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Q74745: BUG: Assembling .ASM File With CL.EXE Fails w/ MASM 6.0

Article: Q74745
Product(s): Microsoft Macro Assembler
Version(s): MS-DOS:6.0,6.0a
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 06-MAY-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM), versions 6.0, 6.0a 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

Using the CL driver that comes with Microsoft C versions 6.0, 6.0a, and 6.0ax to
invoke MASM versions 6.0 and 6.0a to assemble a .ASM file specified on the CL
compile line will result in an error similar to one of the following:

  error A2901: cannot run ML.EXE

  -or-

  Unknown option: /. Use /help for list of options

  -or-

  Assembling: NUL.asm
  NUL.asm(0): error A2088: END directive required at end of file

CAUSE
=====

The C online help for CL states that files that are listed on the command line
with a .ASM extension will automatically cause MASM to be invoked. When this
happens, CL.EXE invokes MASM.EXE. With MASM 5.1 or 5.1a, this will run the
assembler.

However, with MASM 6.0 and 6.0a, MASM.EXE is a compatibility driver for ML.EXE,
which executes version 6.0 of the assembler. The command-line switches and
filename are not being passed correctly from the CL.EXE to ML.EXE. This results
in a variety of error messages as shown above.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in MASM versions 6.0 and 6.0a. We
are researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes
available.

Additional query words: 6.00 6.00a 6.00ax 5.10 5.10a buglist6.00 buglist6.00a s_c

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMASMsearch kbAudDeveloper kbMASM600 kbMASM600a
Version           : MS-DOS:6.0,6.0a

=============================================================================

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