HLASM Language Reference

Assembler Program
Assembler Program
The assembler program, also referred to as the assembler, processes the machine,
assembler, and macro instructions you have coded (source statements) in the
assembler language, and produces an object module in machine language.
Basic Functions
Processing involves the translation of source statements into machine language,
assignment of storage locations to instructions and other elements of the program,
and performance of auxiliary assembler functions you have designated. The output
of the assembler program is the object program, a machine language translation of
the source program. The assembler produces a printed listing of the source
statements and object program statements and additional information, such as error
messages, that are useful in analyzing the program. The object program is in the
format required by the linker.
Associated Data
The assembler can produce an associated data file that contains information about
the source program and the assembly environment. The ADATA information
includes information such as:
Data sets used by the assembler
Program source statements
Macros used by the assembler
Program symbols
Program object code
Assembly error messages
Different subsets of this information are needed by various consumers, such as
configuration managers, debuggers, librarians, metrics collectors, and many more.
Controlling the Assembly
You can control the way the assembler produces the output from an assembly,
using assembler options and assembler language instructions.
Assembler options are described in the HLASM Programmer's Guide. A subset of
assembler options can be specified in your source program using the *PROCESS
statement described on page 102.
Assembler language instructions are assembler language source statements that
cause the assembler to perform a specific operation. Some assembler language
instructions, such as the DC instruction, generate object code. Assembler
language instructions are categorized as follows:
Assembler Instructions
These include instructions for:
Producing associated data
Assigning base registers
Defining data constants
Controlling listing output
Redefining operation codes
Sectioning and linking programs
Defining symbols
6 HLASM V1R5 Language Reference