Microsoft KB Archive/74221

= FIX: COMM Directive Produces Error If Count Field Not Specified =

Article ID: 74221

Article Last Modified on 10/22/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Macro Assembler 6.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q74221



SYMPTOMS
The Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) version 6.0 will produce a syntax error when multiple variables (separated by commas) are listed following a COMM directive if any variable, except the last one in the list, does not have a count field specified. For example, assembling sample code #1 with MASM 6.0 produces the following error:

error A2008: syntax error: dec

When assembling sample code #2, MASM 6.0 produces this error:

error A2008: syntax error: inc



RESOLUTION
The following methods may be used to work around these problems:

  Place the count field with each variable specified. For example: COMM NEAR var1:word:1,var2:word:1,var3:word:3 -or-

  Make multiple COMM statements. For example: COMM NEAR var1:word COMM NEAR var2:word 



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in MASM version 6.0. This problem was corrected in MASM version 6.0a.



MORE INFORMATION
The sample code below illustrates this problem. MASM version 5.1 and 5.1a assemble the code without any errors. According to the BNF Grammar in Appendix B of the &quot;Microsoft Macro Assembler Programmer's Guide,&quot; this should also assemble correctly with MASM version 6.0.

Sample Code #1
; Assemble options needed: none

.MODEL small .DATA COMM NEAR var1:WORD,  var2:WORD    ; This doesn't work END
 * COMM NEAR var1:WORD:1, var2:WORD   ; This works

Sample Code #2
; Assemble options needed: none

.MODEL small .DATA COMM NEAR var1:WORD, var2:WORD, var3:WORD     ; This doesn't work

END
 * COMM NEAR var1:WORD:1,
 * var2:WORD:1, var3:WORD:1 ; This works

Additional query words: 6.00 buglist6.00 fixlist6.00a

Keywords: kbfix KB74221

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