your notice.
1281 Normally both @code{@value{AS}} and @code{@value{LD}} discard such labels, so you do not
1282 normally debug with them.
1284 This option tells @code{@value{AS}} to retain those @samp{L@dots{}} symbols
1285 in the object file. Usually if you do this you also tell the linker
1286 @code{@value{LD}} to preserve symbols whose names begin with @samp{L}.
1288 By default, a local label is any label beginning with @samp{L}, but each
1289 target is allowed to redefine the local label prefix.
1291 On the HPPA local labels begin with @samp{L$}.
1295 @section Assemble in MRI Compatibility Mode: @code{-M}
1298 @cindex MRI compatibility mode
1299 The @code{-M} or @code{--mri} option selects MRI compatibility mode. This
1300 changes the syntax and pseudo-op handling of @code{@value{AS}} to make it
1301 compatible with the @code{ASM68K} or the @code{ASM960} (depending upon the
1302 configured target) assembler from Microtec Research. The exact nature of the
1303 MRI syntax will not be documented here; see the MRI manuals for more
1304 information. Note in particular that the handling of macros and macro
1305 arguments is somewhat different. The purpose of this option is to permit
1306 assembling existing MRI assembler code using @code{@value{AS}}.
1308 The MRI compatibility is not complete. Certain operations of the MRI assembler
1309 depend upon its object file format, and can not be supported using other object
1310 file formats. Supporting these would require enhancing each object file format
1311 individually. These are:
1314 @item global symbols in common section
1316 The m68k MRI assembler supports common sections which are merged by the linker.
1317 Other object file formats do not support this. @code{@value{AS}} handles
1318 common sections by treating them as a single common symbol. It permits local
1319 symbols to be defined within a common section, but it can not support global
1320 symbols, since it has no way to describe them.
1322 @item complex relocations
1324 The MRI assemblers support relocations against a negated section address, and
1325 relocations which combine the start addresses of two or more sections. These
1326 are not support by other object file formats.
1328 @item @code{END} pseudo-op specifying start address
1330 The MRI @code{END} pseudo-op permits the specification of a start address.
1331 This is not supported by other object file formats. The start address may
1332 instead be specified using the @code{-e} option to the linker, or in a linker
1335 @item @code{IDNT}, @code{.ident} and @code{NAME} pseudo-ops
1337 The MRI @code{IDNT}, @code{.ident} and @code{NAME} pseudo-ops assign a module
1338 name to the output file. This is not supported by other object file formats.
1340 @item @code{ORG} pseudo-op
1342 The m68k MRI @code{ORG} pseudo-op begins an absolute section at a given
1343 address. This differs from the usual @code{@value{AS}} @code{.org} pseudo-op,
1344 which changes the location within the current section. Absolute sections are
1345 not supported by other object file formats. The address of a section may be
1346 assigned within a linker script.
1349 There are some other features of the MRI assembler which are not supported by
1350 @code{@value{AS}}, typically either because they are difficult or because they
1351 seem of little consequence. Some of these may be supported in future releases.
1355 @item EBCDIC strings
1357 EBCDIC strings are not supported.
1359 @item packed binary coded decimal
1361 Packed binary coded decimal is not supported. This means that the @code{DC.P}
1362 and @code{DCB.P} pseudo-ops are not supported.
1364 @item @code{FEQU} pseudo-op
1366 The m68k @code{FEQU} pseudo-op is not supported.
1368 @item @code{NOOBJ} pseudo-op
1370 The m68k @code{NOOBJ} pseudo-op is not supported.
1372 @item @code{OPT} branch control options
1374 The m68k @code{OPT} branch control options---@code{B}, @code{BRS}, @code{BRB},
1375 @code{BRL}, and @code{BRW}---are ignored. @code{@value{AS}} automatically
1376 relaxes all branches, whether forward or backward, to an appropriate size, so
1377 these options serve no purpose.
1379 @item @code{OPT} list control options
1381 The following m68k @code{OPT} list control options are ignored: @code{C},
1382 @code{CEX}, @code{CL}, @code{CRE}, @code{E}, @code{G}, @code{I}, @code{M},
1383 @code{MEX}, @code{MC}, @code{MD}, @code{X}.
1385 @item other @code{OPT} options
1387 The following m68k @code{OPT} options are ignored: @code{NEST}, @code{O},
1388 @code{OLD}, @code{OP}, @code{P}, @code{PCO}, @code{PCR}, @code{PCS}, @code{R}.
1390 @item @code{OPT} @code{D} option is default
1392 The m68k @code{OPT} @code{D} option is the default, unlike the MRI assembler.
1393 @code{OPT NOD} may be used to turn it off.
1395 @item @code{XREF} pseudo-op.
1397 The m68k @code{XREF} pseudo-op is ignored.
1399 @item @code{.debug} pseudo-op
1401 The i960 @code{.debug} pseudo-op is not supported.
1403 @item @code{.extended} pseudo-op
1405 The i960 @code{.extended} pseudo-op is not supported.
1407 @item @code{.list} pseudo-op.
1409 The various options of the i960 @code{.list} pseudo-op are not supported.
1411 @item @code{.optimize} pseudo-op
1413 The i960 @code{.optimize} pseudo-op is not supported.
1415 @item @code{.output} pseudo-op
1417 The i960 @code{.output} pseudo-op is not supported.
1419 @item @code{.setreal} pseudo-op
1421 The i960 @code{.setreal} pseudo-op is not supported.
1426 @section Dependency tracking: @code{--MD}
1429 @cindex dependency tracking
1432 @code{@value{AS}} can generate a dependency file for the file it creates. This
1433 file consists of a single rule suitable for @code{make} describing the
1434 dependencies of the main source file.
1436 The rule is written to the file named in its argument.
1438 This feature is used in the automatic updating of makefiles.
1441 @section Name the Object File: @code{-o}
1444 @cindex naming object file
1445 @cindex object file name
1446 There is always one object file output when you run @code{@value{AS}}. By
1447 default it has the name
1450 @file{a.out} (or @file{b.out}, for Intel 960 targets only).
1464 You use this option (which takes exactly one filename) to give the
1465 object file a different name.
1467 Whatever the object file is called, @code{@value{AS}} overwrites any
1468 existing file of the same name.
1471 @section Join Data and Text Sections: @code{-R}
1474 @cindex data and text sections, joining
1475 @cindex text and data sections, joining
1476 @cindex joining text and data sections
1477 @cindex merging text and data sections
1478 @code{-R} tells @code{@value{AS}} to write the object file as if all
1479 data-section data lives in the text section. This is only done at
1480 the very last moment: your binary data are the same, but data
1481 section parts are relocated differently. The data section part of
1482 your object file is zero bytes long because all its bytes are
1483 appended to the text section. (@xref{Sections,,Sections and Relocation}.)
1485 When you specify @code{-R} it would be possible to generate shorter
1486 address displacements (because we do not have to cross between text and
1487 data section). We refrain from doing this simply for compatibility with
1488 older versions of @code{@value{AS}}. In future, @code{-R} may work this way.
1491 When @code{@value{AS}} is configured for COFF output,
1492 this option is only useful if you use sections named @samp{.text} and
1497 @code{-R} is not supported for any of the HPPA targets. Using
1498 @code{-R} generates a warning from @code{@value{AS}}.
1502 @section Display Assembly Statistics: @code{--statistics}
1504 @kindex --statistics
1505 @cindex statistics, about assembly
1506 @cindex time, total for assembly
1507 @cindex space used, maximum for assembly
1508 Use @samp{--statistics} to display two statistics about the resources used by
1509 @code{@value{AS}}: the maximum amount of space allocated during the assembly
1510 (in bytes), and the total execution time taken for the assembly (in @sc{cpu}
1513 @node traditional-format
1514 @section Compatible output: @code{--traditional-format}
1516 @kindex --traditional-format
1517 For some targets, the output of @code{@value{AS}} is different in some ways
1518 from the output of some existing assembler. This switch requests
1519 @code{@value{AS}} to use the traditional format instead.
1521 For example, it disables the exception frame optimizations which
1522 @code{@value{AS}} normally does by default on @code{@value{GCC}} output.
1525 @section Announce Version: @code{-v}
1529 @cindex assembler version
1530 @cindex version of assembler
1531 You can find out what version of as is running by including the
1532 option @samp{-v} (which you can also spell as @samp{-version}) on the
1536 @section Control Warnings: @code{-W}, @code{--warn}, @code{--no-warn}, @code{--fatal-warnings}
1538 @code{@value{AS}} should never give a warning or error message when
1539 assembling compiler output. But programs written by people often
1540 cause @code{@value{AS}} to give a warning that a particular assumption was
1541 made. All such warnings are directed to the standard error file.
1544 @kindex @samp{--no-warn}
1545 @cindex suppressing warnings
1546 @cindex warnings, suppressing
1547 If you use the @code{-W} and @code{--no-warn} options, no warnings are issued.
1548 This only affects the warning messages: it does not change any particular of
1549 how @code{@value{AS}} assembles your file. Errors, which stop the assembly,
1552 @kindex @samp{--fatal-warnings}
1553 @cindex errors, caused by warnings
1554 @cindex warnings, causing error
1555 If you use the @code{--fatal-warnings} option, @code{@value{AS}} considers
1556 files that generate warnings to be in error.
1558 @kindex @samp{--warn}
1559 @cindex warnings, switching on
1560 You can switch these options off again by specifying @code{--warn}, which
1561 causes warnings to be output as usual.
1564 @section Generate Object File in Spite of Errors: @code{-Z}
1565 @cindex object file, after errors
1566 @cindex errors, continuing after
1567 After an error message, @code{@value{AS}} normally produces no output. If for
1568 some reason you are interested in object file output even after
1569 @code{@value{AS}} gives an error message on your program, use the @samp{-Z}
1570 option. If there are any errors, @code{@value{AS}} continues anyways, and
1571 writes an object file after a final warning message of the form @samp{@var{n}
1572 errors, @var{m} warnings, generating bad object file.}
1577 @cindex machine-independent syntax
1578 @cindex syntax, machine-independent
1579 This chapter describes the machine-independent syntax allowed in a
1580 source file. @code{@value{AS}} syntax is similar to what many other
1581 assemblers use; it is inspired by the BSD 4.2
1586 assembler, except that @code{@value{AS}} does not assemble Vax bit-fields.
1590 * Preprocessing:: Preprocessing
1591 * Whitespace:: Whitespace
1592 * Comments:: Comments
1593 * Symbol Intro:: Symbols
1594 * Statements:: Statements
1595 * Constants:: Constants
1599 @section Preprocessing
1601 @cindex preprocessing
1602 The @code{@value{AS}} internal preprocessor:
1604 @cindex whitespace, removed by preprocessor
1606 adjusts and removes extra whitespace. It leaves one space or tab before
1607 the keywords on a line, and turns any other whitespace on the line into
1610 @cindex comments, removed by preprocessor
1612 removes all comments, replacing them with a single space, or an
1613 appropriate number of newlines.
1615 @cindex constants, converted by preprocessor
1617 converts character constants into the appropriate numeric values.
1620 It does not do macro processing, include file handling, or
1621 anything else you may get from your C compiler's preprocessor. You can
1622 do include file processing with the @code{.include} directive
1623 (@pxref{Include,,@code{.include}}). You can use the @sc{gnu} C compiler driver
1624 to get other ``CPP'' style preprocessing, by giving the input file a
1625 @samp{.S} suffix. @xref{Overall Options,, Options Controlling the Kind of
1626 Output, gcc.info, Using GNU CC}.
1628 Excess whitespace, comments, and character constants
1629 cannot be used in the portions of the input text that are not
1632 @cindex turning preprocessing on and off
1633 @cindex preprocessing, turning on and off
1636 If the first line of an input file is @code{#NO_APP} or if you use the
1637 @samp{-f} option, whitespace and comments are not removed from the input file.
1638 Within an input file, you can ask for whitespace and comment removal in
1639 specific portions of the by putting a line that says @code{#APP} before the
1640 text that may contain whitespace or comments, and putting a line that says
1641 @code{#NO_APP} after this text. This feature is mainly intend to support
1642 @code{asm} statements in compilers whose output is otherwise free of comments
1649 @dfn{Whitespace} is one or more blanks or tabs, in any order.
1650 Whitespace is used to separate symbols, and to make programs neater for
1651 people to read. Unless within character constants
1652 (@pxref{Characters,,Character Constants}), any whitespace means the same
1653 as exactly one space.
1659 There are two ways of rendering comments to @code{@value{AS}}. In both
1660 cases the comment is equivalent to one space.
1662 Anything from @samp{/*} through the next @samp{*/} is a comment.
1663 This means you may not nest these comments.
1667 The only way to include a newline ('\n') in a comment
1668 is to use this sort of comment.
1671 /* This sort of comment does not nest. */
1674 @cindex line comment character
1675 Anything from the @dfn{line comment} character to the next newline
1676 is considered a comment and is ignored. The line comment character is
1678 @samp{;} for the AMD 29K family;
1681 @samp{;} on the ARC;
1684 @samp{@@} on the ARM;
1687 @samp{;} for the H8/300 family;
1690 @samp{!} for the H8/500 family;
1693 @samp{;} for the HPPA;
1696 @samp{#} on the i386 and x86-64;
1699 @samp{#} on the i960;
1702 @samp{;} for the PDP-11;
1705 @samp{;} for picoJava;
1708 @samp{!} for the Hitachi SH;
1711 @samp{!} on the SPARC;
1714 @samp{#} on the m32r;
1717 @samp{|} on the 680x0;
1720 @samp{#} on the 68HC11 and 68HC12;
1723 @samp{#} on the Vax;
1726 @samp{!} for the Z8000;
1729 @samp{#} on the V850;
1731 see @ref{Machine Dependencies}. @refill
1732 @c FIXME What about m88k, i860?
1735 On some machines there are two different line comment characters. One
1736 character only begins a comment if it is the first non-whitespace character on
1737 a line, while the other always begins a comment.
1741 The V850 assembler also supports a double dash as starting a comment that
1742 extends to the end of the line.
1748 @cindex lines starting with @code{#}
1749 @cindex logical line numbers
1750 To be compatible with past assemblers, lines that begin with @samp{#} have a
1751 special interpretation. Following the @samp{#} should be an absolute
1752 expression (@pxref{Expressions}): the logical line number of the @emph{next}
1753 line. Then a string (@pxref{Strings,, Strings}) is allowed: if present it is a
1754 new logical file name. The rest of the line, if any, should be whitespace.
1756 If the first non-whitespace characters on the line are not numeric,
1757 the line is ignored. (Just like a comment.)
1760 # This is an ordinary comment.
1761 # 42-6 "new_file_name" # New logical file name
1762 # This is logical line # 36.
1764 This feature is deprecated, and may disappear from future versions
1765 of @code{@value{AS}}.
1770 @cindex characters used in symbols
1771 @ifclear SPECIAL-SYMS
1772 A @dfn{symbol} is one or more characters chosen from the set of all
1773 letters (both upper and lower case), digits and the three characters
1779 A @dfn{symbol} is one or more characters chosen from the set of all
1780 letters (both upper and lower case), digits and the three characters
1781 @samp{._$}. (Save that, on the H8/300 only, you may not use @samp{$} in
1787 On most machines, you can also use @code{$} in symbol names; exceptions
1788 are noted in @ref{Machine Dependencies}.
1790 No symbol may begin with a digit. Case is significant.
1791 There is no length limit: all characters are significant. Symbols are
1792 delimited by characters not in that set, or by the beginning of a file
1793 (since the source program must end with a newline, the end of a file is
1794 not a possible symbol delimiter). @xref{Symbols}.
1795 @cindex length of symbols
1800 @cindex statements, structure of
1801 @cindex line separator character
1802 @cindex statement separator character
1804 @ifclear abnormal-separator
1805 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or at a
1806 semicolon (@samp{;}). The newline or semicolon is considered part of
1807 the preceding statement. Newlines and semicolons within character
1808 constants are an exception: they do not end statements.
1810 @ifset abnormal-separator
1812 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or an ``at''
1813 sign (@samp{@@}). The newline or at sign is considered part of the
1814 preceding statement. Newlines and at signs within character constants
1815 are an exception: they do not end statements.
1818 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or an exclamation
1819 point (@samp{!}). The newline or exclamation point is considered part of the
1820 preceding statement. Newlines and exclamation points within character
1821 constants are an exception: they do not end statements.
1824 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}); or (for the
1825 H8/300) a dollar sign (@samp{$}); or (for the
1828 (@samp{;}). The newline or separator character is considered part of
1829 the preceding statement. Newlines and separators within character
1830 constants are an exception: they do not end statements.
1835 A @dfn{statement} ends at a newline character (@samp{\n}) or line
1836 separator character. (The line separator is usually @samp{;}, unless
1837 this conflicts with the comment character; @pxref{Machine Dependencies}.) The
1838 newline or separator character is considered part of the preceding
1839 statement. Newlines and separators within character constants are an
1840 exception: they do not end statements.
1843 @cindex newline, required at file end
1844 @cindex EOF, newline must precede
1845 It is an error to end any statement with end-of-file: the last
1846 character of any input file should be a newline.@refill
1848 An empty statement is allowed, and may include whitespace. It is ignored.
1850 @cindex instructions and directives
1851 @cindex directives and instructions
1852 @c "key symbol" is not used elsewhere in the document; seems pedantic to
1853 @c @defn{} it in that case, as was done previously... doc@cygnus.com,
1855 A statement begins with zero or more labels, optionally followed by a
1856 key symbol which determines what kind of statement it is. The key
1857 symbol determines the syntax of the rest of the statement. If the
1858 symbol begins with a dot @samp{.} then the statement is an assembler
1859 directive: typically valid for any computer. If the symbol begins with
1860 a letter the statement is an assembly language @dfn{instruction}: it
1861 assembles into a machine language instruction.
1863 Different versions of @code{@value{AS}} for different computers
1864 recognize different instructions. In fact, the same symbol may
1865 represent a different instruction in a different computer's assembly
1869 @cindex @code{:} (label)
1870 @cindex label (@code{:})
1871 A label is a symbol immediately followed by a colon (@code{:}).
1872 Whitespace before a label or after a colon is permitted, but you may not
1873 have whitespace between a label's symbol and its colon. @xref{Labels}.
1876 For HPPA targets, labels need not be immediately followed by a colon, but
1877 the definition of a label must begin in column zero. This also implies that
1878 only one label may be defined on each line.
1882 label: .directive followed by something
1883 another_label: # This is an empty statement.
1884 instruction operand_1, operand_2, @dots{}
1891 A constant is a number, written so that its value is known by
1892 inspection, without knowing any context. Like this:
1895 .byte 74, 0112, 092, 0x4A, 0X4a, 'J, '\J # All the same value.
1896 .ascii "Ring the bell\7" # A string constant.
1897 .octa 0x123456789abcdef0123456789ABCDEF0 # A bignum.
