PRB: Error A2032 Using Indexed Addressing

Last reviewed: January 9, 1995
Article ID: Q119872

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Macro Assembler for MS-DOS, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0b, 6.1, 6.1a, and 6.11
Microsoft Macro Assembler for Windows NT, version 6.11

SYMPTOMS

Assembling a line of code that performs indexed addressing, such as the following:

   mov dx,mylabel-2[bx]

produces the following error:

   error A2032: invalid use of register

The same line of code assembles without error under MASM version 5.1.

CAUSE

The index operator '[]' is now at the very top of the MASM operator precedence list, while the binary "+" and "-" operators are in the lower half. So, for example, if the expression

   2 - 3[bx]

is no longer equivalent to

   2 - 3 + bx

but rather to

   2 - (3 + bx)  ; or 2 - 3 - bx

then it is the "- bx" that is causing the A2032 error.

RESOLUTION

Assemble using the OPTION M510 directive, the /Zm switch (which implies the OPTION M510), or use one of the following syntaxes:

    mov dx, (mylabel-2)[bx]
    mov dx, mylabel-2+[bx]
    mov dx, mylabel[bx]-2

NOTE: The OPTION M510 is used for compilation with maximum MASM version 5.10 compatibility.

Additional reference words: 6.00 6.00a 6.00b 6.10 6.10a
KBCategory: kbtool kbprb
KBSubCategory: MLIss

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Last reviewed: January 9, 1995
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