README.TXT File

           Release Notes for the Microsoft(R) MASM
        Professional Development System, Version 6.13

     (C) Copyright 1997, Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

     This document contains release notes for the Microsoft MASM 
     Professional Development System, version 6.13. The information in 
     this document and in the Microsoft Advisor (on-line help) is more 
     up-to-date than that in the manuals.

     The printed documentation for MASM 6.11 has not changed from MASM 
     6.10. MASM 6.13 is being released as a patch for users of MASM 6.11.
     The MASM 6.11 installation disks provide several important files that 
     include new or updated information for this release. They are:

     README.TXT =====> Contains patch installation instructions, 
		       documentation errata, system requirements, information 
		       and tips on using MASM 6.1x, and known assembler bugs.

     CV.TXT =========> Contains release notes for Microsoft CodeView(TM).

     ERRMSG.TXT =====> Contains updated information on 32-bit Linker errors,
		       ML error messages, and Microsoft DOSXNT MS-DOS 
		       Extender error messages.

     SAMPLES.TXT ====> Contains information about MASM samples for MS-DOS 
		       and Microsoft Windows 3.1.

     NTSAMPLE.TXT ===> Contains information about MASM samples for 
		       Microsoft Windows NT.

     SUPPORT.TXT ====> Contains updated Microsoft Product Support policies.
  
     Information on new processor instructions can be found in the
     following locations:

     Intel(R) Pentium(TM)     ====> In PENTIUM.TXT installed with MASM 6.11

     Intel(R) MMX(TM)         ====> On the World Wide Web at 
				 www.intel.com/drg/mmx/manuals/prm/prm.htm

     AMD(R) 3D Technology     ====> On the World Wide Web at 
				 www.amd.com/swdev/swdev.html

======================< README.TXT Table of Contents >=====================

     Part 1: Patch Installation
     --------------------------

     Part 2: Documentation Errata
     ----------------------------

     Part 3: System Requirements
     ---------------------------

     Part 4: Tips for Using MASM 6.1x
     --------------------------------
	     - ALIAS directive
	     - Assembling Files Generated by Compiler
	     - Building 32-Bit Applications
	       - 32-Bit Linking
	       - GROUP Directive and Flat-Model Programming
	       - Structure Packing Issues for Mixed Language Programming
	       - /WIN32 Switch for H2INC
	     - CD-ROM Not a Valid Target
	     - CMP Instruction Encoding
	     - Debugging MASM Applications under Visual C++, 32-Bit 
	       Edition, or Fortran PowerStation, 32-Bit Edition      
	     - INVOKE Command
	     - Multi-File Assembly with MASM.EXE
	     - NMAKE and NMAKER
	     - Response Files
	     - SAMPLES.TXT and NTSAMPLE.TXT
	     - Using MASM 6.x Structures
	     - Visual C++ 1.0/Fortran PowerStation 1.0 Compatibility
	     - Working with MASM 5.1 Code
	     - Working With Microsoft BASIC Far Strings
	     - .FPO directive new to MASM 6.11a

     Part 5: Known Assembler Bugs
     ----------------------------
	     - Expression Order in High-Level Conditionals
	     - Hexadecimal Constants
	     - Initializing Nested Structures
	     - Span-Dependent Expressions used in Macros
	     - Span-Dependent Equates in Macros and EXTERNDEF ABS
	     - Span-Dependent Text Equates
	     - STRUCT and RECORD Initialization

     Part 6: What Has Been Fixed in 6.11d?
     -------------------------------------

     Part 7: What Has Been Fixed in 6.12?
     -------------------------------------

     Part 8: What Has Been Added up to 6.13?
     ---------------------------------------

====================< Part 1: Patch Installation >=========================

     1. Make backup copies of the files affected by the patch.  These 
        files are all in the MASM bin directory (for example, 
        C:\MASM611\BIN).  The following files will be affected:

        ML.EXE
        ML.ERR
        H2INC.EXE
        H2INC.ERR
        WIN.INC

     2. Change to your MASM 6.11 root directory.  For example:

        C:
        CD \MASM611

     3. Copy the patch files to your MASM 6.11 root directory.  
        The patch files are:

        PATCH.EXE
        PATCH.RTD
        PATCH.RTP

     4. Run the patch program by typing:

        PATCH

        The patch program indicates its actions as it runs.  When the 
        patch has been successfully completed, you can delete the patch 
        files.

     5. Copy H2INC.EXE and H2INC.ERR from the patch diskette to your 
        \masm611\bin directory. 

     6. Copy WIN.INC from the patch diskette to your \masm611\include
        directory. 

     If you have trouble:
     -----------------------

     If you have problems installing this patch: 

     - Check to be sure that you have all three patch files: 
       PATCH.EXE, PATCH.RTP, and PATCH.RTD.

     - Make sure you have the correct version of the files to be updated.  
       This patch will only patch files from MASM 6.11, 6.11a, or 6.11d.

     If, after checking these possibilities, you still have problems, 
     please contact Microsoft Product Support.