1898 .float 0f-314159265358979323846264338327\
1899 95028841971.693993751E-40 # - pi, a flonum.
1904 * Characters:: Character Constants
1905 * Numbers:: Number Constants
1909 @subsection Character Constants
1911 @cindex character constants
1912 @cindex constants, character
1913 There are two kinds of character constants. A @dfn{character} stands
1914 for one character in one byte and its value may be used in
1915 numeric expressions. String constants (properly called string
1916 @emph{literals}) are potentially many bytes and their values may not be
1917 used in arithmetic expressions.
1921 * Chars:: Characters
1925 @subsubsection Strings
1927 @cindex string constants
1928 @cindex constants, string
1929 A @dfn{string} is written between double-quotes. It may contain
1930 double-quotes or null characters. The way to get special characters
1931 into a string is to @dfn{escape} these characters: precede them with
1932 a backslash @samp{\} character. For example @samp{\\} represents
1933 one backslash: the first @code{\} is an escape which tells
1934 @code{@value{AS}} to interpret the second character literally as a backslash
1935 (which prevents @code{@value{AS}} from recognizing the second @code{\} as an
1936 escape character). The complete list of escapes follows.
1938 @cindex escape codes, character
1939 @cindex character escape codes
1942 @c Mnemonic for ACKnowledge; for ASCII this is octal code 007.
1944 @cindex @code{\b} (backspace character)
1945 @cindex backspace (@code{\b})
1947 Mnemonic for backspace; for ASCII this is octal code 010.
1950 @c Mnemonic for EOText; for ASCII this is octal code 004.
1952 @cindex @code{\f} (formfeed character)
1953 @cindex formfeed (@code{\f})
1955 Mnemonic for FormFeed; for ASCII this is octal code 014.
1957 @cindex @code{\n} (newline character)
1958 @cindex newline (@code{\n})
1960 Mnemonic for newline; for ASCII this is octal code 012.
1963 @c Mnemonic for prefix; for ASCII this is octal code 033, usually known as @code{escape}.
1965 @cindex @code{\r} (carriage return character)
1966 @cindex carriage return (@code{\r})
1968 Mnemonic for carriage-Return; for ASCII this is octal code 015.
1971 @c Mnemonic for space; for ASCII this is octal code 040. Included for compliance with
1972 @c other assemblers.
1974 @cindex @code{\t} (tab)
1975 @cindex tab (@code{\t})
1977 Mnemonic for horizontal Tab; for ASCII this is octal code 011.
1980 @c Mnemonic for Vertical tab; for ASCII this is octal code 013.
1981 @c @item \x @var{digit} @var{digit} @var{digit}
1982 @c A hexadecimal character code. The numeric code is 3 hexadecimal digits.
1984 @cindex @code{\@var{ddd}} (octal character code)
1985 @cindex octal character code (@code{\@var{ddd}})
1986 @item \ @var{digit} @var{digit} @var{digit}
1987 An octal character code. The numeric code is 3 octal digits.
1988 For compatibility with other Unix systems, 8 and 9 are accepted as digits:
1989 for example, @code{\008} has the value 010, and @code{\009} the value 011.
1991 @cindex @code{\@var{xd...}} (hex character code)
1992 @cindex hex character code (@code{\@var{xd...}})
1993 @item \@code{x} @var{hex-digits...}
1994 A hex character code. All trailing hex digits are combined. Either upper or
1995 lower case @code{x} works.
1997 @cindex @code{\\} (@samp{\} character)
1998 @cindex backslash (@code{\\})
2000 Represents one @samp{\} character.
2003 @c Represents one @samp{'} (accent acute) character.
2004 @c This is needed in single character literals
2005 @c (@xref{Characters,,Character Constants}.) to represent
2008 @cindex @code{\"} (doublequote character)
2009 @cindex doublequote (@code{\"})
2011 Represents one @samp{"} character. Needed in strings to represent
2012 this character, because an unescaped @samp{"} would end the string.
2014 @item \ @var{anything-else}
2015 Any other character when escaped by @kbd{\} gives a warning, but
2016 assembles as if the @samp{\} was not present. The idea is that if
2017 you used an escape sequence you clearly didn't want the literal
2018 interpretation of the following character. However @code{@value{AS}} has no
2019 other interpretation, so @code{@value{AS}} knows it is giving you the wrong
2020 code and warns you of the fact.
2023 Which characters are escapable, and what those escapes represent,
2024 varies widely among assemblers. The current set is what we think
2025 the BSD 4.2 assembler recognizes, and is a subset of what most C
2026 compilers recognize. If you are in doubt, do not use an escape
2030 @subsubsection Characters
2032 @cindex single character constant
2033 @cindex character, single
2034 @cindex constant, single character
2035 A single character may be written as a single quote immediately
2036 followed by that character. The same escapes apply to characters as
2037 to strings. So if you want to write the character backslash, you
2038 must write @kbd{'\\} where the first @code{\} escapes the second
2039 @code{\}. As you can see, the quote is an acute accent, not a
2040 grave accent. A newline
2042 @ifclear abnormal-separator
2043 (or semicolon @samp{;})
2045 @ifset abnormal-separator
2047 (or at sign @samp{@@})
2050 (or dollar sign @samp{$}, for the H8/300; or semicolon @samp{;} for the
2056 immediately following an acute accent is taken as a literal character
2057 and does not count as the end of a statement. The value of a character
2058 constant in a numeric expression is the machine's byte-wide code for
2059 that character. @code{@value{AS}} assumes your character code is ASCII:
2060 @kbd{'A} means 65, @kbd{'B} means 66, and so on. @refill
2063 @subsection Number Constants
2065 @cindex constants, number
2066 @cindex number constants
2067 @code{@value{AS}} distinguishes three kinds of numbers according to how they
2068 are stored in the target machine. @emph{Integers} are numbers that
2069 would fit into an @code{int} in the C language. @emph{Bignums} are
2070 integers, but they are stored in more than 32 bits. @emph{Flonums}
2071 are floating point numbers, described below.
2074 * Integers:: Integers
2079 * Bit Fields:: Bit Fields
2085 @subsubsection Integers
2087 @cindex constants, integer
2089 @cindex binary integers
2090 @cindex integers, binary
2091 A binary integer is @samp{0b} or @samp{0B} followed by zero or more of
2092 the binary digits @samp{01}.
2094 @cindex octal integers
2095 @cindex integers, octal
2096 An octal integer is @samp{0} followed by zero or more of the octal
2097 digits (@samp{01234567}).
2099 @cindex decimal integers
2100 @cindex integers, decimal
2101 A decimal integer starts with a non-zero digit followed by zero or
2102 more digits (@samp{0123456789}).
2104 @cindex hexadecimal integers
2105 @cindex integers, hexadecimal
2106 A hexadecimal integer is @samp{0x} or @samp{0X} followed by one or
2107 more hexadecimal digits chosen from @samp{0123456789abcdefABCDEF}.
2109 Integers have the usual values. To denote a negative integer, use
2110 the prefix operator @samp{-} discussed under expressions
2111 (@pxref{Prefix Ops,,Prefix Operators}).
2114 @subsubsection Bignums
2117 @cindex constants, bignum
2118 A @dfn{bignum} has the same syntax and semantics as an integer
2119 except that the number (or its negative) takes more than 32 bits to
2120 represent in binary. The distinction is made because in some places
2121 integers are permitted while bignums are not.
2124 @subsubsection Flonums
2126 @cindex floating point numbers
2127 @cindex constants, floating point
2129 @cindex precision, floating point
2130 A @dfn{flonum} represents a floating point number. The translation is
2131 indirect: a decimal floating point number from the text is converted by
2132 @code{@value{AS}} to a generic binary floating point number of more than
2133 sufficient precision. This generic floating point number is converted
2134 to a particular computer's floating point format (or formats) by a
2135 portion of @code{@value{AS}} specialized to that computer.
2137 A flonum is written by writing (in order)
2142 (@samp{0} is optional on the HPPA.)
2146 A letter, to tell @code{@value{AS}} the rest of the number is a flonum.
2148 @kbd{e} is recommended. Case is not important.
2150 @c FIXME: verify if flonum syntax really this vague for most cases
2151 (Any otherwise illegal letter works here, but that might be changed. Vax BSD
2152 4.2 assembler seems to allow any of @samp{defghDEFGH}.)
2155 On the H8/300, H8/500,
2157 and AMD 29K architectures, the letter must be
2158 one of the letters @samp{DFPRSX} (in upper or lower case).
2160 On the ARC, the letter must be one of the letters @samp{DFRS}
2161 (in upper or lower case).
2163 On the Intel 960 architecture, the letter must be
2164 one of the letters @samp{DFT} (in upper or lower case).
2166 On the HPPA architecture, the letter must be @samp{E} (upper case only).
2170 One of the letters @samp{DFPRSX} (in upper or lower case).
2173 One of the letters @samp{DFRS} (in upper or lower case).
2176 One of the letters @samp{DFPRSX} (in upper or lower case).
2179 The letter @samp{E} (upper case only).
2182 One of the letters @samp{DFT} (in upper or lower case).
2187 An optional sign: either @samp{+} or @samp{-}.
2190 An optional @dfn{integer part}: zero or more decimal digits.
2193 An optional @dfn{fractional part}: @samp{.} followed by zero
2194 or more decimal digits.
2197 An optional exponent, consisting of:
2201 An @samp{E} or @samp{e}.
2202 @c I can't find a config where "EXP_CHARS" is other than 'eE', but in
2203 @c principle this can perfectly well be different on different targets.
2205 Optional sign: either @samp{+} or @samp{-}.
2207 One or more decimal digits.
2212 At least one of the integer part or the fractional part must be
2213 present. The floating point number has the usual base-10 value.
2215 @code{@value{AS}} does all processing using integers. Flonums are computed
2216 independently of any floating point hardware in the computer running
2221 @c Bit fields are written as a general facility but are also controlled
2222 @c by a conditional-compilation flag---which is as of now (21mar91)
2223 @c turned on only by the i960 config of GAS.
2225 @subsubsection Bit Fields
2228 @cindex constants, bit field
2229 You can also define numeric constants as @dfn{bit fields}.
2230 specify two numbers separated by a colon---
2232 @var{mask}:@var{value}
2235 @code{@value{AS}} applies a bitwise @sc{and} between @var{mask} and
2238 The resulting number is then packed
2240 @c this conditional paren in case bit fields turned on elsewhere than 960
2241 (in host-dependent byte order)
2243 into a field whose width depends on which assembler directive has the
2244 bit-field as its argument. Overflow (a result from the bitwise and
2245 requiring more binary digits to represent) is not an error; instead,
2246 more constants are generated, of the specified width, beginning with the
2247 least significant digits.@refill
2249 The directives @code{.byte}, @code{.hword}, @code{.int}, @code{.long},
2250 @code{.short}, and @code{.word} accept bit-field arguments.
2255 @chapter Sections and Relocation
2260 * Secs Background:: Background
2261 * Ld Sections:: Linker Sections
2262 * As Sections:: Assembler Internal Sections
2263 * Sub-Sections:: Sub-Sections
2267 @node Secs Background
2270 Roughly, a section is a range of addresses, with no gaps; all data
2271 ``in'' those addresses is treated the same for some particular purpose.
2272 For example there may be a ``read only'' section.
2274 @cindex linker, and assembler
2275 @cindex assembler, and linker
2276 The linker @code{@value{LD}} reads many object files (partial programs) and
2277 combines their contents to form a runnable program. When @code{@value{AS}}
2278 emits an object file, the partial program is assumed to start at address 0.
2279 @code{@value{LD}} assigns the final addresses for the partial program, so that
2280 different partial programs do not overlap. This is actually an
2281 oversimplification, but it suffices to explain how @code{@value{AS}} uses
2284 @code{@value{LD}} moves blocks of bytes of your program to their run-time
2285 addresses. These blocks slide to their run-time addresses as rigid
2286 units; their length does not change and neither does the order of bytes
2287 within them. Such a rigid unit is called a @emph{section}. Assigning
2288 run-time addresses to sections is called @dfn{relocation}. It includes
2289 the task of adjusting mentions of object-file addresses so they refer to
2290 the proper run-time addresses.
2292 For the H8/300 and H8/500,
2293 and for the Hitachi SH,
2294 @code{@value{AS}} pads sections if needed to
2295 ensure they end on a word (sixteen bit) boundary.
2298 @cindex standard assembler sections
2299 An object file written by @code{@value{AS}} has at least three sections, any
2300 of which may be empty. These are named @dfn{text}, @dfn{data} and
2305 When it generates COFF output,
2307 @code{@value{AS}} can also generate whatever other named sections you specify
2308 using the @samp{.section} directive (@pxref{Section,,@code{.section}}).
2309 If you do not use any directives that place output in the @samp{.text}
2310 or @samp{.data} sections, these sections still exist, but are empty.
2315 When @code{@value{AS}} generates SOM or ELF output for the HPPA,
2317 @code{@value{AS}} can also generate whatever other named sections you
2318 specify using the @samp{.space} and @samp{.subspace} directives. See
2319 @cite{HP9000 Series 800 Assembly Language Reference Manual}
2320 (HP 92432-90001) for details on the @samp{.space} and @samp{.subspace}
2321 assembler directives.
2324 Additionally, @code{@value{AS}} uses different names for the standard
2325 text, data, and bss sections when generating SOM output. Program text
2326 is placed into the @samp{$CODE$} section, data into @samp{$DATA$}, and
2327 BSS into @samp{$BSS$}.
2331 Within the object file, the text section starts at address @code{0}, the
2332 data section follows, and the bss section follows the data section.
2335 When generating either SOM or ELF output files on the HPPA, the text
2336 section starts at address @code{0}, the data section at address
2337 @code{0x4000000}, and the bss section follows the data section.
2340 To let @code{@value{LD}} know which data changes when the sections are
2341 relocated, and how to change that data, @code{@value{AS}} also writes to the
2342 object file details of the relocation needed. To perform relocation
2343 @code{@value{LD}} must know, each time an address in the object
2347 Where in the object file is the beginning of this reference to
2350 How long (in bytes) is this reference?
2352 Which section does the address refer to? What is the numeric value of
2354 (@var{address}) @minus{} (@var{start-address of section})?
2357 Is the reference to an address ``Program-Counter relative''?
2360 @cindex addresses, format of
2361 @cindex section-relative addressing
2362 In fact, every address @code{@value{AS}} ever uses is expressed as
2364 (@var{section}) + (@var{offset into section})
2367 Further, most expressions @code{@value{AS}} computes have this section-relative
2370 (For some object formats, such as SOM for the HPPA, some expressions are
2371 symbol-relative instead.)
2374 In this manual we use the notation @{@var{secname} @var{N}@} to mean ``offset
2375 @var{N} into section @var{secname}.''
2377 Apart from text, data and bss sections you need to know about the
2378 @dfn{absolute} section. When @code{@value{LD}} mixes partial programs,
2379 addresses in the absolute section remain unchanged. For example, address
2380 @code{@{absolute 0@}} is ``relocated'' to run-time address 0 by
2381 @code{@value{LD}}. Although the linker never arranges two partial programs'
2382 data sections with overlapping addresses after linking, @emph{by definition}
2383 their absolute sections must overlap. Address @code{@{absolute@ 239@}} in one
2384 part of a program is always the same address when the program is running as
2385 address @code{@{absolute@ 239@}} in any other part of the program.
2387 The idea of sections is extended to the @dfn{undefined} section. Any
2388 address whose section is unknown at assembly time is by definition
2389 rendered @{undefined @var{U}@}---where @var{U} is filled in later.
2390 Since numbers are always defined, the only way to generate an undefined
2391 address is to mention an undefined symbol. A reference to a named
2392 common block would be such a symbol: its value is unknown at assembly
2393 time so it has section @emph{undefined}.
2395 By analogy the word @emph{section} is used to describe groups of sections in
2396 the linked program. @code{@value{LD}} puts all partial programs' text
2397 sections in contiguous addresses in the linked program. It is
2398 customary to refer to the @emph{text section} of a program, meaning all
2399 the addresses of all partial programs' text sections. Likewise for
2400 data and bss sections.
2402 Some sections are manipulated by @code{@value{LD}}; others are invented for
2403 use of @code{@value{AS}} and have no meaning except during assembly.
2406 @section Linker Sections
2407 @code{@value{LD}} deals with just four kinds of sections, summarized below.
2412 @cindex named sections
2413 @cindex sections, named
2414 @item named sections
2417 @cindex text section
2418 @cindex data section
2422 These sections hold your program. @code{@value{AS}} and @code{@value{LD}} treat them as
2423 separate but equal sections. Anything you can say of one section is
2426 When the program is running, however, it is
2427 customary for the text section to be unalterable. The
2428 text section is often shared among processes: it contains
2429 instructions, constants and the like. The data section of a running
2430 program is usually alterable: for example, C variables would be stored
2431 in the data section.
2436 This section contains zeroed bytes when your program begins running. It
2437 is used to hold uninitialized variables or common storage. The length of
2438 each partial program's bss section is important, but because it starts
2439 out containing zeroed bytes there is no need to store explicit zero
2440 bytes in the object file. The bss section was invented to eliminate
2441 those explicit zeros from object files.
2443 @cindex absolute section
2444 @item absolute section
2445 Address 0 of this section is always ``relocated'' to runtime address 0.
2446 This is useful if you want to refer to an address that @code{@value{LD}} must
2447 not change when relocating. In this sense we speak of absolute
2448 addresses being ``unrelocatable'': they do not change during relocation.
2450 @cindex undefined section
2451 @item undefined section
2452 This ``section'' is a catch-all for address references to objects not in
2453 the preceding sections.
2454 @c FIXME: ref to some other doc on obj-file formats could go here.
