Re: [Nasm-users] Re: call HLA library from Nasm code?

[Frank K. <fbk...@co...>]

David hgb wrote:

> First sorry for the other reply...  look a little extrange with digest 
> 14 ... etc.
>  
> I only rereply for keep the correct thread ;).

Hi David (and all),

Hehe! I knew what you were replying to, but that *is* a problem with the 
"digest" option...

> Ok, I am not sure, but I use a 'mechanism' that let me know if a 
> function is internal to the file, or is external.
>  
> for example I use:
>  
> def Wnd, 4
> and do:
> invoke Wnd, [.x],[.y],[.z], [.k]
>  
> and will be expanded some like
> push dword [.k]
> ...
> call Wnd
>  
> and if I do this:
> invoke MessageBox, NULL, str, title, MB_OK
> will be some like:
> push dword MB_OK
> ...
> extern MessageBox
> call [MessageBox]
>  
>  
> The trick is that def, make(or define) a Wnd_internal or some like that, 
> then invoke check for see if is definied, in the other case is external 
> function.

Yup, that'll work.

> What about to use a %ifdef and %ifid ???

I couldn't get those to do what I want...

> I dont understand the porpuose of if used ... what is the objetive??? :S ;)

Well, the "fundamental" include file for the HLA library functions is 
just a list of all the functions, declared "extrn" - "extern" for Nasm 
of course. Apparently Masm is okay with this, and only "really" makes 
'em "extern" if they appear in the file. Fasm, however, gives a bloated 
executable if you do this, and Nasm seems to do the same. For Fasm, the 
workaround is:

if used foo
extrn foo
end if

for every function in the library. I thought maybe "%ifid" would do it - 
the manual says "if it exists and is a valid identifier...". But I seem 
to get my "extern foo" whether it's used or not...

I decided to instead try an approach like you describe. I didn't re-use 
"invoke" (HLA is Pascal order, I think), but tried to write a "hlacall" 
macro. At the moment it doesn't do any pushing of parameters, but I'll 
probably try to make it like "invoke" or "sys_..." (I'm really not a big 
fan of trying to make asm look like a HLL, but there are times when it 
makes sense). But first I gotta make it work at all...

I think I'm getting "extern foo" where I want it. I don't think I'm 
getting multiple "extern foo"s if I call it more than once - and I guess 
that wouldn't do any harm anyway. But the linker isn't finding any of 
this stuff! Error messages as if I'd left the library path off entirely. 
I may need "extern FOO" or "_FOO" or something... (those seem not to 
work... haven't tried the "or something" yet...)

I haven't spent much time on this - it isn't something I'm tremendously 
interested in doing - just something to fool with. There are a couple 
reasons why someone might want to link with the HLA library: it's a 
pretty nice library, AND it's been ported to Linux (ports to BSD, QNX, 
and maybe Solaris seem likely). So "portable" code can be written that 
just needs to be re-assembled and re-linked to run on another OS. Of 
course, you can do this by linking with the C library, too - Dr. 
Carter's tutorial uses this method. The HLA library would just be 
another option.

> Nice day or night.

Yeah... I can't tell the difference. Have a nice Now :)

Best,
Frank