Re: Need reviews of HLA Adventure

Jim Carlock wrote:

> 08/19/1993 07:50 PM 49,152 MASM.EXE

1993??? Jeez, I thought *I* was running outdated stuff!
That's before there *was* a Nasm, or Fasm, or HLA!

> <SNIP_XP_Pro_Command_Prompt_cmd.exe>
> C:\...\hlaadv>hla hlaadv.hla
> Warning in file "hlaadv.hla" at line 7373 [errid:74364/hlaparse.bsn]:
> try..endtry block without exception handler.
> Near: << endtry >>

This one is probably "Paul's fault". I *think* the most
recent version has fixed this. Paul's beginning to encounter
a "versioning problem" - several versions available from
several sites, and no indication in the filename which is
which. You're never quite sure what you've got. FWIW, hla
could use version information in the filenames, too - not
"hla-1.75.exe", but, for example "hlalibsrc-1.75.zip" would
help a lot. I've started renaming HLA downloads (source,
that is - when I remember)...

> Assembling: hlaadv.asm
> hlaadv.consts.inc(1325) : error A2041: string or text literal too long
> Error returned by Assembler = 1

Apparently, string literals were shorter in 1993 :)

> When using HLA.EXE on the hlaadv.hla file, HLA.EXE I think created the
> external file, hlaadv.consts.inc and a couple other files. Let me know if that's
> how that's supposed to work?

Right. HLA (hlaparse actually does much of the work, but I
think it's hla.exe - or just hla, if you're lucky - that
produces the output files) produces hlaadv.asm, which
includes other files produced by hla - hlaadv.bss.inc,
hlaadv.consts.inc... and .data. and .extpub. and .ro. - and
hlaadv.link, which is a "command file" for the linker, not
included by the .asm file.

> <DOS_dir_Extracted_From_Zip_Files>
> 11/27/2004 09:12 AM 361,611 HLAADV.ASM

This really shouldn't be in there. It's a HLA-produced file
- in suitable syntax for Fasm, in this case. Not useful, in
itself. (it would require the .inc files to assemble, even
if it were in the right syntax)

> 11/27/2004 09:12 AM 154,624 HLAADV.EXE

The Windows executable.

> 11/27/2004 09:12 AM 277,425 HLAADV.HLA

*This* is the source code.

> 11/25/2004 03:05 PM 5,773 HLAADV.TXT

Some documentation.

> 11/27/2004 09:23 AM 326,237 WEST06

The Linux executable.

....
> HLA overwrote the hlaadv.asm file that already existed in that
> folder and replaced it with a different file. It also dated the newer
> file to the current system date and time that the action occured.

That's expected. The .asm file is an output from HLA, not a
source file as you might expect.

> That introduces two problems in particular.
> 1) It overwrites an existing file without prompting.
> 2) It does not keep the original date/time of the file it's creating
> and instead creates confusion by using the current system date
> and time.

That's intended... wrong as it sounds when you say it that
way. Does Masm prompt you to overwrite an existing .obj
file? Or preserve it's date/time? Same idea.

> I don't know what HLA is really supposed to be doing
> but I'm seeing this as a possible bug. The date/time information
> should be tagged when the .asm file is put into the .hla file.

The .asm file isn't put into the .hla file, it's generated
*from* the .hla file. If Paul hadn't included the .asm file
in the distro, you wouldn't be having this confusion.

> I downloaded the file from Paul Panks site

There's more than one...

> on:
> May 29, 2005, 9:00:07 PM.
> That's the date on the Zip file, but all the files inside of it are
> dated 11/27/2004. So I'm not sure what's going on there. I
> thought Paul indicated that it was a new file. When I start the
> program up it indicates version 2.32 but Paul in another article
> indicates he released version 2.80. I don't know what's going
> there.

It's that "versioning problem"... FWIW, I've not seen a
version with "(according to alt.lang.asm legend, anyway)" in
it! I think the *actual* latest version - a "preview" of 3.0
- is on the AoAprogramming Yahoo group site, in the "files"
section... if I'm not giving something away...

I'd try deleting that offending parenthetical phrase -
remember you're editing the .hla file! (yes, I know quite
well that this takes some getting used to!!!) or update
Masm, and then "hla hlaadv". HLA will generate the .asm and
..inc and .link files it needs, call Masm to assemble 'em,
then call link (or maybe Masm does it) to produce the
executable. It really *does* work, honest!

Best,
Frank
.

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