2457 @cindex relocation example
2458 An idealized example of three relocatable sections follows.
2460 The example uses the traditional section names @samp{.text} and @samp{.data}.
2462 Memory addresses are on the horizontal axis.
2466 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
2469 partial program # 1: |ttttt|dddd|00|
2476 partial program # 2: |TTT|DDD|000|
2479 +--+---+-----+--+----+---+-----+~~
2480 linked program: | |TTT|ttttt| |dddd|DDD|00000|
2481 +--+---+-----+--+----+---+-----+~~
2483 addresses: 0 @dots{}
2490 \line{\it Partial program \#1: \hfil}
2491 \line{\ibox{2.5cm}{\tt text}\ibox{2cm}{\tt data}\ibox{1cm}{\tt bss}\hfil}
2492 \line{\boxit{2.5cm}{\tt ttttt}\boxit{2cm}{\tt dddd}\boxit{1cm}{\tt 00}\hfil}
2494 \line{\it Partial program \#2: \hfil}
2495 \line{\ibox{1cm}{\tt text}\ibox{1.5cm}{\tt data}\ibox{1cm}{\tt bss}\hfil}
2496 \line{\boxit{1cm}{\tt TTT}\boxit{1.5cm}{\tt DDDD}\boxit{1cm}{\tt 000}\hfil}
2498 \line{\it linked program: \hfil}
2499 \line{\ibox{.5cm}{}\ibox{1cm}{\tt text}\ibox{2.5cm}{}\ibox{.75cm}{}\ibox{2cm}{\tt data}\ibox{1.5cm}{}\ibox{2cm}{\tt bss}\hfil}
2500 \line{\boxit{.5cm}{}\boxit{1cm}{\tt TTT}\boxit{2.5cm}{\tt
2501 ttttt}\boxit{.75cm}{}\boxit{2cm}{\tt dddd}\boxit{1.5cm}{\tt
2502 DDDD}\boxit{2cm}{\tt 00000}\ \dots\hfil}
2504 \line{\it addresses: \hfil}
2508 @c END TEXI2ROFF-KILL
2511 @section Assembler Internal Sections
2513 @cindex internal assembler sections
2514 @cindex sections in messages, internal
2515 These sections are meant only for the internal use of @code{@value{AS}}. They
2516 have no meaning at run-time. You do not really need to know about these
2517 sections for most purposes; but they can be mentioned in @code{@value{AS}}
2518 warning messages, so it might be helpful to have an idea of their
2519 meanings to @code{@value{AS}}. These sections are used to permit the
2520 value of every expression in your assembly language program to be a
2521 section-relative address.
2524 @cindex assembler internal logic error
2525 @item ASSEMBLER-INTERNAL-LOGIC-ERROR!
2526 An internal assembler logic error has been found. This means there is a
2527 bug in the assembler.
2529 @cindex expr (internal section)
2531 The assembler stores complex expression internally as combinations of
2532 symbols. When it needs to represent an expression as a symbol, it puts
2533 it in the expr section.
2535 @c FIXME item transfer[t] vector preload
2536 @c FIXME item transfer[t] vector postload
2537 @c FIXME item register
2541 @section Sub-Sections
2543 @cindex numbered subsections
2544 @cindex grouping data
2550 fall into two sections: text and data.
2552 You may have separate groups of
2554 data in named sections
2558 data in named sections
2564 that you want to end up near to each other in the object file, even though they
2565 are not contiguous in the assembler source. @code{@value{AS}} allows you to
2566 use @dfn{subsections} for this purpose. Within each section, there can be
2567 numbered subsections with values from 0 to 8192. Objects assembled into the
2568 same subsection go into the object file together with other objects in the same
2569 subsection. For example, a compiler might want to store constants in the text
2570 section, but might not want to have them interspersed with the program being
2571 assembled. In this case, the compiler could issue a @samp{.text 0} before each
2572 section of code being output, and a @samp{.text 1} before each group of
2573 constants being output.
2575 Subsections are optional. If you do not use subsections, everything
2576 goes in subsection number zero.
2579 Each subsection is zero-padded up to a multiple of four bytes.
2580 (Subsections may be padded a different amount on different flavors
2581 of @code{@value{AS}}.)
2585 On the H8/300 and H8/500 platforms, each subsection is zero-padded to a word
2586 boundary (two bytes).
2587 The same is true on the Hitachi SH.
2590 @c FIXME section padding (alignment)?
2591 @c Rich Pixley says padding here depends on target obj code format; that
2592 @c doesn't seem particularly useful to say without further elaboration,
2593 @c so for now I say nothing about it. If this is a generic BFD issue,
2594 @c these paragraphs might need to vanish from this manual, and be
2595 @c discussed in BFD chapter of binutils (or some such).
2598 On the AMD 29K family, no particular padding is added to section or
2599 subsection sizes; @value{AS} forces no alignment on this platform.
2603 Subsections appear in your object file in numeric order, lowest numbered
2604 to highest. (All this to be compatible with other people's assemblers.)
2605 The object file contains no representation of subsections; @code{@value{LD}} and
2606 other programs that manipulate object files see no trace of them.
2607 They just see all your text subsections as a text section, and all your
2608 data subsections as a data section.
2610 To specify which subsection you want subsequent statements assembled
2611 into, use a numeric argument to specify it, in a @samp{.text
2612 @var{expression}} or a @samp{.data @var{expression}} statement.
2615 When generating COFF output, you
2620 can also use an extra subsection
2621 argument with arbitrary named sections: @samp{.section @var{name},
2624 @var{Expression} should be an absolute expression.
2625 (@xref{Expressions}.) If you just say @samp{.text} then @samp{.text 0}
2626 is assumed. Likewise @samp{.data} means @samp{.data 0}. Assembly
2627 begins in @code{text 0}. For instance:
2629 .text 0 # The default subsection is text 0 anyway.
2630 .ascii "This lives in the first text subsection. *"
2632 .ascii "But this lives in the second text subsection."
2634 .ascii "This lives in the data section,"
2635 .ascii "in the first data subsection."
2637 .ascii "This lives in the first text section,"
2638 .ascii "immediately following the asterisk (*)."
2641 Each section has a @dfn{location counter} incremented by one for every byte
2642 assembled into that section. Because subsections are merely a convenience
2643 restricted to @code{@value{AS}} there is no concept of a subsection location
2644 counter. There is no way to directly manipulate a location counter---but the
2645 @code{.align} directive changes it, and any label definition captures its
2646 current value. The location counter of the section where statements are being
2647 assembled is said to be the @dfn{active} location counter.
2650 @section bss Section
2653 @cindex common variable storage
2654 The bss section is used for local common variable storage.
2655 You may allocate address space in the bss section, but you may
2656 not dictate data to load into it before your program executes. When
2657 your program starts running, all the contents of the bss
2658 section are zeroed bytes.
2660 The @code{.lcomm} pseudo-op defines a symbol in the bss section; see
2661 @ref{Lcomm,,@code{.lcomm}}.
2663 The @code{.comm} pseudo-op may be used to declare a common symbol, which is
2664 another form of uninitialized symbol; see @xref{Comm,,@code{.comm}}.
2667 When assembling for a target which supports multiple sections, such as ELF or
2668 COFF, you may switch into the @code{.bss} section and define symbols as usual;
2669 see @ref{Section,,@code{.section}}. You may only assemble zero values into the
2670 section. Typically the section will only contain symbol definitions and
2671 @code{.skip} directives (@pxref{Skip,,@code{.skip}}).
2678 Symbols are a central concept: the programmer uses symbols to name
2679 things, the linker uses symbols to link, and the debugger uses symbols
2683 @cindex debuggers, and symbol order
2684 @emph{Warning:} @code{@value{AS}} does not place symbols in the object file in
2685 the same order they were declared. This may break some debuggers.
2690 * Setting Symbols:: Giving Symbols Other Values
2691 * Symbol Names:: Symbol Names
2692 * Dot:: The Special Dot Symbol
2693 * Symbol Attributes:: Symbol Attributes
2700 A @dfn{label} is written as a symbol immediately followed by a colon
2701 @samp{:}. The symbol then represents the current value of the
2702 active location counter, and is, for example, a suitable instruction
2703 operand. You are warned if you use the same symbol to represent two
2704 different locations: the first definition overrides any other
2708 On the HPPA, the usual form for a label need not be immediately followed by a
2709 colon, but instead must start in column zero. Only one label may be defined on
2710 a single line. To work around this, the HPPA version of @code{@value{AS}} also
2711 provides a special directive @code{.label} for defining labels more flexibly.
2714 @node Setting Symbols
2715 @section Giving Symbols Other Values
2717 @cindex assigning values to symbols
2718 @cindex symbol values, assigning
2719 A symbol can be given an arbitrary value by writing a symbol, followed
2720 by an equals sign @samp{=}, followed by an expression
2721 (@pxref{Expressions}). This is equivalent to using the @code{.set}
2722 directive. @xref{Set,,@code{.set}}.
2725 @section Symbol Names
2727 @cindex symbol names
2728 @cindex names, symbol
2729 @ifclear SPECIAL-SYMS
2730 Symbol names begin with a letter or with one of @samp{._}. On most
2731 machines, you can also use @code{$} in symbol names; exceptions are
2732 noted in @ref{Machine Dependencies}. That character may be followed by any
2733 string of digits, letters, dollar signs (unless otherwise noted in
2734 @ref{Machine Dependencies}), and underscores.
2737 For the AMD 29K family, @samp{?} is also allowed in the
2738 body of a symbol name, though not at its beginning.
2743 Symbol names begin with a letter or with one of @samp{._}. On the
2745 H8/500, you can also use @code{$} in symbol names. That character may
2746 be followed by any string of digits, letters, dollar signs (save on the
2747 H8/300), and underscores.
2751 Case of letters is significant: @code{foo} is a different symbol name
2754 Each symbol has exactly one name. Each name in an assembly language program
2755 refers to exactly one symbol. You may use that symbol name any number of times
2758 @subheading Local Symbol Names
2760 @cindex local symbol names
2761 @cindex symbol names, local
2762 @cindex temporary symbol names
2763 @cindex symbol names, temporary
2764 Local symbols help compilers and programmers use names temporarily.
2765 There are ten local symbol names, which are re-used throughout the
2766 program. You may refer to them using the names @samp{0} @samp{1}
2767 @dots{} @samp{9}. To define a local symbol, write a label of the form
2768 @samp{@b{N}:} (where @b{N} represents any digit). To refer to the most
2769 recent previous definition of that symbol write @samp{@b{N}b}, using the
2770 same digit as when you defined the label. To refer to the next
2771 definition of a local label, write @samp{@b{N}f}---where @b{N} gives you
2772 a choice of 10 forward references. The @samp{b} stands for
2773 ``backwards'' and the @samp{f} stands for ``forwards''.
2775 Local symbols are not emitted by the current @sc{gnu} C compiler.
2777 There is no restriction on how you can use these labels, but
2778 remember that at any point in the assembly you can refer to at most
2779 10 prior local labels and to at most 10 forward local labels.
2781 Local symbol names are only a notation device. They are immediately
2782 transformed into more conventional symbol names before the assembler
2783 uses them. The symbol names stored in the symbol table, appearing in
2784 error messages and optionally emitted to the object file have these
2789 All local labels begin with @samp{L}. Normally both @code{@value{AS}} and
2790 @code{@value{LD}} forget symbols that start with @samp{L}. These labels are
2791 used for symbols you are never intended to see. If you use the
2792 @samp{-L} option then @code{@value{AS}} retains these symbols in the
2793 object file. If you also instruct @code{@value{LD}} to retain these symbols,
2794 you may use them in debugging.
2797 If the label is written @samp{0:} then the digit is @samp{0}.
2798 If the label is written @samp{1:} then the digit is @samp{1}.
2799 And so on up through @samp{9:}.
2802 This unusual character is included so you do not accidentally invent
2803 a symbol of the same name. The character has ASCII value
2806 @item @emph{ordinal number}
2807 This is a serial number to keep the labels distinct. The first
2808 @samp{0:} gets the number @samp{1}; The 15th @samp{0:} gets the
2809 number @samp{15}; @emph{etc.}. Likewise for the other labels @samp{1:}
2813 For instance, the first @code{1:} is named @code{L1@kbd{C-A}1}, the 44th
2814 @code{3:} is named @code{L3@kbd{C-A}44}.
2817 @section The Special Dot Symbol
2819 @cindex dot (symbol)
2820 @cindex @code{.} (symbol)
2821 @cindex current address
2822 @cindex location counter
2823 The special symbol @samp{.} refers to the current address that
2824 @code{@value{AS}} is assembling into. Thus, the expression @samp{melvin:
2825 .long .} defines @code{melvin} to contain its own address.
2826 Assigning a value to @code{.} is treated the same as a @code{.org}
2827 directive. Thus, the expression @samp{.=.+4} is the same as saying
2828 @ifclear no-space-dir
2837 @node Symbol Attributes
2838 @section Symbol Attributes
2840 @cindex symbol attributes
2841 @cindex attributes, symbol
2842 Every symbol has, as well as its name, the attributes ``Value'' and
2843 ``Type''. Depending on output format, symbols can also have auxiliary
2846 The detailed definitions are in @file{a.out.h}.
2849 If you use a symbol without defining it, @code{@value{AS}} assumes zero for
2850 all these attributes, and probably won't warn you. This makes the
2851 symbol an externally defined symbol, which is generally what you
2855 * Symbol Value:: Value
2856 * Symbol Type:: Type
2859 * a.out Symbols:: Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
2863 * a.out Symbols:: Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
2866 * a.out Symbols:: Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}, @code{b.out}
2871 * COFF Symbols:: Symbol Attributes for COFF
2874 * SOM Symbols:: Symbol Attributes for SOM
2881 @cindex value of a symbol
2882 @cindex symbol value
2883 The value of a symbol is (usually) 32 bits. For a symbol which labels a
2884 location in the text, data, bss or absolute sections the value is the
2885 number of addresses from the start of that section to the label.
2886 Naturally for text, data and bss sections the value of a symbol changes
2887 as @code{@value{LD}} changes section base addresses during linking. Absolute
2888 symbols' values do not change during linking: that is why they are
2891 The value of an undefined symbol is treated in a special way. If it is
2892 0 then the symbol is not defined in this assembler source file, and
2893 @code{@value{LD}} tries to determine its value from other files linked into the
2894 same program. You make this kind of symbol simply by mentioning a symbol
2895 name without defining it. A non-zero value represents a @code{.comm}
2896 common declaration. The value is how much common storage to reserve, in
2897 bytes (addresses). The symbol refers to the first address of the
2903 @cindex type of a symbol
2905 The type attribute of a symbol contains relocation (section)
2906 information, any flag settings indicating that a symbol is external, and
2907 (optionally), other information for linkers and debuggers. The exact
2908 format depends on the object-code output format in use.
2913 @c The following avoids a "widow" subsection title. @group would be
2914 @c better if it were available outside examples.
2917 @subsection Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}, @code{b.out}
2919 @cindex @code{b.out} symbol attributes
2920 @cindex symbol attributes, @code{b.out}
2921 These symbol attributes appear only when @code{@value{AS}} is configured for
2922 one of the Berkeley-descended object output formats---@code{a.out} or
2928 @subsection Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
2930 @cindex @code{a.out} symbol attributes
2931 @cindex symbol attributes, @code{a.out}
2937 @subsection Symbol Attributes: @code{a.out}
2939 @cindex @code{a.out} symbol attributes
2940 @cindex symbol attributes, @code{a.out}
2944 * Symbol Desc:: Descriptor
2945 * Symbol Other:: Other
2949 @subsubsection Descriptor
2951 @cindex descriptor, of @code{a.out} symbol
2952 This is an arbitrary 16-bit value. You may establish a symbol's
2953 descriptor value by using a @code{.desc} statement
2954 (@pxref{Desc,,@code{.desc}}). A descriptor value means nothing to
2958 @subsubsection Other
2960 @cindex other attribute, of @code{a.out} symbol
2961 This is an arbitrary 8-bit value. It means nothing to @code{@value{AS}}.
2966 @subsection Symbol Attributes for COFF
2968 @cindex COFF symbol attributes
2969 @cindex symbol attributes, COFF
2971 The COFF format supports a multitude of auxiliary symbol attributes;
2972 like the primary symbol attributes, they are set between @code{.def} and
2973 @code{.endef} directives.
2975 @subsubsection Primary Attributes
2977 @cindex primary attributes, COFF symbols
2978 The symbol name is set with @code{.def}; the value and type,
2979 respectively, with @code{.val} and @code{.type}.
2981 @subsubsection Auxiliary Attributes
2983 @cindex auxiliary attributes, COFF symbols
2984 The @code{@value{AS}} directives @code{.dim}, @code{.line}, @code{.scl},
2985 @code{.size}, and @code{.tag} can generate auxiliary symbol table
2986 information for COFF.
2991 @subsection Symbol Attributes for SOM
2993 @cindex SOM symbol attributes
2994 @cindex symbol attributes, SOM
2996 The SOM format for the HPPA supports a multitude of symbol attributes set with
2997 the @code{.EXPORT} and @code{.IMPORT} directives.
2999 The attributes are described in @cite{HP9000 Series 800 Assembly
3000 Language Reference Manual} (HP 92432-90001) under the @code{IMPORT} and
3001 @code{EXPORT} assembler directive documentation.
3005 @chapter Expressions
3009 @cindex numeric values
3010 An @dfn{expression} specifies an address or numeric value.
3011 Whitespace may precede and/or follow an expression.
3013 The result of an expression must be an absolute number, or else an offset into
3014 a particular section. If an expression is not absolute, and there is not
3015 enough information when @code{@value{AS}} sees the expression to know its
3016 section, a second pass over the source program might be necessary to interpret
3017 the expression---but the second pass is currently not implemented.
3018 @code{@value{AS}} aborts with an error message in this situation.
3021 * Empty Exprs:: Empty Expressions
3022 * Integer Exprs:: Integer Expressions
3026 @section Empty Expressions
3028 @cindex empty expressions
3029 @cindex expressions, empty
3030 An empty expression has no value: it is just whitespace or null.
3031 Wherever an absolute expression is required, you may omit the
3032 expression, and @code{@value{AS}} assumes a value of (absolute) 0. This
3033 is compatible with other assemblers.
3036 @section Integer Expressions
3038 @cindex integer expressions
3039 @cindex expressions, integer
3040 An @dfn{integer expression} is one or more @emph{arguments} delimited
3041 by @emph{operators}.
3044 * Arguments:: Arguments
3045 * Operators:: Operators
3046 * Prefix Ops:: Prefix Operators
3047 * Infix Ops:: Infix Operators
3051 @subsection Arguments
3053 @cindex expression arguments
3054 @cindex arguments in expressions
3055 @cindex operands in expressions
3056 @cindex arithmetic operands
3057 @dfn{Arguments} are symbols, numbers or subexpressions. In other
3058 contexts arguments are sometimes called ``arithmetic operands''. In
3059 this manual, to avoid confusing them with the ``instruction operands'' of
3060 the machine language, we use the term ``argument'' to refer to parts of
3061 expressions only, reserving the word ``operand'' to refer only to machine
3062 instruction operands.
3064 Symbols are evaluated to yield @{@var{section} @var{NNN}@} where
3065 @var{section} is one of text, data, bss, absolute,
3066 or undefined. @var{NNN} is a signed, 2's complement 32 bit
3069 Numbers are usually integers.
3071 A number can be a flonum or bignum. In this case, you are warned
3072 that only the low order 32 bits are used, and @code{@value{AS}} pretends
3073 these 32 bits are an integer. You may write integer-manipulating
3074 instructions that act on exotic constants, compatible with other
3077 @cindex subexpressions
3078 Subexpressions are a left parenthesis @samp{(} followed by an integer
3079 expression, followed by a right parenthesis @samp{)}; or a prefix
3080 operator followed by an argument.
