DOCERR: A2041 Error When Macro Parameter Length > 255 bytes

ID: Q137174

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Macro Assembler for MS-DOS, version 6.11

SUMMARY

MASM returns an A2041 error (String or Text literal too long) when passing to a MACRO a set of parameters whose total length is greater than 255 bytes. The inidvidual parameters may be shorter than the stated 255 byte maximum, but the MACRO expansion treats the entire parameter list as a single string (text literal).

MORE INFORMATION

This behavior is by design, though it is not currently documented as such. The following code demonstrates this behavior:


   .486
   .486
   .MODEL FLAT
   .CODE

   menu_list    macro   item1,item2,item3,item4,item5,item6,item7
                endm

        menu_list       <'ACTION1','ACTION1','ACTION1','ACTION1'>,\ 
                        <'ACTION2','ACTION2','ACTION2','ACTION2'>,\ 
                        <'ACTION3','ACTION3','ACTION3','ACTION3'>,\ 
                        <'ACTION4','ACTION4','ACTION4','ACTION4'>,\ 
                        <'ACTION5','ACTION5','ACTION5','ACTION5'>,\ 
                        <'ACTION6','ACTION6','ACTION6','ACTION6'>,\ 
                        <'ACTION7','ACTION7','ACTION7','ACTION7'>
        end

This is the message MASM returns upon compiling this sample:

Microsoft (R) Macro Assembler Version 6.11 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1981-1994. All rights reserved.

Assembling: test.asm test.asm(9) : error A2041: string or text literal too long

Additional query words: 6.11

Keywords :
Version : :6.11
Platform :
Issue type :