High Level Assembler: Update.

This course covers the new (pre z/Architecture) instructions introduced to the hardware and the Assembler in recent years.

The course is intended for:

• Experienced Assembler programmers needing to update their knowledge of available hardware instructions and Assembler facilities.
• Assembler programmers with some experience needing to expand their knowledge of the instruction set and Assembler facilities.

This overview comes in three parts, which are presented in sequence below:

1. Course Description
2. Course Objectives
3. Topical Outline

Course Description

Recommended Duration: 1 Day

Benefits: Students who complete this course will be able to write or maintain Assembler programs that use more recent hardware instructions and Assembler techniques.

Audience: Experienced Assembler programmers needing to update their knowledge to include hardware and Assembler instructions and techniques that have become available during the 1990's.

Prerequisites: Experience writing or maintaining Assembler applications.

Related IBM Materials. This course is drawn from these IBM manuals; access to them in the classroom is recommended but not required:

• SA22-7201 - ESA/390 Principles of Operation
• SC26-4941 - HLASM Programmer's Guide
• SC26-4940 - HLASM Language Reference

Major Topics Include:

• Obvious Assembler enhancements (long names, case insensitivity, blank lines, new data types, embedded blanks in DC values)
• Assembler Parms
• *PROCESS statements
• ASMAOPT data set
• Additional hardware instructions:
  • Multiply single (MSR, MS)
  • Halfword immediate (AHI, CHI, LHI, MHI, TMH, TML)
  • Logical String Assist (CLST, CUSE, MVST, SRST)
  • Extended instructions (MVCLE, CLCLE, TRE)
  • Relative Branching (BRAS, BRC, BRCT, BRXH, BRXLE)
• New extended mnemonics
• Labeled USINGs
• Dependent USINGs
• Labeled Dependent USINGs
• Introduction to Unicode and Unicode support in Assembler

Exercises: There are four hands-on exercises

Note:
All course material is in American English. Oral explanation will be in English by default, but is also available in Dutch, German, and/or French.

This course description Copyright © 2001 by Steven H. Comstock. All rights reserved.

Course Objectives

On successful completion of this course, the student, with the aid of the appropriate reference materials, should be able to:

1. Code and maintain programs written in Assembler language that use any of the following instructions and techniques:
   
   
   1. Long names, mixed case names, blank lines
      
      
   2. Use Assembler parms to control behaviour of the Assembler, including the use of *PROCESS statements, the ASMAOPT data set, and profile information
      
      
   3. Use many of the new instructions available for the applications programmer:
      
      
      • Multiply Single: MSR, MS
      • New Halfword Immediate instructions: AHI, CHI, LHI, MHI
      • Test Under Mask in register: TML, TMH
      • Extended compare, move, translate: CLCLE, MVCLE, TRE
      • Relative Branch: BRAS, BRC, BRCT, BRXH, BRXLE
      • Unicode: CUUTF, CUTFU
      
      
   4. Use the new extended mnemonics for branch instructions
      
      
   5. Use labeled USINGs, dependent USINGs, and labeled dependent USINGs, as appropriate and necessary to the application
      
      
   6. Describe the concepts of Unicode, and when it is needed
   
   
2. Describe other new hardware and software features of possible interest to High Level Assembler programmers.

These course objectives Copyright © 2001 by Steven H. Comstock. All rights reserved.

Topical Outline

Day One

Course Overview

• Getting Caught Up
• The Assembler - Part 1
• Computer Exercise: The Assembler, Part 1

The Assembler - Part 2

• Assembler Parms
• Sources for Assembler Parms
• Installation defaults
• *PROCESS statements
• ASMAOPT data set
• PARM on EXEC statement
• Computer Exercise: Assembler Parms

Changes to the Instruction Set - Part 1

• Multiply Single (MSR, MS instructions)
• Halfword Instructions AH, CH, LH, MH, SH, STH (old stuff)
• Halfword Immediate Instructions: AHI, CHI, LHI, MHI (new stuff)
• RI Instruction Format
• Halfword Immediate Test Instructions (TMH, TML)
• 'C' Assist Instructions (CLST, CUSE, MVST, SRST)
• Interruptible Instructions
• CLCLE, MVCLE Instructions
• TRE Instruction (TRanslate Extended)

Relative Branching

• Relative Branching Instructions
• BRAS, BRC, BRCT Instructions
• BRXH, BRXLE Instructions
• Applications of Relative Branching Instructions
• Extended Mnemonics
• Computer Exercise: Using the Relative Branching Instructions

New USING Features

• Domain and Range of USINGs
• Labeled USINGs
• Dependent USINGs
• Labeled Dependent USINGs
• USING Range Limits
• DROP
• Computer Exercise: Labeled USINGs

Introduction to Unicode

• Characters
• Characters, Glyphs, and Fonts
• Codepages
• Unicode

Unicode Support in Assembler

• Hardware Instructions
• Assembler support

Other Enhancements

• Hardware - Floating Point Changes
• Assembler Enhancements
• New data types
• New object code facilities

This topical outline Copyright © 2001 by Steven H. Comstock. All rights reserved.

Remarks? Questions? More information? Select the topic of your choice or e-mail us with your questions.

To the Course Description
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