3083 @subsection Operators
3085 @cindex operators, in expressions
3086 @cindex arithmetic functions
3087 @cindex functions, in expressions
3088 @dfn{Operators} are arithmetic functions, like @code{+} or @code{%}. Prefix
3089 operators are followed by an argument. Infix operators appear
3090 between their arguments. Operators may be preceded and/or followed by
3094 @subsection Prefix Operator
3096 @cindex prefix operators
3097 @code{@value{AS}} has the following @dfn{prefix operators}. They each take
3098 one argument, which must be absolute.
3100 @c the tex/end tex stuff surrounding this small table is meant to make
3101 @c it align, on the printed page, with the similar table in the next
3102 @c section (which is inside an enumerate).
3104 \global\advance\leftskip by \itemindent
3109 @dfn{Negation}. Two's complement negation.
3111 @dfn{Complementation}. Bitwise not.
3115 \global\advance\leftskip by -\itemindent
3119 @subsection Infix Operators
3121 @cindex infix operators
3122 @cindex operators, permitted arguments
3123 @dfn{Infix operators} take two arguments, one on either side. Operators
3124 have precedence, but operations with equal precedence are performed left
3125 to right. Apart from @code{+} or @code{-}, both arguments must be
3126 absolute, and the result is absolute.
3129 @cindex operator precedence
3130 @cindex precedence of operators
3137 @dfn{Multiplication}.
3140 @dfn{Division}. Truncation is the same as the C operator @samp{/}
3147 @dfn{Shift Left}. Same as the C operator @samp{<<}.
3151 @dfn{Shift Right}. Same as the C operator @samp{>>}.
3155 Intermediate precedence
3160 @dfn{Bitwise Inclusive Or}.
3166 @dfn{Bitwise Exclusive Or}.
3169 @dfn{Bitwise Or Not}.
3176 @cindex addition, permitted arguments
3177 @cindex plus, permitted arguments
3178 @cindex arguments for addition
3180 @dfn{Addition}. If either argument is absolute, the result has the section of
3181 the other argument. You may not add together arguments from different
3184 @cindex subtraction, permitted arguments
3185 @cindex minus, permitted arguments
3186 @cindex arguments for subtraction
3188 @dfn{Subtraction}. If the right argument is absolute, the
3189 result has the section of the left argument.
3190 If both arguments are in the same section, the result is absolute.
3191 You may not subtract arguments from different sections.
3192 @c FIXME is there still something useful to say about undefined - undefined ?
3196 In short, it's only meaningful to add or subtract the @emph{offsets} in an
3197 address; you can only have a defined section in one of the two arguments.
3200 @chapter Assembler Directives
3202 @cindex directives, machine independent
3203 @cindex pseudo-ops, machine independent
3204 @cindex machine independent directives
3205 All assembler directives have names that begin with a period (@samp{.}).
3206 The rest of the name is letters, usually in lower case.
3208 This chapter discusses directives that are available regardless of the
3209 target machine configuration for the @sc{gnu} assembler.
3211 Some machine configurations provide additional directives.
3212 @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3215 @ifset machine-directives
3216 @xref{Machine Dependencies} for additional directives.
3221 * Abort:: @code{.abort}
3223 * ABORT:: @code{.ABORT}
3226 * Align:: @code{.align @var{abs-expr} , @var{abs-expr}}
3227 * Ascii:: @code{.ascii "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3228 * Asciz:: @code{.asciz "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3229 * Balign:: @code{.balign @var{abs-expr} , @var{abs-expr}}
3230 * Byte:: @code{.byte @var{expressions}}
3231 * Comm:: @code{.comm @var{symbol} , @var{length} }
3232 * Data:: @code{.data @var{subsection}}
3234 * Def:: @code{.def @var{name}}
3237 * Desc:: @code{.desc @var{symbol}, @var{abs-expression}}
3243 * Double:: @code{.double @var{flonums}}
3244 * Eject:: @code{.eject}
3245 * Else:: @code{.else}
3246 * Elseif:: @code{.elseif}
3249 * Endef:: @code{.endef}
3252 * Endfunc:: @code{.endfunc}
3253 * Endif:: @code{.endif}
3254 * Equ:: @code{.equ @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3255 * Equiv:: @code{.equiv @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3257 * Exitm:: @code{.exitm}
3258 * Extern:: @code{.extern}
3259 * Fail:: @code{.fail}
3260 @ifclear no-file-dir
3261 * File:: @code{.file @var{string}}
3264 * Fill:: @code{.fill @var{repeat} , @var{size} , @var{value}}
3265 * Float:: @code{.float @var{flonums}}
3266 * Func:: @code{.func}
3267 * Global:: @code{.global @var{symbol}}, @code{.globl @var{symbol}}
3269 * Hidden:: @code{.hidden @var{names}}
3272 * hword:: @code{.hword @var{expressions}}
3273 * Ident:: @code{.ident}
3274 * If:: @code{.if @var{absolute expression}}
3275 * Include:: @code{.include "@var{file}"}
3276 * Int:: @code{.int @var{expressions}}
3278 * Internal:: @code{.internal @var{names}}
3281 * Irp:: @code{.irp @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
3282 * Irpc:: @code{.irpc @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
3283 * Lcomm:: @code{.lcomm @var{symbol} , @var{length}}
3284 * Lflags:: @code{.lflags}
3285 @ifclear no-line-dir
3286 * Line:: @code{.line @var{line-number}}
3289 * Ln:: @code{.ln @var{line-number}}
3290 * Linkonce:: @code{.linkonce [@var{type}]}
3291 * List:: @code{.list}
3292 * Long:: @code{.long @var{expressions}}
3294 * Lsym:: @code{.lsym @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3297 * Macro:: @code{.macro @var{name} @var{args}}@dots{}
3298 * MRI:: @code{.mri @var{val}}
3299 * Nolist:: @code{.nolist}
3300 * Octa:: @code{.octa @var{bignums}}
3301 * Org:: @code{.org @var{new-lc} , @var{fill}}
3302 * P2align:: @code{.p2align @var{abs-expr} , @var{abs-expr}}
3304 * PopSection:: @code{.popsection}
3305 * Previous:: @code{.previous}
3308 * Print:: @code{.print @var{string}}
3310 * Protected:: @code{.protected @var{names}}
3313 * Psize:: @code{.psize @var{lines}, @var{columns}}
3314 * Purgem:: @code{.purgem @var{name}}
3316 * PushSection:: @code{.pushsection @var{name}}
3319 * Quad:: @code{.quad @var{bignums}}
3320 * Rept:: @code{.rept @var{count}}
3321 * Sbttl:: @code{.sbttl "@var{subheading}"}
3323 * Scl:: @code{.scl @var{class}}
3324 * Section:: @code{.section @var{name}, @var{subsection}}
3327 * Set:: @code{.set @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3328 * Short:: @code{.short @var{expressions}}
3329 * Single:: @code{.single @var{flonums}}
3330 * Size:: @code{.size [@var{name} , @var{expression}]}
3331 * Skip:: @code{.skip @var{size} , @var{fill}}
3332 * Sleb128:: @code{.sleb128 @var{expressions}}
3333 * Space:: @code{.space @var{size} , @var{fill}}
3335 * Stab:: @code{.stabd, .stabn, .stabs}
3338 * String:: @code{.string "@var{str}"}
3339 * Struct:: @code{.struct @var{expression}}
3341 * SubSection:: @code{.subsection}
3342 * Symver:: @code{.symver @var{name},@var{name2@@nodename}}
3346 * Tag:: @code{.tag @var{structname}}
3349 * Text:: @code{.text @var{subsection}}
3350 * Title:: @code{.title "@var{heading}"}
3351 * Type:: @code{.type <@var{int} | @var{name} , @var{type description}>}
3352 * Uleb128:: @code{.uleb128 @var{expressions}}
3354 * Val:: @code{.val @var{addr}}
3358 * Version:: @code{.version "@var{string}"}
3359 * VTableEntry:: @code{.vtable_entry @var{table}, @var{offset}}
3360 * VTableInherit:: @code{.vtable_inherit @var{child}, @var{parent}}
3361 * Weak:: @code{.weak @var{names}}
3364 * Word:: @code{.word @var{expressions}}
3365 * Deprecated:: Deprecated Directives
3369 @section @code{.abort}
3371 @cindex @code{abort} directive
3372 @cindex stopping the assembly
3373 This directive stops the assembly immediately. It is for
3374 compatibility with other assemblers. The original idea was that the
3375 assembly language source would be piped into the assembler. If the sender
3376 of the source quit, it could use this directive tells @code{@value{AS}} to
3377 quit also. One day @code{.abort} will not be supported.
3381 @section @code{.ABORT}
3383 @cindex @code{ABORT} directive
3384 When producing COFF output, @code{@value{AS}} accepts this directive as a
3385 synonym for @samp{.abort}.
3388 When producing @code{b.out} output, @code{@value{AS}} accepts this directive,
3394 @section @code{.align @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}}
3396 @cindex padding the location counter
3397 @cindex @code{align} directive
3398 Pad the location counter (in the current subsection) to a particular storage
3399 boundary. The first expression (which must be absolute) is the alignment
3400 required, as described below.
3402 The second expression (also absolute) gives the fill value to be stored in the
3403 padding bytes. It (and the comma) may be omitted. If it is omitted, the
3404 padding bytes are normally zero. However, on some systems, if the section is
3405 marked as containing code and the fill value is omitted, the space is filled
3406 with no-op instructions.
3408 The third expression is also absolute, and is also optional. If it is present,
3409 it is the maximum number of bytes that should be skipped by this alignment
3410 directive. If doing the alignment would require skipping more bytes than the
3411 specified maximum, then the alignment is not done at all. You can omit the
3412 fill value (the second argument) entirely by simply using two commas after the
3413 required alignment; this can be useful if you want the alignment to be filled
3414 with no-op instructions when appropriate.
3416 The way the required alignment is specified varies from system to system.
3417 For the a29k, hppa, m68k, m88k, w65, sparc, and Hitachi SH, and i386 using ELF
3419 the first expression is the
3420 alignment request in bytes. For example @samp{.align 8} advances
3421 the location counter until it is a multiple of 8. If the location counter
3422 is already a multiple of 8, no change is needed.
3424 For other systems, including the i386 using a.out format, and the arm and
3425 strongarm, it is the
3426 number of low-order zero bits the location counter must have after
3427 advancement. For example @samp{.align 3} advances the location
3428 counter until it a multiple of 8. If the location counter is already a
3429 multiple of 8, no change is needed.
3431 This inconsistency is due to the different behaviors of the various
3432 native assemblers for these systems which GAS must emulate.
3433 GAS also provides @code{.balign} and @code{.p2align} directives,
3434 described later, which have a consistent behavior across all
3435 architectures (but are specific to GAS).
3438 @section @code{.ascii "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3440 @cindex @code{ascii} directive
3441 @cindex string literals
3442 @code{.ascii} expects zero or more string literals (@pxref{Strings})
3443 separated by commas. It assembles each string (with no automatic
3444 trailing zero byte) into consecutive addresses.
3447 @section @code{.asciz "@var{string}"}@dots{}
3449 @cindex @code{asciz} directive
3450 @cindex zero-terminated strings
3451 @cindex null-terminated strings
3452 @code{.asciz} is just like @code{.ascii}, but each string is followed by
3453 a zero byte. The ``z'' in @samp{.asciz} stands for ``zero''.
3456 @section @code{.balign[wl] @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}}
3458 @cindex padding the location counter given number of bytes
3459 @cindex @code{balign} directive
3460 Pad the location counter (in the current subsection) to a particular
3461 storage boundary. The first expression (which must be absolute) is the
3462 alignment request in bytes. For example @samp{.balign 8} advances
3463 the location counter until it is a multiple of 8. If the location counter
3464 is already a multiple of 8, no change is needed.
3466 The second expression (also absolute) gives the fill value to be stored in the
3467 padding bytes. It (and the comma) may be omitted. If it is omitted, the
3468 padding bytes are normally zero. However, on some systems, if the section is
3469 marked as containing code and the fill value is omitted, the space is filled
3470 with no-op instructions.
3472 The third expression is also absolute, and is also optional. If it is present,
3473 it is the maximum number of bytes that should be skipped by this alignment
3474 directive. If doing the alignment would require skipping more bytes than the
3475 specified maximum, then the alignment is not done at all. You can omit the
3476 fill value (the second argument) entirely by simply using two commas after the
3477 required alignment; this can be useful if you want the alignment to be filled
3478 with no-op instructions when appropriate.
3480 @cindex @code{balignw} directive
3481 @cindex @code{balignl} directive
3482 The @code{.balignw} and @code{.balignl} directives are variants of the
3483 @code{.balign} directive. The @code{.balignw} directive treats the fill
3484 pattern as a two byte word value. The @code{.balignl} directives treats the
3485 fill pattern as a four byte longword value. For example, @code{.balignw
3486 4,0x368d} will align to a multiple of 4. If it skips two bytes, they will be
3487 filled in with the value 0x368d (the exact placement of the bytes depends upon
3488 the endianness of the processor). If it skips 1 or 3 bytes, the fill value is
3492 @section @code{.byte @var{expressions}}
3494 @cindex @code{byte} directive
3495 @cindex integers, one byte
3496 @code{.byte} expects zero or more expressions, separated by commas.
3497 Each expression is assembled into the next byte.
3500 @section @code{.comm @var{symbol} , @var{length} }
3502 @cindex @code{comm} directive
3503 @cindex symbol, common
3504 @code{.comm} declares a common symbol named @var{symbol}. When linking, a
3505 common symbol in one object file may be merged with a defined or common symbol
3506 of the same name in another object file. If @code{@value{LD}} does not see a
3507 definition for the symbol--just one or more common symbols--then it will
3508 allocate @var{length} bytes of uninitialized memory. @var{length} must be an
3509 absolute expression. If @code{@value{LD}} sees multiple common symbols with
3510 the same name, and they do not all have the same size, it will allocate space
3511 using the largest size.
3514 When using ELF, the @code{.comm} directive takes an optional third argument.
3515 This is the desired alignment of the symbol, specified as a byte boundary (for
3516 example, an alignment of 16 means that the least significant 4 bits of the
3517 address should be zero). The alignment must be an absolute expression, and it
3518 must be a power of two. If @code{@value{LD}} allocates uninitialized memory
3519 for the common symbol, it will use the alignment when placing the symbol. If
3520 no alignment is specified, @code{@value{AS}} will set the alignment to the
3521 largest power of two less than or equal to the size of the symbol, up to a
3526 The syntax for @code{.comm} differs slightly on the HPPA. The syntax is
3527 @samp{@var{symbol} .comm, @var{length}}; @var{symbol} is optional.
3531 @section @code{.data @var{subsection}}
3533 @cindex @code{data} directive
3534 @code{.data} tells @code{@value{AS}} to assemble the following statements onto the
3535 end of the data subsection numbered @var{subsection} (which is an
3536 absolute expression). If @var{subsection} is omitted, it defaults
3541 @section @code{.def @var{name}}
3543 @cindex @code{def} directive
3544 @cindex COFF symbols, debugging
3545 @cindex debugging COFF symbols
3546 Begin defining debugging information for a symbol @var{name}; the
3547 definition extends until the @code{.endef} directive is encountered.
3550 This directive is only observed when @code{@value{AS}} is configured for COFF
3551 format output; when producing @code{b.out}, @samp{.def} is recognized,
3558 @section @code{.desc @var{symbol}, @var{abs-expression}}
3560 @cindex @code{desc} directive
3561 @cindex COFF symbol descriptor
3562 @cindex symbol descriptor, COFF
3563 This directive sets the descriptor of the symbol (@pxref{Symbol Attributes})
3564 to the low 16 bits of an absolute expression.
3567 The @samp{.desc} directive is not available when @code{@value{AS}} is
3568 configured for COFF output; it is only for @code{a.out} or @code{b.out}
3569 object format. For the sake of compatibility, @code{@value{AS}} accepts
3570 it, but produces no output, when configured for COFF.
3576 @section @code{.dim}
3578 @cindex @code{dim} directive
3579 @cindex COFF auxiliary symbol information
3580 @cindex auxiliary symbol information, COFF
3581 This directive is generated by compilers to include auxiliary debugging
3582 information in the symbol table. It is only permitted inside
3583 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs.
3586 @samp{.dim} is only meaningful when generating COFF format output; when
3587 @code{@value{AS}} is generating @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but
3593 @section @code{.double @var{flonums}}
3595 @cindex @code{double} directive
3596 @cindex floating point numbers (double)
3597 @code{.double} expects zero or more flonums, separated by commas. It
3598 assembles floating point numbers.
3600 The exact kind of floating point numbers emitted depends on how
3601 @code{@value{AS}} is configured. @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3605 On the @value{TARGET} family @samp{.double} emits 64-bit floating-point numbers
3606 in @sc{ieee} format.
3611 @section @code{.eject}
3613 @cindex @code{eject} directive
3614 @cindex new page, in listings
3615 @cindex page, in listings
3616 @cindex listing control: new page
3617 Force a page break at this point, when generating assembly listings.
3620 @section @code{.else}
3622 @cindex @code{else} directive
3623 @code{.else} is part of the @code{@value{AS}} support for conditional
3624 assembly; @pxref{If,,@code{.if}}. It marks the beginning of a section
3625 of code to be assembled if the condition for the preceding @code{.if}
3629 @section @code{.elseif}
3631 @cindex @code{elseif} directive
3632 @code{.elseif} is part of the @code{@value{AS}} support for conditional
3633 assembly; @pxref{If,,@code{.if}}. It is shorthand for beginning a new
3634 @code{.if} block that would otherwise fill the entire @code{.else} section.
3637 @section @code{.end}
3639 @cindex @code{end} directive
3640 @code{.end} marks the end of the assembly file. @code{@value{AS}} does not
3641 process anything in the file past the @code{.end} directive.
3645 @section @code{.endef}
3647 @cindex @code{endef} directive
3648 This directive flags the end of a symbol definition begun with
3652 @samp{.endef} is only meaningful when generating COFF format output; if
3653 @code{@value{AS}} is configured to generate @code{b.out}, it accepts this
3654 directive but ignores it.
3659 @section @code{.endfunc}
3660 @cindex @code{endfunc} directive
3661 @code{.endfunc} marks the end of a function specified with @code{.func}.
3664 @section @code{.endif}
3666 @cindex @code{endif} directive
3667 @code{.endif} is part of the @code{@value{AS}} support for conditional assembly;
3668 it marks the end of a block of code that is only assembled
3669 conditionally. @xref{If,,@code{.if}}.
3672 @section @code{.equ @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3674 @cindex @code{equ} directive
3675 @cindex assigning values to symbols
3676 @cindex symbols, assigning values to
3677 This directive sets the value of @var{symbol} to @var{expression}.
3678 It is synonymous with @samp{.set}; @pxref{Set,,@code{.set}}.
3681 The syntax for @code{equ} on the HPPA is
3682 @samp{@var{symbol} .equ @var{expression}}.
