New ADK Release

[Randall Hyde]

Hi All,
I've just posted a new version of the assembler developer's kit
(the basis for HLA v2.0) to Webster.
http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/AsmTools/HLA/hla2/0_hla2.html
and
http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/AsmTools/RollYourOwn/index.html

This version includes support for macros, including the
context-free style macro facilities provided by HLA v1.x.
I've also fixed several defects in the existing code.

ADK is a "front-end" for an assembler that handles
data declarations, conditional assembly, macros,
and other compile-time language facilities. It provides
a great start for writing your own assembler or
macro preprocessor for an assembler.

This is also the basis upon which the HLA v2.0 assembler
is being built.  Here are some of the advantages of writing an assembler based on the ADK:

* Assemblers designed around the ADK will be very fast (most of the time-consuming algorithms you'll find in an assembler are already efficiently implemented in the ADK).
The ADK contains over 75,000 lines of code that an assembler author will not have to write themselves.
* The ADK is very modular. You can easily eliminate features you don't want.
* The ADK is based on the HLA v2.0 feature set, perhaps the most advanced x86 assembler ever designed.
* Unlike most open source assemblers, the ADK contains documentation that explains the internal operation of the code, so you can more easily figure out the internal operation of the system in order to make modifications.
* If you decide to adopt an HLA-like syntax for declarations, you can use the ADK code almost as-is, supplying only the instructions needed to implement the assembly of your instructions.
* The ADK is being designed to be portable. Code will (eventually) compile under Windows and Linux. If you exercise care when writing your portion of the assembler, you'll be able to port your assembler to different operating systems with minimal effort.

Cheers,
Randy Hyde

[Randall Hyde]

Hi All,
I've just posted another new update to the ADK on Webster.
For a full description, see my article in the HLA sub-forum. You can find the ADK at

http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/AsmTools/RollYourOwn/index.html

Cheers,
Randy Hyde