FIX: IRP Directive Has Single Line Limit of 120 Characters (67788)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) 5.1
Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) 5.1a

This article was previously published under Q67788

SYMPTOMS

In the Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) versions 5.1 and 5.1a, the IRP (instruction repeat) directive has a single line limit of 120 characters. MASM version 6.0 has no limit. The code example below shows a macro with an IRP that has 125 characters. The result of this program with MASM 5.1 or 5.1a is an error message that states:

End of file encountered on input file
Number of open conditionals:14
End of file encountered on input file

CAUSE

This error occurs because the assembler is looking for a closing bracket (>), but the line is over the limit of 120 characters. As a result, the assembler accepts the rest of the code to be part of the IRP parameters. By shortening the final parameter to be within the limit (change TP$_EOS to TP), the bracket is read correctly and the remainder of the program is assembled with no errors.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in MASM versions 5.1 and 5.1a. This problem was corrected in MASM version 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Note: In this example, the IRP argument list is stated in three lines; however, it should be all on the same line to cause the error. The 120-character limit is only on the same line. A workaround is to continue the argument on the next line as seen below.

Sample Code

; Assemble options needed: none

$tran   macro   keyword
   irpc TP$_DUMMY, <keyword>
      ifidn <&TP$_DUMMY>, <T>
         irp TP$_DUMMY2, <TP$_ANY,TP$_ALPHA,TP$_DIGIT,
                         TP$_STRING,TP$_SYMBOL,TP$_BLANK,TP$_DECIMAL,
                         TP$_OCTAL,TP$_HEX,TP$_LAMBDA,TP$_EOS>
            %out TP$_DUMMY2
         endm
      endif
   endm
endm

   $tran     if_anything_cmd
end

Modification Type:	Minor	Last Reviewed:	11/17/2003
Keywords:	kbfix KB67788