3686 @section @code{.equiv @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
3687 @cindex @code{equiv} directive
3688 The @code{.equiv} directive is like @code{.equ} and @code{.set}, except that
3689 the assembler will signal an error if @var{symbol} is already defined.
3691 Except for the contents of the error message, this is roughly equivalent to
3700 @section @code{.err}
3701 @cindex @code{err} directive
3702 If @code{@value{AS}} assembles a @code{.err} directive, it will print an error
3703 message and, unless the @code{-Z} option was used, it will not generate an
3704 object file. This can be used to signal error an conditionally compiled code.
3707 @section @code{.exitm}
3708 Exit early from the current macro definition. @xref{Macro}.
3711 @section @code{.extern}
3713 @cindex @code{extern} directive
3714 @code{.extern} is accepted in the source program---for compatibility
3715 with other assemblers---but it is ignored. @code{@value{AS}} treats
3716 all undefined symbols as external.
3719 @section @code{.fail @var{expression}}
3721 @cindex @code{fail} directive
3722 Generates an error or a warning. If the value of the @var{expression} is 500
3723 or more, @code{@value{AS}} will print a warning message. If the value is less
3724 than 500, @code{@value{AS}} will print an error message. The message will
3725 include the value of @var{expression}. This can occasionally be useful inside
3726 complex nested macros or conditional assembly.
3728 @ifclear no-file-dir
3730 @section @code{.file @var{string}}
3732 @cindex @code{file} directive
3733 @cindex logical file name
3734 @cindex file name, logical
3735 @code{.file} tells @code{@value{AS}} that we are about to start a new logical
3736 file. @var{string} is the new file name. In general, the filename is
3737 recognized whether or not it is surrounded by quotes @samp{"}; but if you wish
3738 to specify an empty file name, you must give the quotes--@code{""}. This
3739 statement may go away in future: it is only recognized to be compatible with
3740 old @code{@value{AS}} programs.
3742 In some configurations of @code{@value{AS}}, @code{.file} has already been
3743 removed to avoid conflicts with other assemblers. @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3748 @section @code{.fill @var{repeat} , @var{size} , @var{value}}
3750 @cindex @code{fill} directive
3751 @cindex writing patterns in memory
3752 @cindex patterns, writing in memory
3753 @var{result}, @var{size} and @var{value} are absolute expressions.
3754 This emits @var{repeat} copies of @var{size} bytes. @var{Repeat}
3755 may be zero or more. @var{Size} may be zero or more, but if it is
3756 more than 8, then it is deemed to have the value 8, compatible with
3757 other people's assemblers. The contents of each @var{repeat} bytes
3758 is taken from an 8-byte number. The highest order 4 bytes are
3759 zero. The lowest order 4 bytes are @var{value} rendered in the
3760 byte-order of an integer on the computer @code{@value{AS}} is assembling for.
3761 Each @var{size} bytes in a repetition is taken from the lowest order
3762 @var{size} bytes of this number. Again, this bizarre behavior is
3763 compatible with other people's assemblers.
3765 @var{size} and @var{value} are optional.
3766 If the second comma and @var{value} are absent, @var{value} is
3767 assumed zero. If the first comma and following tokens are absent,
3768 @var{size} is assumed to be 1.
3771 @section @code{.float @var{flonums}}
3773 @cindex floating point numbers (single)
3774 @cindex @code{float} directive
3775 This directive assembles zero or more flonums, separated by commas. It
3776 has the same effect as @code{.single}.
3778 The exact kind of floating point numbers emitted depends on how
3779 @code{@value{AS}} is configured.
3780 @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
3784 On the @value{TARGET} family, @code{.float} emits 32-bit floating point numbers
3785 in @sc{ieee} format.
3790 @section @code{.func @var{name}[,@var{label}]}
3791 @cindex @code{func} directive
3792 @code{.func} emits debugging information to denote function @var{name}, and
3793 is ignored unless the file is assembled with debugging enabled.
3794 Only @samp{--gstabs} is currently supported.
3795 @var{label} is the entry point of the function and if omitted @var{name}
3796 prepended with the @samp{leading char} is used.
3797 @samp{leading char} is usually @code{_} or nothing, depending on the target.
3798 All functions are currently defined to have @code{void} return type.
3799 The function must be terminated with @code{.endfunc}.
3802 @section @code{.global @var{symbol}}, @code{.globl @var{symbol}}
3804 @cindex @code{global} directive
3805 @cindex symbol, making visible to linker
3806 @code{.global} makes the symbol visible to @code{@value{LD}}. If you define
3807 @var{symbol} in your partial program, its value is made available to
3808 other partial programs that are linked with it. Otherwise,
3809 @var{symbol} takes its attributes from a symbol of the same name
3810 from another file linked into the same program.
3812 Both spellings (@samp{.globl} and @samp{.global}) are accepted, for
3813 compatibility with other assemblers.
3816 On the HPPA, @code{.global} is not always enough to make it accessible to other
3817 partial programs. You may need the HPPA-only @code{.EXPORT} directive as well.
3818 @xref{HPPA Directives,, HPPA Assembler Directives}.
3823 @section @code{.hidden @var{names}}
3825 @cindex @code{.hidden} directive
3827 This one of the ELF visibility directives. The other two are
3828 @code{.internal} (@pxref{Internal,,@code{.internal}}) and
3829 @code{.protected} (@pxref{Protected,,@code{.protected}}).
3831 This directive overrides the named symbols default visibility (which is set by
3832 their binding: local, global or weak). The directive sets the visibility to
3833 @code{hidden} which means that the symbols are not visible to other components.
3834 Such symbols are always considered to be @code{protected} as well.
3838 @section @code{.hword @var{expressions}}
3840 @cindex @code{hword} directive
3841 @cindex integers, 16-bit
3842 @cindex numbers, 16-bit
3843 @cindex sixteen bit integers
3844 This expects zero or more @var{expressions}, and emits
3845 a 16 bit number for each.
3848 This directive is a synonym for @samp{.short}; depending on the target
3849 architecture, it may also be a synonym for @samp{.word}.
3853 This directive is a synonym for @samp{.short}.
3856 This directive is a synonym for both @samp{.short} and @samp{.word}.
3861 @section @code{.ident}
3863 @cindex @code{ident} directive
3864 This directive is used by some assemblers to place tags in object files.
3865 @code{@value{AS}} simply accepts the directive for source-file
3866 compatibility with such assemblers, but does not actually emit anything
3870 @section @code{.if @var{absolute expression}}
3872 @cindex conditional assembly
3873 @cindex @code{if} directive
3874 @code{.if} marks the beginning of a section of code which is only
3875 considered part of the source program being assembled if the argument
3876 (which must be an @var{absolute expression}) is non-zero. The end of
3877 the conditional section of code must be marked by @code{.endif}
3878 (@pxref{Endif,,@code{.endif}}); optionally, you may include code for the
3879 alternative condition, flagged by @code{.else} (@pxref{Else,,@code{.else}}).
3880 If you have several conditions to check, @code{.elseif} may be used to avoid
3881 nesting blocks if/else within each subsequent @code{.else} block.
3883 The following variants of @code{.if} are also supported:
3885 @cindex @code{ifdef} directive
3886 @item .ifdef @var{symbol}
3887 Assembles the following section of code if the specified @var{symbol}
3890 @cindex @code{ifc} directive
3891 @item .ifc @var{string1},@var{string2}
3892 Assembles the following section of code if the two strings are the same. The
3893 strings may be optionally quoted with single quotes. If they are not quoted,
3894 the first string stops at the first comma, and the second string stops at the
3895 end of the line. Strings which contain whitespace should be quoted. The
3896 string comparison is case sensitive.
3898 @cindex @code{ifeq} directive
3899 @item .ifeq @var{absolute expression}
3900 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is zero.
3902 @cindex @code{ifeqs} directive
3903 @item .ifeqs @var{string1},@var{string2}
3904 Another form of @code{.ifc}. The strings must be quoted using double quotes.
3906 @cindex @code{ifge} directive
3907 @item .ifge @var{absolute expression}
3908 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is greater than or
3911 @cindex @code{ifgt} directive
3912 @item .ifgt @var{absolute expression}
3913 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is greater than zero.
3915 @cindex @code{ifle} directive
3916 @item .ifle @var{absolute expression}
3917 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is less than or equal
3920 @cindex @code{iflt} directive
3921 @item .iflt @var{absolute expression}
3922 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is less than zero.
3924 @cindex @code{ifnc} directive
3925 @item .ifnc @var{string1},@var{string2}.
3926 Like @code{.ifc}, but the sense of the test is reversed: this assembles the
3927 following section of code if the two strings are not the same.
3929 @cindex @code{ifndef} directive
3930 @cindex @code{ifnotdef} directive
3931 @item .ifndef @var{symbol}
3932 @itemx .ifnotdef @var{symbol}
3933 Assembles the following section of code if the specified @var{symbol}
3934 has not been defined. Both spelling variants are equivalent.
3936 @cindex @code{ifne} directive
3937 @item .ifne @var{absolute expression}
3938 Assembles the following section of code if the argument is not equal to zero
3939 (in other words, this is equivalent to @code{.if}).
3941 @cindex @code{ifnes} directive
3942 @item .ifnes @var{string1},@var{string2}
3943 Like @code{.ifeqs}, but the sense of the test is reversed: this assembles the
3944 following section of code if the two strings are not the same.
3948 @section @code{.include "@var{file}"}
3950 @cindex @code{include} directive
3951 @cindex supporting files, including
3952 @cindex files, including
3953 This directive provides a way to include supporting files at specified
3954 points in your source program. The code from @var{file} is assembled as
3955 if it followed the point of the @code{.include}; when the end of the
3956 included file is reached, assembly of the original file continues. You
3957 can control the search paths used with the @samp{-I} command-line option
3958 (@pxref{Invoking,,Command-Line Options}). Quotation marks are required
3962 @section @code{.int @var{expressions}}
3964 @cindex @code{int} directive
3965 @cindex integers, 32-bit
3966 Expect zero or more @var{expressions}, of any section, separated by commas.
3967 For each expression, emit a number that, at run time, is the value of that
3968 expression. The byte order and bit size of the number depends on what kind
3969 of target the assembly is for.
3973 On the H8/500 and most forms of the H8/300, @code{.int} emits 16-bit
3974 integers. On the H8/300H and the Hitachi SH, however, @code{.int} emits
3981 @section @code{.internal @var{names}}
3983 @cindex @code{.internal} directive
3985 This one of the ELF visibility directives. The other two are
3986 @code{.hidden} (@pxref{Hidden,,@code{.hidden}}) and
3987 @code{.protected} (@pxref{Protected,,@code{.protected}}).
3989 This directive overrides the named symbols default visibility (which is set by
3990 their binding: local, global or weak). The directive sets the visibility to
3991 @code{internal} which means that the symbols are considered to be @code{hidden}
3992 (ie not visible to other components), and that some extra, processor specific
3993 processing must also be performed upon the symbols as well.
3997 @section @code{.irp @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
3999 @cindex @code{irp} directive
4000 Evaluate a sequence of statements assigning different values to @var{symbol}.
4001 The sequence of statements starts at the @code{.irp} directive, and is
4002 terminated by an @code{.endr} directive. For each @var{value}, @var{symbol} is
4003 set to @var{value}, and the sequence of statements is assembled. If no
4004 @var{value} is listed, the sequence of statements is assembled once, with
4005 @var{symbol} set to the null string. To refer to @var{symbol} within the
4006 sequence of statements, use @var{\symbol}.
4008 For example, assembling
4016 is equivalent to assembling
4025 @section @code{.irpc @var{symbol},@var{values}}@dots{}
4027 @cindex @code{irpc} directive
4028 Evaluate a sequence of statements assigning different values to @var{symbol}.
4029 The sequence of statements starts at the @code{.irpc} directive, and is
4030 terminated by an @code{.endr} directive. For each character in @var{value},
4031 @var{symbol} is set to the character, and the sequence of statements is
4032 assembled. If no @var{value} is listed, the sequence of statements is
4033 assembled once, with @var{symbol} set to the null string. To refer to
4034 @var{symbol} within the sequence of statements, use @var{\symbol}.
4036 For example, assembling
4044 is equivalent to assembling
4053 @section @code{.lcomm @var{symbol} , @var{length}}
4055 @cindex @code{lcomm} directive
4056 @cindex local common symbols
4057 @cindex symbols, local common
4058 Reserve @var{length} (an absolute expression) bytes for a local common
4059 denoted by @var{symbol}. The section and value of @var{symbol} are
4060 those of the new local common. The addresses are allocated in the bss
4061 section, so that at run-time the bytes start off zeroed. @var{Symbol}
4062 is not declared global (@pxref{Global,,@code{.global}}), so is normally
4063 not visible to @code{@value{LD}}.
4066 Some targets permit a third argument to be used with @code{.lcomm}. This
4067 argument specifies the desired alignment of the symbol in the bss section.
4071 The syntax for @code{.lcomm} differs slightly on the HPPA. The syntax is
4072 @samp{@var{symbol} .lcomm, @var{length}}; @var{symbol} is optional.
4076 @section @code{.lflags}
4078 @cindex @code{lflags} directive (ignored)
4079 @code{@value{AS}} accepts this directive, for compatibility with other
4080 assemblers, but ignores it.
4082 @ifclear no-line-dir
4084 @section @code{.line @var{line-number}}
4086 @cindex @code{line} directive
4090 @section @code{.ln @var{line-number}}
4092 @cindex @code{ln} directive
4094 @cindex logical line number
4096 Change the logical line number. @var{line-number} must be an absolute
4097 expression. The next line has that logical line number. Therefore any other
4098 statements on the current line (after a statement separator character) are
4099 reported as on logical line number @var{line-number} @minus{} 1. One day
4100 @code{@value{AS}} will no longer support this directive: it is recognized only
4101 for compatibility with existing assembler programs.
4105 @emph{Warning:} In the AMD29K configuration of @value{AS}, this command is
4106 not available; use the synonym @code{.ln} in that context.
4111 @ifclear no-line-dir
4112 Even though this is a directive associated with the @code{a.out} or
4113 @code{b.out} object-code formats, @code{@value{AS}} still recognizes it
4114 when producing COFF output, and treats @samp{.line} as though it
4115 were the COFF @samp{.ln} @emph{if} it is found outside a
4116 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pair.
4118 Inside a @code{.def}, @samp{.line} is, instead, one of the directives
4119 used by compilers to generate auxiliary symbol information for
4124 @section @code{.linkonce [@var{type}]}
4126 @cindex @code{linkonce} directive
4127 @cindex common sections
4128 Mark the current section so that the linker only includes a single copy of it.
4129 This may be used to include the same section in several different object files,
4130 but ensure that the linker will only include it once in the final output file.
4131 The @code{.linkonce} pseudo-op must be used for each instance of the section.
4132 Duplicate sections are detected based on the section name, so it should be
4135 This directive is only supported by a few object file formats; as of this
4136 writing, the only object file format which supports it is the Portable
4137 Executable format used on Windows NT.
4139 The @var{type} argument is optional. If specified, it must be one of the
4140 following strings. For example:
4144 Not all types may be supported on all object file formats.
4148 Silently discard duplicate sections. This is the default.
4151 Warn if there are duplicate sections, but still keep only one copy.
4154 Warn if any of the duplicates have different sizes.
4157 Warn if any of the duplicates do not have exactly the same contents.
4161 @section @code{.ln @var{line-number}}
4163 @cindex @code{ln} directive
4164 @ifclear no-line-dir
4165 @samp{.ln} is a synonym for @samp{.line}.
4168 Tell @code{@value{AS}} to change the logical line number. @var{line-number}
4169 must be an absolute expression. The next line has that logical
4170 line number, so any other statements on the current line (after a
4171 statement separator character @code{;}) are reported as on logical
4172 line number @var{line-number} @minus{} 1.
4175 This directive is accepted, but ignored, when @code{@value{AS}} is
4176 configured for @code{b.out}; its effect is only associated with COFF
4182 @section @code{.mri @var{val}}
4184 @cindex @code{mri} directive
4185 @cindex MRI mode, temporarily
4186 If @var{val} is non-zero, this tells @code{@value{AS}} to enter MRI mode. If
4187 @var{val} is zero, this tells @code{@value{AS}} to exit MRI mode. This change
4188 affects code assembled until the next @code{.mri} directive, or until the end
4189 of the file. @xref{M, MRI mode, MRI mode}.
4192 @section @code{.list}
4194 @cindex @code{list} directive
4195 @cindex listing control, turning on
4196 Control (in conjunction with the @code{.nolist} directive) whether or
4197 not assembly listings are generated. These two directives maintain an
4198 internal counter (which is zero initially). @code{.list} increments the
4199 counter, and @code{.nolist} decrements it. Assembly listings are
4200 generated whenever the counter is greater than zero.
4202 By default, listings are disabled. When you enable them (with the
4203 @samp{-a} command line option; @pxref{Invoking,,Command-Line Options}),
4204 the initial value of the listing counter is one.
4207 @section @code{.long @var{expressions}}
4209 @cindex @code{long} directive
4210 @code{.long} is the same as @samp{.int}, @pxref{Int,,@code{.int}}.
4213 @c no one seems to know what this is for or whether this description is
4214 @c what it really ought to do
4216 @section @code{.lsym @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
4218 @cindex @code{lsym} directive
4219 @cindex symbol, not referenced in assembly
4220 @code{.lsym} creates a new symbol named @var{symbol}, but does not put it in
4221 the hash table, ensuring it cannot be referenced by name during the
4222 rest of the assembly. This sets the attributes of the symbol to be
4223 the same as the expression value:
4225 @var{other} = @var{descriptor} = 0
4226 @var{type} = @r{(section of @var{expression})}
4227 @var{value} = @var{expression}
4230 The new symbol is not flagged as external.
4234 @section @code{.macro}
4237 The commands @code{.macro} and @code{.endm} allow you to define macros that
4238 generate assembly output. For example, this definition specifies a macro
4239 @code{sum} that puts a sequence of numbers into memory:
4242 .macro sum from=0, to=5
4251 With that definition, @samp{SUM 0,5} is equivalent to this assembly input:
4263 @item .macro @var{macname}
4264 @itemx .macro @var{macname} @var{macargs} @dots{}
4265 @cindex @code{macro} directive
4266 Begin the definition of a macro called @var{macname}. If your macro
4267 definition requires arguments, specify their names after the macro name,
4268 separated by commas or spaces. You can supply a default value for any
4269 macro argument by following the name with @samp{=@var{deflt}}. For
4270 example, these are all valid @code{.macro} statements:
4274 Begin the definition of a macro called @code{comm}, which takes no
4277 @item .macro plus1 p, p1
4278 @itemx .macro plus1 p p1
4279 Either statement begins the definition of a macro called @code{plus1},
4280 which takes two arguments; within the macro definition, write
4281 @samp{\p} or @samp{\p1} to evaluate the arguments.
