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Q113420: BUG: A2008 When Angle Brackets Missing on FOR Argument List

Article: Q113420
Product(s): Microsoft Macro Assembler
Version(s): 6.0,6.0a,6.0b,6.1,6.11,6.1a
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, 6.0b, 6.1, 6.1a, 6.11 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

Angle brackets ("<>") are required for the argument list of a FOR
statement. If the angle brackets are missing from the argument list of a FOR
statement in a macro, no listing file will be created and errors A1008 and A2008
will be generated. The sample given at the end of this article generates the
following errors:

  test.asm(17): error A2008: syntax error : integer

  numargs(3): Macro Called From
  test.asm(17): Main Line Code

  test.asm(17): fatal error A1008: unmatched macro nesting

  numargs(5): Macro Called From
  test.asm(17): Main Line Code

CAUSE
=====

Because A1008 is a fatal error, no listing file is created.

RESOLUTION
==========

The error messages indicate where the error occurs, but may be difficult to
interpret. The first message line indicates that an A2008 error occurred at line
17 of the program (see the sample below). The second message shows that the
actual error is on line 3 of the numargs macro. The error can be located and
eliminated by finding this line and adding the angle brackets around varg (shown
as a commented line in the sample).

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in MASM versions 6.x. We are
researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Sample Code
-----------

  ; Assemble options needed:  /c /Fl /Sa

    .MODEL small

    numargs  MACRO varg:VARARG
      mov ax,0
      ; Following line should be FOR val, <varg>
      FOR val, varg
        inc ax
      ENDM
    ENDM

    .STACK
    .DATA
    .CODE
    .STARTUP
      numargs 1,1,1
    .EXIT
    END

Additional query words: 6.00 6.00a 6.10 6.10a 6.x 6.1x buglist6.00 buglist6.10 buglist6.11

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMASMsearch kbAudDeveloper kbMASM600 kbMASM610 kbMASM611 kbMASM610a kbMASM600a kbMASM600b
Version           : :6.0,6.0a,6.0b,6.1,6.11,6.1a

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

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