NAME

astrn − translate assembly language

SYNOPSIS

astrn [filename]

DESCRIPTION

astrn translates an assembly language source file from previous HP-UX Series 300/400 assembly language syntax to new Series 300/400 HP-UX assembly language syntax.  If no filename is given, input is assumed to come from standard input. 

If an opcode is not recognized, a warning message is given and the entire line is passed through unchanged.  For any syntax error detected such that translation cannot continue, astrn reports an error and translation terminates. 

Lines longer than 132 characters are truncated to 132 characters. 

For a line beginning with * (indicating a comment), the * is translated to a # but is preceded by a blank to allow preprocessing by cpp (see cpp(1)). 

Absolute displacements off the program counter cannot be guaranteed to translate correctly.  Any line referencing the program counter will be flagged by a warning message. 

Certain capabilities supported on the old assembler are not accepted by the new assembler.  These include:

• The alias and include pseudo-ops are not supported.  An error message is given and translation terminates. 

• The new assembler restricts expressions involving forward references for which astrn makes no check.  Such references may involve only a single symbol, a symbol plus or minus an absolute expression, or the subtraction of two symbols. 

• The characters $, @, ?, and \177 are no longer accepted as valid identifier characters.  These are translated to S, A, Q, and D respectively, and a warning is issued. 

• Span-dependent branches jcc are translated to bcc.w. 

• An identifier equated to a register name will be translated, but the assembler will report an error. 

• Local labels are translated to a concatenation of the nearest previous ordinary label and the local label itself.  This includes changing the $ to a S. 

DEPENDENCIES

astrn is implemented on Series 300/400 only. 

SEE ALSO

as(1), atrans(1). 

Hewlett-Packard Company  —  HP-UX Release 9.0: August 1992