4283 @item .macro reserve_str p1=0 p2
4284 Begin the definition of a macro called @code{reserve_str}, with two
4285 arguments. The first argument has a default value, but not the second.
4286 After the definition is complete, you can call the macro either as
4287 @samp{reserve_str @var{a},@var{b}} (with @samp{\p1} evaluating to
4288 @var{a} and @samp{\p2} evaluating to @var{b}), or as @samp{reserve_str
4289 ,@var{b}} (with @samp{\p1} evaluating as the default, in this case
4290 @samp{0}, and @samp{\p2} evaluating to @var{b}).
4293 When you call a macro, you can specify the argument values either by
4294 position, or by keyword. For example, @samp{sum 9,17} is equivalent to
4295 @samp{sum to=17, from=9}.
4298 @cindex @code{endm} directive
4299 Mark the end of a macro definition.
4302 @cindex @code{exitm} directive
4303 Exit early from the current macro definition.
4305 @cindex number of macros executed
4306 @cindex macros, count executed
4308 @code{@value{AS}} maintains a counter of how many macros it has
4309 executed in this pseudo-variable; you can copy that number to your
4310 output with @samp{\@@}, but @emph{only within a macro definition}.
4313 @item LOCAL @var{name} [ , @dots{} ]
4314 @emph{Warning: @code{LOCAL} is only available if you select ``alternate
4315 macro syntax'' with @samp{-a} or @samp{--alternate}.} @xref{Alternate,,
4316 Alternate macro syntax}.
4318 Generate a string replacement for each of the @var{name} arguments, and
4319 replace any instances of @var{name} in each macro expansion. The
4320 replacement string is unique in the assembly, and different for each
4321 separate macro expansion. @code{LOCAL} allows you to write macros that
4322 define symbols, without fear of conflict between separate macro expansions.
4327 @section @code{.nolist}
4329 @cindex @code{nolist} directive
4330 @cindex listing control, turning off
4331 Control (in conjunction with the @code{.list} directive) whether or
4332 not assembly listings are generated. These two directives maintain an
4333 internal counter (which is zero initially). @code{.list} increments the
4334 counter, and @code{.nolist} decrements it. Assembly listings are
4335 generated whenever the counter is greater than zero.
4338 @section @code{.octa @var{bignums}}
4340 @c FIXME: double size emitted for "octa" on i960, others? Or warn?
4341 @cindex @code{octa} directive
4342 @cindex integer, 16-byte
4343 @cindex sixteen byte integer
4344 This directive expects zero or more bignums, separated by commas. For each
4345 bignum, it emits a 16-byte integer.
4347 The term ``octa'' comes from contexts in which a ``word'' is two bytes;
4348 hence @emph{octa}-word for 16 bytes.
4351 @section @code{.org @var{new-lc} , @var{fill}}
4353 @cindex @code{org} directive
4354 @cindex location counter, advancing
4355 @cindex advancing location counter
4356 @cindex current address, advancing
4357 Advance the location counter of the current section to
4358 @var{new-lc}. @var{new-lc} is either an absolute expression or an
4359 expression with the same section as the current subsection. That is,
4360 you can't use @code{.org} to cross sections: if @var{new-lc} has the
4361 wrong section, the @code{.org} directive is ignored. To be compatible
4362 with former assemblers, if the section of @var{new-lc} is absolute,
4363 @code{@value{AS}} issues a warning, then pretends the section of @var{new-lc}
4364 is the same as the current subsection.
4366 @code{.org} may only increase the location counter, or leave it
4367 unchanged; you cannot use @code{.org} to move the location counter
4370 @c double negative used below "not undefined" because this is a specific
4371 @c reference to "undefined" (as SEG_UNKNOWN is called in this manual)
4372 @c section. doc@cygnus.com 18feb91
4373 Because @code{@value{AS}} tries to assemble programs in one pass, @var{new-lc}
4374 may not be undefined. If you really detest this restriction we eagerly await
4375 a chance to share your improved assembler.
4377 Beware that the origin is relative to the start of the section, not
4378 to the start of the subsection. This is compatible with other
4379 people's assemblers.
4381 When the location counter (of the current subsection) is advanced, the
4382 intervening bytes are filled with @var{fill} which should be an
4383 absolute expression. If the comma and @var{fill} are omitted,
4384 @var{fill} defaults to zero.
4387 @section @code{.p2align[wl] @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}, @var{abs-expr}}
4389 @cindex padding the location counter given a power of two
4390 @cindex @code{p2align} directive
4391 Pad the location counter (in the current subsection) to a particular
4392 storage boundary. The first expression (which must be absolute) is the
4393 number of low-order zero bits the location counter must have after
4394 advancement. For example @samp{.p2align 3} advances the location
4395 counter until it a multiple of 8. If the location counter is already a
4396 multiple of 8, no change is needed.
4398 The second expression (also absolute) gives the fill value to be stored in the
4399 padding bytes. It (and the comma) may be omitted. If it is omitted, the
4400 padding bytes are normally zero. However, on some systems, if the section is
4401 marked as containing code and the fill value is omitted, the space is filled
4402 with no-op instructions.
4404 The third expression is also absolute, and is also optional. If it is present,
4405 it is the maximum number of bytes that should be skipped by this alignment
4406 directive. If doing the alignment would require skipping more bytes than the
4407 specified maximum, then the alignment is not done at all. You can omit the
4408 fill value (the second argument) entirely by simply using two commas after the
4409 required alignment; this can be useful if you want the alignment to be filled
4410 with no-op instructions when appropriate.
4412 @cindex @code{p2alignw} directive
4413 @cindex @code{p2alignl} directive
4414 The @code{.p2alignw} and @code{.p2alignl} directives are variants of the
4415 @code{.p2align} directive. The @code{.p2alignw} directive treats the fill
4416 pattern as a two byte word value. The @code{.p2alignl} directives treats the
4417 fill pattern as a four byte longword value. For example, @code{.p2alignw
4418 2,0x368d} will align to a multiple of 4. If it skips two bytes, they will be
4419 filled in with the value 0x368d (the exact placement of the bytes depends upon
4420 the endianness of the processor). If it skips 1 or 3 bytes, the fill value is
4425 @section @code{.previous}
4427 @cindex @code{.previous} directive
4428 @cindex Section Stack
4429 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4430 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}),
4431 @code{.pushsection} (@pxref{PushSection}), and @code{.popsection}
4432 (@pxref{PopSection}).
4434 This directive swaps the current section (and subsection) with most recently
4435 referenced section (and subsection) prior to this one. Multiple
4436 @code{.previous} directives in a row will flip between two sections (and their
4439 In terms of the section stack, this directive swaps the current section with
4440 the top section on the section stack.
4445 @section @code{.popsection}
4447 @cindex @code{.popsection} directive
4448 @cindex Section Stack
4449 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4450 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}),
4451 @code{.pushsection} (@pxref{PushSection}), and @code{.previous}
4454 This directive replaces the current section (and subsection) with the top
4455 section (and subsection) on the section stack. This section is popped off the
4460 @section @code{.print @var{string}}
4462 @cindex @code{print} directive
4463 @code{@value{AS}} will print @var{string} on the standard output during
4464 assembly. You must put @var{string} in double quotes.
4468 @section @code{.protected @var{names}}
4470 @cindex @code{.protected} directive
4472 This one of the ELF visibility directives. The other two are
4473 @code{.hidden} (@pxref{Hidden}) and @code{.internal} (@pxref{Internal}).
4475 This directive overrides the named symbols default visibility (which is set by
4476 their binding: local, global or weak). The directive sets the visibility to
4477 @code{protected} which means that any references to the symbols from within the
4478 components that defines them must be resolved to the definition in that
4479 component, even if a definition in another component would normally preempt
4484 @section @code{.psize @var{lines} , @var{columns}}
4486 @cindex @code{psize} directive
4487 @cindex listing control: paper size
4488 @cindex paper size, for listings
4489 Use this directive to declare the number of lines---and, optionally, the
4490 number of columns---to use for each page, when generating listings.
4492 If you do not use @code{.psize}, listings use a default line-count
4493 of 60. You may omit the comma and @var{columns} specification; the
4494 default width is 200 columns.
4496 @code{@value{AS}} generates formfeeds whenever the specified number of
4497 lines is exceeded (or whenever you explicitly request one, using
4500 If you specify @var{lines} as @code{0}, no formfeeds are generated save
4501 those explicitly specified with @code{.eject}.
4504 @section @code{.purgem @var{name}}
4506 @cindex @code{purgem} directive
4507 Undefine the macro @var{name}, so that later uses of the string will not be
4508 expanded. @xref{Macro}.
4512 @section @code{.pushsection @var{name} , @var{subsection}}
4514 @cindex @code{.pushsection} directive
4515 @cindex Section Stack
4516 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4517 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}),
4518 @code{.popsection} (@pxref{PopSection}), and @code{.previous}
4521 This directive is a synonym for @code{.section}. It pushes the current section
4522 (and subsection) onto the top of the section stack, and then replaces the
4523 current section and subsection with @code{name} and @code{subsection}.
4527 @section @code{.quad @var{bignums}}
4529 @cindex @code{quad} directive
4530 @code{.quad} expects zero or more bignums, separated by commas. For
4531 each bignum, it emits
4533 an 8-byte integer. If the bignum won't fit in 8 bytes, it prints a
4534 warning message; and just takes the lowest order 8 bytes of the bignum.
4535 @cindex eight-byte integer
4536 @cindex integer, 8-byte
4538 The term ``quad'' comes from contexts in which a ``word'' is two bytes;
4539 hence @emph{quad}-word for 8 bytes.
4542 a 16-byte integer. If the bignum won't fit in 16 bytes, it prints a
4543 warning message; and just takes the lowest order 16 bytes of the bignum.
4544 @cindex sixteen-byte integer
4545 @cindex integer, 16-byte
4549 @section @code{.rept @var{count}}
4551 @cindex @code{rept} directive
4552 Repeat the sequence of lines between the @code{.rept} directive and the next
4553 @code{.endr} directive @var{count} times.
4555 For example, assembling
4563 is equivalent to assembling
4572 @section @code{.sbttl "@var{subheading}"}
4574 @cindex @code{sbttl} directive
4575 @cindex subtitles for listings
4576 @cindex listing control: subtitle
4577 Use @var{subheading} as the title (third line, immediately after the
4578 title line) when generating assembly listings.
4580 This directive affects subsequent pages, as well as the current page if
4581 it appears within ten lines of the top of a page.
4585 @section @code{.scl @var{class}}
4587 @cindex @code{scl} directive
4588 @cindex symbol storage class (COFF)
4589 @cindex COFF symbol storage class
4590 Set the storage-class value for a symbol. This directive may only be
4591 used inside a @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pair. Storage class may flag
4592 whether a symbol is static or external, or it may record further
4593 symbolic debugging information.
4596 The @samp{.scl} directive is primarily associated with COFF output; when
4597 configured to generate @code{b.out} output format, @code{@value{AS}}
4598 accepts this directive but ignores it.
4603 @section @code{.section @var{name}} (COFF version)
4605 @cindex @code{section} directive
4606 @cindex named section
4607 Use the @code{.section} directive to assemble the following code into a section
4610 This directive is only supported for targets that actually support arbitrarily
4611 named sections; on @code{a.out} targets, for example, it is not accepted, even
4612 with a standard @code{a.out} section name.
4614 For COFF targets, the @code{.section} directive is used in one of the following
4618 .section @var{name}[, "@var{flags}"]
4619 .section @var{name}[, @var{subsegment}]
4622 If the optional argument is quoted, it is taken as flags to use for the
4623 section. Each flag is a single character. The following flags are recognized:
4626 bss section (uninitialized data)
4628 section is not loaded
4638 shared section (meaningful for PE targets)
4641 If no flags are specified, the default flags depend upon the section name. If
4642 the section name is not recognized, the default will be for the section to be
4643 loaded and writable.
4645 If the optional argument to the @code{.section} directive is not quoted, it is
4646 taken as a subsegment number (@pxref{Sub-Sections}).
4649 @section @code{.section @var{name}} (ELF version)
4651 @cindex @code{section} directive
4652 @cindex named section
4654 @cindex Section Stack
4655 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4656 @code{.subsection} (@pxref{SubSection}), @code{.pushsection}
4657 (@pxref{PushSection}), @code{.popsection} (@pxref{PopSection}), and
4658 @code{.previous} (@pxref{Previous}).
4661 For ELF targets, the @code{.section} directive is used like this:
4664 .section @var{name} [, "@var{flags}"[, @@@var{type}]]
4667 The optional @var{flags} argument is a quoted string which may contain any
4668 combination of the following characters:
4671 section is allocatable
4675 section is executable
4678 The optional @var{type} argument may contain one of the following constants:
4681 section contains data
4683 section does not contain data (i.e., section only occupies space)
4686 If no flags are specified, the default flags depend upon the section name. If
4687 the section name is not recognized, the default will be for the section to have
4688 none of the above flags: it will not be allocated in memory, nor writable, nor
4689 executable. The section will contain data.
4691 For ELF targets, the assembler supports another type of @code{.section}
4692 directive for compatibility with the Solaris assembler:
4695 .section "@var{name}"[, @var{flags}...]
4698 Note that the section name is quoted. There may be a sequence of comma
4702 section is allocatable
4706 section is executable
4709 This directive replaces the current section and subsection. The replaced
4710 section and subsection are pushed onto the section stack. See the contents of
4711 the gas testsuite directory @code{gas/testsuite/gas/elf} for some examples of
4712 how this directive and the other section stack directives work.
4715 @section @code{.set @var{symbol}, @var{expression}}
4717 @cindex @code{set} directive
4718 @cindex symbol value, setting
4719 Set the value of @var{symbol} to @var{expression}. This
4720 changes @var{symbol}'s value and type to conform to
4721 @var{expression}. If @var{symbol} was flagged as external, it remains
4722 flagged (@pxref{Symbol Attributes}).
4724 You may @code{.set} a symbol many times in the same assembly.
4726 If you @code{.set} a global symbol, the value stored in the object
4727 file is the last value stored into it.
4730 The syntax for @code{set} on the HPPA is
4731 @samp{@var{symbol} .set @var{expression}}.
4735 @section @code{.short @var{expressions}}
4737 @cindex @code{short} directive
4739 @code{.short} is normally the same as @samp{.word}.
4740 @xref{Word,,@code{.word}}.
4742 In some configurations, however, @code{.short} and @code{.word} generate
4743 numbers of different lengths; @pxref{Machine Dependencies}.
4747 @code{.short} is the same as @samp{.word}. @xref{Word,,@code{.word}}.
4750 This expects zero or more @var{expressions}, and emits
4751 a 16 bit number for each.
4756 @section @code{.single @var{flonums}}
4758 @cindex @code{single} directive
4759 @cindex floating point numbers (single)
4760 This directive assembles zero or more flonums, separated by commas. It
4761 has the same effect as @code{.float}.
4763 The exact kind of floating point numbers emitted depends on how
4764 @code{@value{AS}} is configured. @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
4768 On the @value{TARGET} family, @code{.single} emits 32-bit floating point
4769 numbers in @sc{ieee} format.
4774 @section @code{.size} (COFF version)
4776 @cindex @code{size} directive
4777 This directive is generated by compilers to include auxiliary debugging
4778 information in the symbol table. It is only permitted inside
4779 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs.
4782 @samp{.size} is only meaningful when generating COFF format output; when
4783 @code{@value{AS}} is generating @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but
4787 @section @code{.size @var{name} , @var{expression}} (ELF version)
4788 @cindex @code{size} directive
4790 This directive is used to set the size associated with a symbol @var{name}.
4791 The size in bytes is computed from @var{expression} which can make use of label
4792 arithmetic. This directive is typically used to set the size of function
4796 @section @code{.sleb128 @var{expressions}}
4798 @cindex @code{sleb128} directive
4799 @var{sleb128} stands for ``signed little endian base 128.'' This is a
4800 compact, variable length representation of numbers used by the DWARF
4801 symbolic debugging format. @xref{Uleb128,@code{.uleb128}}.
4803 @ifclear no-space-dir
4805 @section @code{.skip @var{size} , @var{fill}}
4807 @cindex @code{skip} directive
4808 @cindex filling memory
4809 This directive emits @var{size} bytes, each of value @var{fill}. Both
4810 @var{size} and @var{fill} are absolute expressions. If the comma and
4811 @var{fill} are omitted, @var{fill} is assumed to be zero. This is the same as
4815 @section @code{.space @var{size} , @var{fill}}
4817 @cindex @code{space} directive
4818 @cindex filling memory
4819 This directive emits @var{size} bytes, each of value @var{fill}. Both
4820 @var{size} and @var{fill} are absolute expressions. If the comma
4821 and @var{fill} are omitted, @var{fill} is assumed to be zero. This is the same
4826 @emph{Warning:} @code{.space} has a completely different meaning for HPPA
4827 targets; use @code{.block} as a substitute. See @cite{HP9000 Series 800
4828 Assembly Language Reference Manual} (HP 92432-90001) for the meaning of the
4829 @code{.space} directive. @xref{HPPA Directives,,HPPA Assembler Directives},
4838 @section @code{.space}
4839 @cindex @code{space} directive
4841 On the AMD 29K, this directive is ignored; it is accepted for
4842 compatibility with other AMD 29K assemblers.
4845 @emph{Warning:} In most versions of the @sc{gnu} assembler, the directive
4846 @code{.space} has the effect of @code{.block} @xref{Machine Dependencies}.
4852 @section @code{.stabd, .stabn, .stabs}
4854 @cindex symbolic debuggers, information for
4855 @cindex @code{stab@var{x}} directives
4856 There are three directives that begin @samp{.stab}.
4857 All emit symbols (@pxref{Symbols}), for use by symbolic debuggers.
4858 The symbols are not entered in the @code{@value{AS}} hash table: they
4859 cannot be referenced elsewhere in the source file.
4860 Up to five fields are required:
4864 This is the symbol's name. It may contain any character except
4865 @samp{\000}, so is more general than ordinary symbol names. Some
4866 debuggers used to code arbitrarily complex structures into symbol names
4870 An absolute expression. The symbol's type is set to the low 8 bits of
4871 this expression. Any bit pattern is permitted, but @code{@value{LD}}
4872 and debuggers choke on silly bit patterns.
4875 An absolute expression. The symbol's ``other'' attribute is set to the
4876 low 8 bits of this expression.
4879 An absolute expression. The symbol's descriptor is set to the low 16
4880 bits of this expression.
4883 An absolute expression which becomes the symbol's value.
4886 If a warning is detected while reading a @code{.stabd}, @code{.stabn},
4887 or @code{.stabs} statement, the symbol has probably already been created;
4888 you get a half-formed symbol in your object file. This is
4889 compatible with earlier assemblers!
