NASM - The Netwide Assembler

NASM Forum => Using NASM => Topic started by: Edowyth on February 03, 2010, 01:09:03 PM

Title: Instructions Handbook
Post by: Edowyth on February 03, 2010, 01:09:03 PM

I've had some experience with assembler (a class in college, operating systems, where we were required to write a few very small functions in a MASM-like simplified assembly language) but need more information about the commands given in the documentation command list ... a simple (this function adds the contents of the register and memory location, storing the result in the register) explanation for each type would be sufficient.

Is there a book/available documentation online that anyone knows of that allows for this basic information without regarding the reader as a total newbie to the concepts of assembly languages and modern architectures?

Thanks! ;)

Title: Re: Instructions Handbook
Post by: Frank Kotler on February 03, 2010, 07:25:36 PM

Intel and AMD manuals are the authoritative source. At one time, there was an instruction reference as an appendix to the Nasm manual. It became badly outdated when the 64-bit instructions were supported, and as we didn't have anyone willing to maintain it, it was removed - what you find in the Nasm manual now is just a list, no description. I "rescued" that section of the manual, and put it here:

http://home.myfairpoint.net/fbkotler/nasmdocr.html

One of these days, maybe I'll write a "newbie's index" into it, covering the dozen or so most commonly used instructions...

Best,
Frank

Title: Re: Instructions Handbook
Post by: Edowyth on February 04, 2010, 04:12:58 AM

Thanks, I'll have a look at the manuals for Intel and AMD...and I'll take a gander at the NASM manual as well.

Just a side comment:  documented code is easy-to-maintain and easy-to-use...as this is meant to be a good, well documented open source alternative to expensive assemblers I'd expect that the primary interface (the commands used in the language) would at least have a programmers manual.  Anyway, I'm kind of disappointed to have to go to other sources to find this information, but extremely pleased with your response time and thorough answer.  Once I've developed my own documentation for the commands found here, I'll post it...but it might be a while since collation and understanding will take time from the primary responsibility.  I'll also check back to see if anyone else (with more experience) has had the same insight and decided to rectify the issue.

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