====================< Part 2: Documentation Errata >=======================

     Environment and Tools, Page xxiii: Microsoft Support Services
     -------------------------------------------------------------
     Microsoft Support Services information has been updated. See
     SUPPORT.TXT, in the directory in which you installed MASM, for
     the most current Microsoft support information and policies.
     
     
     Environment and Tools, Page 582: LIB Command Line Sample
     --------------------------------------------------------
     The following example, as it appears on page 582, is incorrect:

     LIB FIRST +SECOND, , THIRD

     It should instead read:

     LIB THIRD +FIRST +SECOND

     
     Environment and Tools, Page 649, 651: _syscall and __syscall
     ------------------------------------------------------------
     The H2INC documentation on pages 649 and 651 lists _syscall and
     __syscall as C keywords recognized by H2INC. These are not recognized,
     and should be removed.

     
     Environment and Tools, Page 819: Error Message A2156
     ----------------------------------------------------
     The value range given for the first parameter of the PAGE directive
     is incorrect; "...either 0 or a value in the range of 10-255" should
     read "...either 0 or a value in the range of 14-255."
     
     
     Reference, Page 12: ML Command-line Options /Cu and /Cx
     -------------------------------------------------------
     /Cu is not the default command-line option, but is indicated as such
     in the MASM 6.10 Reference. Instead, /Cx should be indicated as the 
     default.
     
     
     Reference, Page 98: LEA is no longer optimized
     ----------------------------------------------
     The MASM 6.10 Reference indicates that the LEA instruction is
     encoded as a MOV when the source operand is a direct memory address.

     In response to programmer requests, MASM 6.1x no longer performs this 
     optimization automatically.  The optimization can be performed by 
     using the OPATTR operator, as shown in the following macro:

	  MOVLEA MACRO Dest, Symbol
	  IF (OPATTR(Symbol)) AND 08h
	       MOV Dest, OFFSET Symbol
	  ELSE
	       LEA Dest, Symbol
	  ENDIF
	  ENDM

     
     Programmer's Guide, Page 156: Using an Emulator Library
     -------------------------------------------------------
     The sample code demonstrating floating-point instructions served
     by an emulator contains the directive .STARTUP. This directive
     should be removed.

     
     Programmer's Guide, Page 202: User-Defined Epilogues & Prologues
     ----------------------------------------------------------------
     The documentation for user-defined epilogue and prologue code reads
     "Your macro function must return the parmbytes parameter."  It
     should read "...the localbytes parameter."

     
     Programmer's Guide, Page 323: The C++/MASM Interface
     ----------------------------------------------------
     The second sentence in the third paragraph reads: "The linkage 
     specification applies only to called routines, not to external
     variables." It should read "The linkage specification applies to
     called routines and external variables." The last sentence in the
     same paragraph should be removed.
     
     
     Help for Runtime Error R6921
     ----------------------------
     The on-line help for runtime error R6921 reads "...Possibly the
     CONFIG.SYS file contained a line such as DEVICE=C:\OS\MM386.EXE..."
     The file name should read "C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE".

=================< Part 3: MASM 6.13 System Requirements >=================

     The following are system requirements for Microsoft MASM 6.13:

     - Personal computer using a 386 or higher processor running Windows 95, 
       or Windows NT version 3.1 or later.
     - 4 MB of available memory.
     - Hard disk with 10 MB available space.
     - One 3.5" high-density (1.44 MB) disk drive (3.5" low-density (720K) 
       or 5.25" high-density (1.2 MB) disks available separately with 
       coupon enclosed).

     To target Windows 3.1, you need one of the following:

     - Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1.
     - Microsoft Visual C++ Development System, Standard or Professional 
       Edition.

     To target Windows NT, you need one of the following:

     - Microsoft Windows NT Software Development Kit (SDK).
     - Microsoft Visual C++ Development System, 32-Bit Edition.

====================< Part 4: Tips for Using MASM 6.1x >===================
     
     ALIAS directive
     ---------------
     The ALIAS directive is not included in the printed documentation
     for MASM 6.10. The ALIAS directive can be used for creating 
     libraries that allow the linker (LINK) to map an old function to 
     a new function. 

     Syntax:    ALIAS  <alias> = <actual-name>

     where alias is the alternate or alias name, and actual-name is
     the actual name of the function or procedure. The angle brackets
     are required.


     Assembling Files Generated by Compilers
     ---------------------------------------
     Many compilers support assembly-language output.  If you experience
     difficulty assembling the output of such compilers, you may need to
     assemble using the /Zm option.  In some cases (for instance, if the
     compiler inserts nondelimited comments or page numbers) it may be 
     necessary to edit the assembly-language output by hand.


     Building 32-bit Applications
     ----------------------------
     Following are a number of items you should keep in mind when
     building 32-bit applications with MASM 6.1x. Examples of how to 
     create 32-bit applications can be found in the \SAMPLES\NTSAMPLE 
     subdirectory of the directory in which you installed MASM.

	  32-bit Linking
	  --------------