4892 @cindex @code{stabd} directive
4893 @item .stabd @var{type} , @var{other} , @var{desc}
4895 The ``name'' of the symbol generated is not even an empty string.
4896 It is a null pointer, for compatibility. Older assemblers used a
4897 null pointer so they didn't waste space in object files with empty
4900 The symbol's value is set to the location counter,
4901 relocatably. When your program is linked, the value of this symbol
4902 is the address of the location counter when the @code{.stabd} was
4905 @cindex @code{stabn} directive
4906 @item .stabn @var{type} , @var{other} , @var{desc} , @var{value}
4907 The name of the symbol is set to the empty string @code{""}.
4909 @cindex @code{stabs} directive
4910 @item .stabs @var{string} , @var{type} , @var{other} , @var{desc} , @var{value}
4911 All five fields are specified.
4917 @section @code{.string} "@var{str}"
4919 @cindex string, copying to object file
4920 @cindex @code{string} directive
4922 Copy the characters in @var{str} to the object file. You may specify more than
4923 one string to copy, separated by commas. Unless otherwise specified for a
4924 particular machine, the assembler marks the end of each string with a 0 byte.
4925 You can use any of the escape sequences described in @ref{Strings,,Strings}.
4928 @section @code{.struct @var{expression}}
4930 @cindex @code{struct} directive
4931 Switch to the absolute section, and set the section offset to @var{expression},
4932 which must be an absolute expression. You might use this as follows:
4941 This would define the symbol @code{field1} to have the value 0, the symbol
4942 @code{field2} to have the value 4, and the symbol @code{field3} to have the
4943 value 8. Assembly would be left in the absolute section, and you would need to
4944 use a @code{.section} directive of some sort to change to some other section
4945 before further assembly.
4949 @section @code{.subsection @var{name}}
4951 @cindex @code{.subsection} directive
4952 @cindex Section Stack
4953 This is one of the ELF section stack manipulation directives. The others are
4954 @code{.section} (@pxref{Section}), @code{.pushsection} (@pxref{PushSection}),
4955 @code{.popsection} (@pxref{PopSection}), and @code{.previous}
4958 This directive replaces the current subsection with @code{name}. The current
4959 section is not changed. The replaced subsection is put onto the section stack
4960 in place of the then current top of stack subsection.
4965 @section @code{.symver}
4966 @cindex @code{symver} directive
4967 @cindex symbol versioning
4968 @cindex versions of symbols
4969 Use the @code{.symver} directive to bind symbols to specific version nodes
4970 within a source file. This is only supported on ELF platforms, and is
4971 typically used when assembling files to be linked into a shared library.
4972 There are cases where it may make sense to use this in objects to be bound
4973 into an application itself so as to override a versioned symbol from a
4976 For ELF targets, the @code{.symver} directive can be used like this:
4978 .symver @var{name}, @var{name2@@nodename}
4980 If the symbol @var{name} is defined within the file
4981 being assembled, the @code{.symver} directive effectively creates a symbol
4982 alias with the name @var{name2@@nodename}, and in fact the main reason that we
4983 just don't try and create a regular alias is that the @var{@@} character isn't
4984 permitted in symbol names. The @var{name2} part of the name is the actual name
4985 of the symbol by which it will be externally referenced. The name @var{name}
4986 itself is merely a name of convenience that is used so that it is possible to
4987 have definitions for multiple versions of a function within a single source
4988 file, and so that the compiler can unambiguously know which version of a
4989 function is being mentioned. The @var{nodename} portion of the alias should be
4990 the name of a node specified in the version script supplied to the linker when
4991 building a shared library. If you are attempting to override a versioned
4992 symbol from a shared library, then @var{nodename} should correspond to the
4993 nodename of the symbol you are trying to override.
4995 If the symbol @var{name} is not defined within the file being assembled, all
4996 references to @var{name} will be changed to @var{name2@@nodename}. If no
4997 reference to @var{name} is made, @var{name2@@nodename} will be removed from the
5000 Another usage of the @code{.symver} directive is:
5002 .symver @var{name}, @var{name2@@@@nodename}
5004 In this case, the symbol @var{name} must exist and be defined within
5005 the file being assembled. It is similar to @var{name2@@nodename}. The
5006 difference is @var{name2@@@@nodename} will also be used to resolve
5007 references to @var{name2} by the linker.
5009 The third usage of the @code{.symver} directive is:
5011 .symver @var{name}, @var{name2@@@@@@nodename}
5013 When @var{name} is not defined within the
5014 file being assembled, it is treated as @var{name2@@nodename}. When
5015 @var{name} is defined within the file being assembled, the symbol
5016 name, @var{name}, will be changed to @var{name2@@@@nodename}.
5021 @section @code{.tag @var{structname}}
5023 @cindex COFF structure debugging
5024 @cindex structure debugging, COFF
5025 @cindex @code{tag} directive
5026 This directive is generated by compilers to include auxiliary debugging
5027 information in the symbol table. It is only permitted inside
5028 @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs. Tags are used to link structure
5029 definitions in the symbol table with instances of those structures.
5032 @samp{.tag} is only used when generating COFF format output; when
5033 @code{@value{AS}} is generating @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but
5039 @section @code{.text @var{subsection}}
5041 @cindex @code{text} directive
5042 Tells @code{@value{AS}} to assemble the following statements onto the end of
5043 the text subsection numbered @var{subsection}, which is an absolute
5044 expression. If @var{subsection} is omitted, subsection number zero
5048 @section @code{.title "@var{heading}"}
5050 @cindex @code{title} directive
5051 @cindex listing control: title line
5052 Use @var{heading} as the title (second line, immediately after the
5053 source file name and pagenumber) when generating assembly listings.
5055 This directive affects subsequent pages, as well as the current page if
5056 it appears within ten lines of the top of a page.
5059 @section @code{.type @var{int}} (COFF version)
5061 @cindex COFF symbol type
5062 @cindex symbol type, COFF
5063 @cindex @code{type} directive
5064 This directive, permitted only within @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs,
5065 records the integer @var{int} as the type attribute of a symbol table entry.
5068 @samp{.type} is associated only with COFF format output; when
5069 @code{@value{AS}} is configured for @code{b.out} output, it accepts this
5070 directive but ignores it.
5073 @section @code{.type @var{name} , @var{type description}} (ELF version)
5075 @cindex ELF symbol type
5076 @cindex symbol type, ELF
5077 @cindex @code{type} directive
5078 This directive is used to set the type of symbol @var{name} to be either a
5079 function symbol or an object symbol. There are five different syntaxes
5080 supported for the @var{type description} field, in order to provide
5081 compatibility with various other assemblers. The syntaxes supported are:
5084 .type <name>,#function
5085 .type <name>,#object
5087 .type <name>,@@function
5088 .type <name>,@@object
5090 .type <name>,%function
5091 .type <name>,%object
5093 .type <name>,"function"
5094 .type <name>,"object"
5096 .type <name> STT_FUNCTION
5097 .type <name> STT_OBJECT
5101 @section @code{.uleb128 @var{expressions}}
5103 @cindex @code{uleb128} directive
5104 @var{uleb128} stands for ``unsigned little endian base 128.'' This is a
5105 compact, variable length representation of numbers used by the DWARF
5106 symbolic debugging format. @xref{Sleb128,@code{.sleb128}}.
5110 @section @code{.val @var{addr}}
5112 @cindex @code{val} directive
5113 @cindex COFF value attribute
5114 @cindex value attribute, COFF
5115 This directive, permitted only within @code{.def}/@code{.endef} pairs,
5116 records the address @var{addr} as the value attribute of a symbol table
5120 @samp{.val} is used only for COFF output; when @code{@value{AS}} is
5121 configured for @code{b.out}, it accepts this directive but ignores it.
5127 @section @code{.version "@var{string}"}
5129 @cindex @code{.version}
5130 This directive creates a @code{.note} section and places into it an ELF
5131 formatted note of type NT_VERSION. The note's name is set to @code{string}.
5136 @section @code{.vtable_entry @var{table}, @var{offset}}
5138 @cindex @code{.vtable_entry}
5139 This directive finds or creates a symbol @code{table} and creates a
5140 @code{VTABLE_ENTRY} relocation for it with an addend of @code{offset}.
5143 @section @code{.vtable_inherit @var{child}, @var{parent}}
5145 @cindex @code{.vtable_inherit}
5146 This directive finds the symbol @code{child} and finds or creates the symbol
5147 @code{parent} and then creates a @code{VTABLE_INHERIT} relocation for the
5148 parent whose addend is the value of the child symbol. As a special case the
5149 parent name of @code{0} is treated as refering the @code{*ABS*} section.
5154 @section @code{.weak @var{names}}
5156 @cindex @code{.weak}
5157 This directive sets the weak attribute on the comma separated list of symbol
5158 @code{names}. If the symbols do not already exist, they will be created.
5162 @section @code{.word @var{expressions}}
5164 @cindex @code{word} directive
5165 This directive expects zero or more @var{expressions}, of any section,
5166 separated by commas.
5169 For each expression, @code{@value{AS}} emits a 32-bit number.
5172 For each expression, @code{@value{AS}} emits a 16-bit number.
5177 The size of the number emitted, and its byte order,
5178 depend on what target computer the assembly is for.
5181 @c on amd29k, i960, sparc the "special treatment to support compilers" doesn't
5182 @c happen---32-bit addressability, period; no long/short jumps.
5183 @ifset DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
5184 @cindex difference tables altered
5185 @cindex altered difference tables
5187 @emph{Warning: Special Treatment to support Compilers}
5191 Machines with a 32-bit address space, but that do less than 32-bit
5192 addressing, require the following special treatment. If the machine of
5193 interest to you does 32-bit addressing (or doesn't require it;
5194 @pxref{Machine Dependencies}), you can ignore this issue.
5197 In order to assemble compiler output into something that works,
5198 @code{@value{AS}} occasionally does strange things to @samp{.word} directives.
5199 Directives of the form @samp{.word sym1-sym2} are often emitted by
5200 compilers as part of jump tables. Therefore, when @code{@value{AS}} assembles a
5201 directive of the form @samp{.word sym1-sym2}, and the difference between
5202 @code{sym1} and @code{sym2} does not fit in 16 bits, @code{@value{AS}}
5203 creates a @dfn{secondary jump table}, immediately before the next label.
5204 This secondary jump table is preceded by a short-jump to the
5205 first byte after the secondary table. This short-jump prevents the flow
5206 of control from accidentally falling into the new table. Inside the
5207 table is a long-jump to @code{sym2}. The original @samp{.word}
5208 contains @code{sym1} minus the address of the long-jump to
5211 If there were several occurrences of @samp{.word sym1-sym2} before the
5212 secondary jump table, all of them are adjusted. If there was a
5213 @samp{.word sym3-sym4}, that also did not fit in sixteen bits, a
5214 long-jump to @code{sym4} is included in the secondary jump table,
5215 and the @code{.word} directives are adjusted to contain @code{sym3}
5216 minus the address of the long-jump to @code{sym4}; and so on, for as many
5217 entries in the original jump table as necessary.
5220 @emph{This feature may be disabled by compiling @code{@value{AS}} with the
5221 @samp{-DWORKING_DOT_WORD} option.} This feature is likely to confuse
5222 assembly language programmers.
5225 @c end DIFF-TBL-KLUGE
5228 @section Deprecated Directives
5230 @cindex deprecated directives
5231 @cindex obsolescent directives
5232 One day these directives won't work.
5233 They are included for compatibility with older assemblers.
5240 @node Machine Dependencies
5241 @chapter Machine Dependent Features
5243 @cindex machine dependencies
5244 The machine instruction sets are (almost by definition) different on
5245 each machine where @code{@value{AS}} runs. Floating point representations
5246 vary as well, and @code{@value{AS}} often supports a few additional
5247 directives or command-line options for compatibility with other
5248 assemblers on a particular platform. Finally, some versions of
5249 @code{@value{AS}} support special pseudo-instructions for branch
5252 This chapter discusses most of these differences, though it does not
5253 include details on any machine's instruction set. For details on that
5254 subject, see the hardware manufacturer's manual.
5258 * AMD29K-Dependent:: AMD 29K Dependent Features
5261 * ARC-Dependent:: ARC Dependent Features
5264 * ARM-Dependent:: ARM Dependent Features
5267 * D10V-Dependent:: D10V Dependent Features
5270 * D30V-Dependent:: D30V Dependent Features
5273 * H8/300-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/300 Dependent Features
5276 * H8/500-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/500 Dependent Features
5279 * HPPA-Dependent:: HPPA Dependent Features
5282 * ESA/390-Dependent:: IBM ESA/390 Dependent Features
5285 * i386-Dependent:: Intel 80386 and AMD x86-64 Dependent Features
5288 * i860-Dependent:: Intel 80860 Dependent Features
5291 * i960-Dependent:: Intel 80960 Dependent Features
5294 * M32R-Dependent:: M32R Dependent Features
5297 * M68K-Dependent:: M680x0 Dependent Features
5300 * M68HC11-Dependent:: M68HC11 and 68HC12 Dependent Features
5303 * MIPS-Dependent:: MIPS Dependent Features
5306 * SH-Dependent:: Hitachi SH Dependent Features
5309 * PDP-11-Dependent:: PDP-11 Dependent Features
5312 * PJ-Dependent:: picoJava Dependent Features
5315 * Sparc-Dependent:: SPARC Dependent Features
5318 * TIC54X-Dependent:: TI TMS320C54x Dependent Features
5321 * V850-Dependent:: V850 Dependent Features
5324 * Z8000-Dependent:: Z8000 Dependent Features
5327 * Vax-Dependent:: VAX Dependent Features
5334 @c The following major nodes are *sections* in the GENERIC version, *chapters*
5335 @c in single-cpu versions. This is mainly achieved by @lowersections. There is a
5336 @c peculiarity: to preserve cross-references, there must be a node called
5337 @c "Machine Dependencies". Hence the conditional nodenames in each
5338 @c major node below. Node defaulting in makeinfo requires adjacency of
5339 @c node and sectioning commands; hence the repetition of @chapter BLAH
5340 @c in both conditional blocks.
5347 @include c-a29k.texi
5356 @node Machine Dependencies
5357 @chapter Machine Dependent Features
5359 The machine instruction sets are different on each Hitachi chip family,
5360 and there are also some syntax differences among the families. This
5361 chapter describes the specific @code{@value{AS}} features for each
5365 * H8/300-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/300 Dependent Features
5366 * H8/500-Dependent:: Hitachi H8/500 Dependent Features
5367 * SH-Dependent:: Hitachi SH Dependent Features
5374 @include c-d10v.texi
5378 @include c-d30v.texi
5382 @include c-h8300.texi
5386 @include c-h8500.texi
5390 @include c-hppa.texi
5394 @include c-i370.texi
5398 @include c-i386.texi
5402 @include c-i860.texi
5406 @include c-i960.texi
5410 @include c-m32r.texi
5414 @include c-m68k.texi
5418 @include c-m68hc11.texi
5422 @include c-mips.texi
5426 @include c-ns32k.texi
5430 @include c-pdp11.texi
5442 @include c-sparc.texi
5446 @include c-tic54x.texi
5458 @include c-v850.texi
5462 @c reverse effect of @down at top of generic Machine-Dep chapter
5466 @node Reporting Bugs
5467 @chapter Reporting Bugs
5468 @cindex bugs in assembler
5469 @cindex reporting bugs in assembler
5471 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @code{@value{AS}} reliable.
5473 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it may
5474 not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help the
5475 entire community by making the next version of @code{@value{AS}} work better.
5476 Bug reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @code{@value{AS}}.
5478 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
5479 information that enables us to fix the bug.
5482 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
5483 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
5487 @section Have you found a bug?
5488 @cindex bug criteria
5490 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
5493 @cindex fatal signal
5494 @cindex assembler crash
5495 @cindex crash of assembler
5497 If the assembler gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
5498 @code{@value{AS}} bug. Reliable assemblers never crash.
5500 @cindex error on valid input
5502 If @code{@value{AS}} produces an error message for valid input, that is a bug.
5504 @cindex invalid input
5506 If @code{@value{AS}} does not produce an error message for invalid input, that
5507 is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of ``invalid input'' might
5508 be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support for traditional practice''.
5511 If you are an experienced user of assemblers, your suggestions for improvement
5512 of @code{@value{AS}} are welcome in any case.
5516 @section How to report bugs
5518 @cindex assembler bugs, reporting
5520 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products. If
5521 you obtained @code{@value{AS}} from a support organization, we recommend you
5522 contact that organization first.
5524 You can find contact information for many support companies and
5525 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
5528 In any event, we also recommend that you send bug reports for @code{@value{AS}}
5529 to @samp{bug-binutils@@gnu.org}.
5531 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
5532 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
5533 fact or leave it out, state it!
5535 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the problem
5536 and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might assume that the
5537 name of a symbol you use in an example does not matter. Well, probably it does
5538 not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a stray memory reference which
5539 happens to fetch from the location where that name is stored in memory;
5540 perhaps, if the name were different, the contents of that location would fool
5541 the assembler into doing the right thing despite the bug. Play it safe and
5542 give a specific, complete example. That is the easiest thing for you to do,
5543 and the most helpful.
5545 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the bug if
5546 it is new to us. Therefore, always write your bug reports on the assumption
5547 that the bug has not been reported previously.
5549 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
5550 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
5551 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
5554 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
5558 The version of @code{@value{AS}}. @code{@value{AS}} announces it if you start
5559 it with the @samp{--version} argument.
5561 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
5562 the bug in the current version of @code{@value{AS}}.
5565 Any patches you may have applied to the @code{@value{AS}} source.
5568 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
5572 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @code{@value{AS}}---e.g.
5576 The command arguments you gave the assembler to assemble your example and
5577 observe the bug. To guarantee you will not omit something important, list them
5578 all. A copy of the Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
5580 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
5581 and then we might not encounter the bug.
5584 A complete input file that will reproduce the bug. If the bug is observed when
5585 the assembler is invoked via a compiler, send the assembler source, not the
5586 high level language source. Most compilers will produce the assembler source
5587 when run with the @samp{-S} option. If you are using @code{@value{GCC}}, use
5588 the options @samp{-v --save-temps}; this will save the assembler source in a
5589 file with an extension of @file{.s}, and also show you exactly how
5590 @code{@value{AS}} is being run.
5593 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
5594 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
5596 Of course, if the bug is that @code{@value{AS}} gets a fatal signal, then we
5597 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might not
5598 notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us a chance to
5601 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still say so
5602 explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your copy of
5603 @code{@value{AS}} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in the C
5604 library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might crash and ours
5605 would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when ours fails to crash, we
5606 would know that the bug was not happening for us. If you had not told us to
5607 expect a crash, then we would not be able to draw any conclusion from our
5611 If you wish to suggest changes to the @code{@value{AS}} source, send us context
5612 diffs, as generated by @code{diff} with the @samp{-u}, @samp{-c}, or @samp{-p}
5613 option. Always send diffs from the old file to the new file. If you even
5614 discuss something in the @code{@value{AS}} source, refer to it by context, not
5617 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
5618 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
5621 Here are some things that are not necessary:
5625 A description of the envelope of the bug.
5627 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
5628 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
5629 changes will not affect it.
