FIX: DX1020 Using TEXTEQU to Define False IF Block

ID: Q120154

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Macro Assembler for MS-DOS, versions 6.0a, 6.0b, 6.1, 6.1a

SYMPTOMS

Using the TEXTEQU directive to define an IF statement that evaluates to FALSE produces the following error message in MASM version 6.1 or 6.1a:

DOSXNT : fatal error DX1020: unhandled exception: General protection fault

When you use ML from MASM version 6.0b, an "Application Error" message box appears when running from a Windows MS-DOS box. From straight MS-DOS, the following error message occurs:

fatal error A1000: cannot open file : error #xx -
: Macro Called From Main Line Code

Using MLX from MASM version 6.0b produces the following error message:

run-time error R6915
- DOSX16 : unhandled exception

Using ML from MASM version 6.0a, the following error messages occur:

fatal error A2051: text item required
: Macro Called From Main Line Code
fatal error A1010: unmatched block nesting : _text

RESOLUTION

Use IFDEF expressions along with the /D assembler option to perform conditional assembly.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the products listed above.

This problem was corrected in MASM version 6.11.

MORE INFORMATION

The following sample code illustrates the problem:

Sample Code


; Assemble options needed: none

  dbgs textequ <if 0>      ; evaluates to false
  dbgsend textequ <endif>
  dump_matrix macro
    dbgs
    mov ax, ax
    dbgsend
  endm
  _text segment
    dump_matrix
  _text ends
  END

Additional query words: 6.00a 6.00b 6.10 6.10a buglist6.00b buglist6.10 buglist6.10a fixlist6.11

Keywords :
Version : :6.0a,6.0b,6.1,6.1a
Platform :
Issue type :