Re: Convert TASM Macro To NASM

Evenbit wrote:
On Apr 23, 11:22 pm, "Jim Carlock" <anonym...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Evenbit" wrote...

: Do you automate building the "chm" from the "nasmdoc.src" file??

Nay, Nathan. I would not know where to start with that. No
interest in learning postscript at the moment (is that what you mean?).



I guess in your original post you were refering to making formatting/
mark-up changes. However, I seem to recall (must have been several
months ago) you (or somebody) adding 'text content' to the docs.
Perhaps this only applied to the pages at your website??

Anyway, except for your "chm" file, I believe the latest docs at SF
are stamped at January 2005. With all the attention that NASM is now
receiving, it just seems prudent that *some* system be in place to
ensure that any additions to the documentation be applied throughout
the entire (rtf, txt, html, chm, etc.) implementation. I am simply
suggesting that someone should not add this 'text content' to the
delta (the 'chm') but instead apply it to the mountain stream.

Agreed, ideally. In practice, this may not work out... The "main" Nasm docs are autogenerated from "nasmdoc.src"... Looks a bit like this:

....
\C{intro} Introduction

\H{whatsnasm} What Is NASM?

The Netwide Assembler, NASM, is an 80x86 and x86-64 assembler designed for
portability and modularity. It supports a range of object file
formats, including Linux and \c{*BSD} \c{a.out}, \c{ELF}, \c{COFF}, \c{Mach-O},
Microsoft 16-bit \c{OBJ}, \c{Win32} and \c{Win64}. It will also output plain
binary files. Its syntax is designed to be simple and easy to understand, similar
to Intel's but less complex. It supports from the upto and including \c{Pentium},
\c{P6}, \c{MMX}, \c{3DNow!}, \c{SSE}, \c{SSE2}, \c{SSE3} and \c{x64} opcodes. NASM has
a strong support for macro conventions.


\S{yaasm} Why Yet Another Assembler?

The Netwide Assembler grew out of an idea on \i\c{comp.lang.asm.x86}
(or possibly \i\c{alt.lang.asm} - I forget which), which was
essentially that there didn't seem to be a good \e{free} x86-series
assembler around, and that maybe someone ought to write one.
....

This is processed by Perl and other tools into text, html, texi, ps, hpj/rtf... maybe others I'm missing... and produces TOC, index, cross-links, etc. The .pdf format is produced from the .ps file - so both have a glitch in the processing of '{'/'}'... which I don't know how to fix...

At one time, I was somwhat familiar with how it all worked... but Debs and hpa improved the process (for nicer printing from the .ps, I think), and now I'm somewhat lost... Have to "review" it, in any case. I don't think my "makedocs.bat" works anymore... Such documentation as exists is in the Perl script rdsrc.pl.

Simon used to refer to the system on his web page http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/ and made mention of an idea for an improvement, "Buttress". But the page has changed since I last visited - doesn't mention Nasm anymore(!) - but maybe the "Halibut" link...

Anyway, I assume Jim is basing his .chm on the .html files produced by the "nasmdoc.src system"... Some of his text additions can/will (if/when I or someone gets to it) be folded back into nasmdoc.src - his documentation of "--prefix"/"--postfix", for example...

To whatever degree Jim can "automate" the production of his .chm from the .html files (assuming that *is* the source), the easier it'll be to keep the .chm "in synch" with the "official" Nasm doc (if that's desireable). At the moment, I think Jim's "ahead"*, so it isn't an issue, but that "should" change soon, as you say. If Jim's doing a lot of "hand labor" on this, which I fear he is, then someone may have to continue doing this or the docs will differ. I'm not sure this is a problem. Any actual "conflict" can be resolved in favor of "the truth", as determined by the source code (or maybe we'll want to change the source code so it works "as documented"...).

* "ahead" of any released version anyway... I'm not sure if he's got Keith's new documentation of the 64-bit support...

Best,
Frank
.

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