5631 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
5632 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
5633 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
5634 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
5636 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
5637 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
5638 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
5639 less time, and so on.
5641 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
5642 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
5645 A patch for the bug.
5647 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
5648 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
5649 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
5650 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
5652 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @code{@value{AS}} it is very hard to
5653 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path through
5654 the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able to construct
5655 one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
5657 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
5658 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
5659 help us to understand.
5662 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
5664 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
5665 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
5668 @node Acknowledgements
5669 @chapter Acknowledgements
5671 If you have contributed to @code{@value{AS}} and your name isn't listed here,
5672 it is not meant as a slight. We just don't know about it. Send mail to the
5673 maintainer, and we'll correct the situation. Currently
5675 the maintainer is Ken Raeburn (email address @code{raeburn@@cygnus.com}).
5677 Dean Elsner wrote the original @sc{gnu} assembler for the VAX.@footnote{Any
5680 Jay Fenlason maintained GAS for a while, adding support for GDB-specific debug
5681 information and the 68k series machines, most of the preprocessing pass, and
5682 extensive changes in @file{messages.c}, @file{input-file.c}, @file{write.c}.
5684 K. Richard Pixley maintained GAS for a while, adding various enhancements and
5685 many bug fixes, including merging support for several processors, breaking GAS
5686 up to handle multiple object file format back ends (including heavy rewrite,
5687 testing, an integration of the coff and b.out back ends), adding configuration
5688 including heavy testing and verification of cross assemblers and file splits
5689 and renaming, converted GAS to strictly ANSI C including full prototypes, added
5690 support for m680[34]0 and cpu32, did considerable work on i960 including a COFF
5691 port (including considerable amounts of reverse engineering), a SPARC opcode
5692 file rewrite, DECstation, rs6000, and hp300hpux host ports, updated ``know''
5693 assertions and made them work, much other reorganization, cleanup, and lint.
5695 Ken Raeburn wrote the high-level BFD interface code to replace most of the code
5696 in format-specific I/O modules.
5698 The original VMS support was contributed by David L. Kashtan. Eric Youngdale
5699 has done much work with it since.
5701 The Intel 80386 machine description was written by Eliot Dresselhaus.
5703 Minh Tran-Le at IntelliCorp contributed some AIX 386 support.
5705 The Motorola 88k machine description was contributed by Devon Bowen of Buffalo
5706 University and Torbjorn Granlund of the Swedish Institute of Computer Science.
5708 Keith Knowles at the Open Software Foundation wrote the original MIPS back end
5709 (@file{tc-mips.c}, @file{tc-mips.h}), and contributed Rose format support
5710 (which hasn't been merged in yet). Ralph Campbell worked with the MIPS code to
5711 support a.out format.
5713 Support for the Zilog Z8k and Hitachi H8/300 and H8/500 processors (tc-z8k,
5714 tc-h8300, tc-h8500), and IEEE 695 object file format (obj-ieee), was written by
5715 Steve Chamberlain of Cygnus Support. Steve also modified the COFF back end to
5716 use BFD for some low-level operations, for use with the H8/300 and AMD 29k
5719 John Gilmore built the AMD 29000 support, added @code{.include} support, and
5720 simplified the configuration of which versions accept which directives. He
5721 updated the 68k machine description so that Motorola's opcodes always produced
5722 fixed-size instructions (e.g. @code{jsr}), while synthetic instructions
5723 remained shrinkable (@code{jbsr}). John fixed many bugs, including true tested
5724 cross-compilation support, and one bug in relaxation that took a week and
5725 required the proverbial one-bit fix.
5727 Ian Lance Taylor of Cygnus Support merged the Motorola and MIT syntax for the
5728 68k, completed support for some COFF targets (68k, i386 SVR3, and SCO Unix),
5729 added support for MIPS ECOFF and ELF targets, wrote the initial RS/6000 and
5730 PowerPC assembler, and made a few other minor patches.
5732 Steve Chamberlain made @code{@value{AS}} able to generate listings.
5734 Hewlett-Packard contributed support for the HP9000/300.
5736 Jeff Law wrote GAS and BFD support for the native HPPA object format (SOM)
5737 along with a fairly extensive HPPA testsuite (for both SOM and ELF object
5738 formats). This work was supported by both the Center for Software Science at
5739 the University of Utah and Cygnus Support.
5741 Support for ELF format files has been worked on by Mark Eichin of Cygnus
5742 Support (original, incomplete implementation for SPARC), Pete Hoogenboom and
5743 Jeff Law at the University of Utah (HPPA mainly), Michael Meissner of the Open
5744 Software Foundation (i386 mainly), and Ken Raeburn of Cygnus Support (sparc,
5745 and some initial 64-bit support).
5747 Linas Vepstas added GAS support for the ESA/390 "IBM 370" architecture.
5749 Richard Henderson rewrote the Alpha assembler. Klaus Kaempf wrote GAS and BFD
5750 support for openVMS/Alpha.
5752 Timothy Wall, Michael Hayes, and Greg Smart contributed to the various tic*
5755 Several engineers at Cygnus Support have also provided many small bug fixes and
5756 configuration enhancements.
5758 Many others have contributed large or small bugfixes and enhancements. If
5759 you have contributed significant work and are not mentioned on this list, and
5760 want to be, let us know. Some of the history has been lost; we are not
5761 intentionally leaving anyone out.
5763 @node GNU Free Documentation License
5764 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
5766 GNU Free Documentation License
5768 Version 1.1, March 2000
5770 Copyright (C) 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5771 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
5773 Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
5774 of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
5779 The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other
5780 written document "free" in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone
5781 the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without
5782 modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially. Secondarily,
5783 this License preserves for the author and publisher a way to get
5784 credit for their work, while not being considered responsible for
5785 modifications made by others.
5787 This License is a kind of "copyleft", which means that derivative
5788 works of the document must themselves be free in the same sense. It
5789 complements the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft
5790 license designed for free software.
5792 We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free
5793 software, because free software needs free documentation: a free
5794 program should come with manuals providing the same freedoms that the
5795 software does. But this License is not limited to software manuals;
5796 it can be used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or
5797 whether it is published as a printed book. We recommend this License
5798 principally for works whose purpose is instruction or reference.
5801 1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS
5803 This License applies to any manual or other work that contains a
5804 notice placed by the copyright holder saying it can be distributed
5805 under the terms of this License. The "Document", below, refers to any
5806 such manual or work. Any member of the public is a licensee, and is
5809 A "Modified Version" of the Document means any work containing the
5810 Document or a portion of it, either copied verbatim, or with
5811 modifications and/or translated into another language.
5813 A "Secondary Section" is a named appendix or a front-matter section of
5814 the Document that deals exclusively with the relationship of the
5815 publishers or authors of the Document to the Document's overall subject
5816 (or to related matters) and contains nothing that could fall directly
5817 within that overall subject. (For example, if the Document is in part a
5818 textbook of mathematics, a Secondary Section may not explain any
5819 mathematics.) The relationship could be a matter of historical
5820 connection with the subject or with related matters, or of legal,
5821 commercial, philosophical, ethical or political position regarding
5824 The "Invariant Sections" are certain Secondary Sections whose titles
5825 are designated, as being those of Invariant Sections, in the notice
5826 that says that the Document is released under this License.
5828 The "Cover Texts" are certain short passages of text that are listed,
5829 as Front-Cover Texts or Back-Cover Texts, in the notice that says that
5830 the Document is released under this License.
5832 A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy,
5833 represented in a format whose specification is available to the
5834 general public, whose contents can be viewed and edited directly and
5835 straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of
5836 pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available
5837 drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or
5838 for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input
5839 to text formatters. A copy made in an otherwise Transparent file
5840 format whose markup has been designed to thwart or discourage
5841 subsequent modification by readers is not Transparent. A copy that is
5842 not "Transparent" is called "Opaque".
5844 Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain
5845 ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format, SGML
5846 or XML using a publicly available DTD, and standard-conforming simple
5847 HTML designed for human modification. Opaque formats include
5848 PostScript, PDF, proprietary formats that can be read and edited only
5849 by proprietary word processors, SGML or XML for which the DTD and/or
5850 processing tools are not generally available, and the
5851 machine-generated HTML produced by some word processors for output
5854 The "Title Page" means, for a printed book, the title page itself,
5855 plus such following pages as are needed to hold, legibly, the material
5856 this License requires to appear in the title page. For works in
5857 formats which do not have any title page as such, "Title Page" means
5858 the text near the most prominent appearance of the work's title,
5859 preceding the beginning of the body of the text.
5864 You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either
5865 commercially or noncommercially, provided that this License, the
5866 copyright notices, and the license notice saying this License applies
5867 to the Document are reproduced in all copies, and that you add no other
5868 conditions whatsoever to those of this License. You may not use
5869 technical measures to obstruct or control the reading or further
5870 copying of the copies you make or distribute. However, you may accept
5871 compensation in exchange for copies. If you distribute a large enough
5872 number of copies you must also follow the conditions in section 3.
5874 You may also lend copies, under the same conditions stated above, and
5875 you may publicly display copies.
5878 3. COPYING IN QUANTITY
5880 If you publish printed copies of the Document numbering more than 100,
5881 and the Document's license notice requires Cover Texts, you must enclose
5882 the copies in covers that carry, clearly and legibly, all these Cover
5883 Texts: Front-Cover Texts on the front cover, and Back-Cover Texts on
5884 the back cover. Both covers must also clearly and legibly identify
5885 you as the publisher of these copies. The front cover must present
5886 the full title with all words of the title equally prominent and
5887 visible. You may add other material on the covers in addition.
5888 Copying with changes limited to the covers, as long as they preserve
5889 the title of the Document and satisfy these conditions, can be treated
5890 as verbatim copying in other respects.
5892 If the required texts for either cover are too voluminous to fit
5893 legibly, you should put the first ones listed (as many as fit
5894 reasonably) on the actual cover, and continue the rest onto adjacent
5897 If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document numbering
5898 more than 100, you must either include a machine-readable Transparent
5899 copy along with each Opaque copy, or state in or with each Opaque copy
5900 a publicly-accessible computer-network location containing a complete
5901 Transparent copy of the Document, free of added material, which the
5902 general network-using public has access to download anonymously at no
5903 charge using public-standard network protocols. If you use the latter
5904 option, you must take reasonably prudent steps, when you begin
5905 distribution of Opaque copies in quantity, to ensure that this
5906 Transparent copy will remain thus accessible at the stated location
5907 until at least one year after the last time you distribute an Opaque
5908 copy (directly or through your agents or retailers) of that edition to
5911 It is requested, but not required, that you contact the authors of the
5912 Document well before redistributing any large number of copies, to give
5913 them a chance to provide you with an updated version of the Document.
5918 You may copy and distribute a Modified Version of the Document under
5919 the conditions of sections 2 and 3 above, provided that you release
5920 the Modified Version under precisely this License, with the Modified
5921 Version filling the role of the Document, thus licensing distribution
5922 and modification of the Modified Version to whoever possesses a copy
5923 of it. In addition, you must do these things in the Modified Version:
5925 A. Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title distinct
5926 from that of the Document, and from those of previous versions
5927 (which should, if there were any, be listed in the History section
5928 of the Document). You may use the same title as a previous version
5929 if the original publisher of that version gives permission.
5930 B. List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or entities
5931 responsible for authorship of the modifications in the Modified
5932 Version, together with at least five of the principal authors of the
5933 Document (all of its principal authors, if it has less than five).
5934 C. State on the Title page the name of the publisher of the
5935 Modified Version, as the publisher.
5936 D. Preserve all the copyright notices of the Document.
5937 E. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modifications
5938 adjacent to the other copyright notices.
5939 F. Include, immediately after the copyright notices, a license notice
5940 giving the public permission to use the Modified Version under the
5941 terms of this License, in the form shown in the Addendum below.
5942 G. Preserve in that license notice the full lists of Invariant Sections
5943 and required Cover Texts given in the Document's license notice.
5944 H. Include an unaltered copy of this License.
5945 I. Preserve the section entitled "History", and its title, and add to
5946 it an item stating at least the title, year, new authors, and
5947 publisher of the Modified Version as given on the Title Page. If
5948 there is no section entitled "History" in the Document, create one
5949 stating the title, year, authors, and publisher of the Document as
5950 given on its Title Page, then add an item describing the Modified
5951 Version as stated in the previous sentence.
5952 J. Preserve the network location, if any, given in the Document for
5953 public access to a Transparent copy of the Document, and likewise
5954 the network locations given in the Document for previous versions
5955 it was based on. These may be placed in the "History" section.
5956 You may omit a network location for a work that was published at
5957 least four years before the Document itself, or if the original
5958 publisher of the version it refers to gives permission.
5959 K. In any section entitled "Acknowledgements" or "Dedications",
5960 preserve the section's title, and preserve in the section all the
5961 substance and tone of each of the contributor acknowledgements
5962 and/or dedications given therein.
5963 L. Preserve all the Invariant Sections of the Document,
5964 unaltered in their text and in their titles. Section numbers
5965 or the equivalent are not considered part of the section titles.
5966 M. Delete any section entitled "Endorsements". Such a section
5967 may not be included in the Modified Version.
5968 N. Do not retitle any existing section as "Endorsements"
5969 or to conflict in title with any Invariant Section.
5971 If the Modified Version includes new front-matter sections or
5972 appendices that qualify as Secondary Sections and contain no material
5973 copied from the Document, you may at your option designate some or all
5974 of these sections as invariant. To do this, add their titles to the
5975 list of Invariant Sections in the Modified Version's license notice.
5976 These titles must be distinct from any other section titles.
5978 You may add a section entitled "Endorsements", provided it contains
5979 nothing but endorsements of your Modified Version by various
5980 parties--for example, statements of peer review or that the text has
5981 been approved by an organization as the authoritative definition of a
5984 You may add a passage of up to five words as a Front-Cover Text, and a
5985 passage of up to 25 words as a Back-Cover Text, to the end of the list
5986 of Cover Texts in the Modified Version. Only one passage of
5987 Front-Cover Text and one of Back-Cover Text may be added by (or
5988 through arrangements made by) any one entity. If the Document already
5989 includes a cover text for the same cover, previously added by you or
5990 by arrangement made by the same entity you are acting on behalf of,
5991 you may not add another; but you may replace the old one, on explicit
5992 permission from the previous publisher that added the old one.
5994 The author(s) and publisher(s) of the Document do not by this License
5995 give permission to use their names for publicity for or to assert or
5996 imply endorsement of any Modified Version.
5999 5. COMBINING DOCUMENTS
6001 You may combine the Document with other documents released under this
6002 License, under the terms defined in section 4 above for modified
6003 versions, provided that you include in the combination all of the
6004 Invariant Sections of all of the original documents, unmodified, and
6005 list them all as Invariant Sections of your combined work in its
6008 The combined work need only contain one copy of this License, and
6009 multiple identical Invariant Sections may be replaced with a single
6010 copy. If there are multiple Invariant Sections with the same name but
6011 different contents, make the title of each such section unique by
6012 adding at the end of it, in parentheses, the name of the original
6013 author or publisher of that section if known, or else a unique number.
6014 Make the same adjustment to the section titles in the list of
6015 Invariant Sections in the license notice of the combined work.
6017 In the combination, you must combine any sections entitled "History"
6018 in the various original documents, forming one section entitled
6019 "History"; likewise combine any sections entitled "Acknowledgements",
6020 and any sections entitled "Dedications". You must delete all sections
6021 entitled "Endorsements."
6024 6. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS
6026 You may make a collection consisting of the Document and other documents
6027 released under this License, and replace the individual copies of this
6028 License in the various documents with a single copy that is included in
6029 the collection, provided that you follow the rules of this License for
6030 verbatim copying of each of the documents in all other respects.
6032 You may extract a single document from such a collection, and distribute
6033 it individually under this License, provided you insert a copy of this
6034 License into the extracted document, and follow this License in all
6035 other respects regarding verbatim copying of that document.
6038 7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS
6040 A compilation of the Document or its derivatives with other separate
6041 and independent documents or works, in or on a volume of a storage or
6042 distribution medium, does not as a whole count as a Modified Version
6043 of the Document, provided no compilation copyright is claimed for the
6044 compilation. Such a compilation is called an "aggregate", and this
6045 License does not apply to the other self-contained works thus compiled
6046 with the Document, on account of their being thus compiled, if they
6047 are not themselves derivative works of the Document.
6049 If the Cover Text requirement of section 3 is applicable to these
6050 copies of the Document, then if the Document is less than one quarter
6051 of the entire aggregate, the Document's Cover Texts may be placed on
6052 covers that surround only the Document within the aggregate.
6053 Otherwise they must appear on covers around the whole aggregate.
6058 Translation is considered a kind of modification, so you may
6059 distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section 4.
6060 Replacing Invariant Sections with translations requires special
6061 permission from their copyright holders, but you may include
6062 translations of some or all Invariant Sections in addition to the
6063 original versions of these Invariant Sections. You may include a
6064 translation of this License provided that you also include the
6065 original English version of this License. In case of a disagreement
6066 between the translation and the original English version of this
6067 License, the original English version will prevail.
6072 You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document except
6073 as expressly provided for under this License. Any other attempt to
6074 copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Document is void, and will
6075 automatically terminate your rights under this License. However,
6076 parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under this
6077 License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such
6078 parties remain in full compliance.
6081 10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE
6083 The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions
6084 of the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time. Such new
6085 versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may
6086 differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. See
6087 http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/.
6089 Each version of the License is given a distinguishing version number.
6090 If the Document specifies that a particular numbered version of this
6091 License "or any later version" applies to it, you have the option of
6092 following the terms and conditions either of that specified version or
6093 of any later version that has been published (not as a draft) by the
6094 Free Software Foundation. If the Document does not specify a version
6095 number of this License, you may choose any version ever published (not
6096 as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation.
6099 ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents
6101 To use this License in a document you have written, include a copy of
6102 the License in the document and put the following copyright and
6103 license notices just after the title page:
6106 Copyright (c) YEAR YOUR NAME.
6107 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
6108 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1
6109 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
6110 with the Invariant Sections being LIST THEIR TITLES, with the
6111 Front-Cover Texts being LIST, and with the Back-Cover Texts being LIST.
6112 A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
6113 Free Documentation License".
6116 If you have no Invariant Sections, write "with no Invariant Sections"
6117 instead of saying which ones are invariant. If you have no
6118 Front-Cover Texts, write "no Front-Cover Texts" instead of
6119 "Front-Cover Texts being LIST"; likewise for Back-Cover Texts.
6121 If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we
6122 recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of
6123 free software license, such as the GNU General Public License,
6124 to permit their use in free software.