Microsoft KB Archive/39521

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Specifying a List File Affects the Assembler ID Number: Q39521

4.00 5.00 MS-DOS
buglist4.00 buglist5.00 fixlist5.10

Summary:

When the sample code below is assembled with the Microsoft Macro Assembler, no errors are generated. However, the message “Number of open conditionals: 1” is displayed.

If a list file is specified, either on the command line or using the MASM prompts, a severe error is generated. However, there is no error code; only the message above is displayed twice.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Versions 4.00 and 5.00. This problem was corrected in Version 5.10 of the assembler. Version 5.10 flags this as a severe error in either context.

More Information:

The following sample code demonstrates this problem:

_text segment byte public ‘code’ assume cs:_text start: mov ax, 4c00h int 21h _text ends

ifdef COM end start else end endif

………………………………………………………….. rem NO LIST FILE masm4 test; Microsoft ? Macro Assembler Version 4.00 Copyright ? Microsoft Corp 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985. All rights reserved.

Number of open conditionals:1

51070 Bytes symbol space free

  0 Warning Errors
  0 Severe  Errors

………………………………………………………….. rem WITH LIST FILE masm4 test,,,; Microsoft ? Macro Assembler Version 4.00 Copyright ? Microsoft Corp 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985.
All rights reserved.

Number of open conditionals:1 Number of open conditionals:1

49990 Bytes symbol space free

  0 Warning Errors
  1 Severe  Errors

…………………………………………………………… rem NO LIST FILE masm5 test; Microsoft ? Macro Assembler Version 5.00 Copyright ? Microsoft Corp 1981-1985, 1987. All rights reserved.

Number of open conditionals:1 Number of open conditionals:1

50976 + 0 Bytes symbol space free

  0 Warning Errors
  1 Severe  Errors 

This problem has been fixed in version 5.10 of the assembler. Version 5.10 flags this as a severe error in either context. Again there is no error code.