Win32asm FAQs For Beginners

1. About this FAQ
2.What is win32asm?
3.What do I need to start programming in win32asm?
4.Where can I get help about win32asm programming?

About this FAQ

This is the compilation of the questions I think the newcomers to win32asm usually ask. This FAQ is maintained by me, Iczelion. You may contact me via email, Iczelion@win32asm.cjb.net

What is win32asm?

win32asm is the term used to describe the use of assembly language to create 32-bit Windows programs. It's not a language by itself. You can use various assemblers to program in win32asm.

What do I need to start programming in win32asm?

At the minimum, you need 32-bit Windows :) It can be Windows 95/98/NT/2000. In my opinion, the better platform to program in is Windows NT/2000 because they are more stable. Furthermore, small errors which are passed uncomplained by Windows 95/98 will be noticed immediately if the program runs on Windows NT/2000. I have not yet tried Windows XP.

You must already know some basics about assembly language. If you are a complete newbie to assembly language, you can find numerous tutorials on the web. The complete assembly book on the web is Randal Hyde's The Art of Assembly Language Programming. Note that the book deals with 16-bit assembly under DOS. However, the basic commands are the same whether they are used under DOS/Windows or Linux. I have yet to find tutorials that teach 32-bit assembly language from the grounds up. Currently, I heard Randal Hyde, the author of the Art of Assembly Language is writing 32-bit asm tutorials but they are based on his HLA (High-Level Assembly).The next step is to get more knowledge about general Windows programming. At this point, the best book you can get is Charles Petzold's Programming Windows. This book is not available online. You can buy it from your local bookstores. You'll find that this book is more than worth your money as I did years ago.

You can now combine your knowledge about assembly language and Windows programming. To make the process easier, I wrote several tutorials about the topic. You can find them on index.html.

The tools you need are:

• Assembler/Linker. There are several assemblers which you can use. I prefer Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM). You can download it free from http://www.movsd.com. It's included in the package called MASM32. You can also use Borland/InPrise Turbo Assembler (TASM) and NetWide Assembler (NASM). TASM is not updated as a separate product anymore. The latest version is 5.0r. Furthermore, it's not free. NASM is a freeware assembler. However, as far as I know, its focus is not on win32asm. It's more useful on Linux. You can download the latest version of NASM from its main page. A new freeware assembler named SpAsm is also available. It includes an IDE with integrated debugger.
• Text Editor/IDE. You can use any text editor. I currently use UltraEdit. Some prefers WinEdit. Justin Decker coded VisualASM, an IDE for MASM. For TASM users, you may find TASM IDE to your liking. You can find a list of IDEs on my site. At the time of this writing (10/28/2001), the most advanced IDE is RadASM by KetilO.
• Resource editor. If you need to design dialog boxes, menus, icons, cursors etc, you need a good resource editor. There are several around. For example, Borland Resource Workshop (BRW), Symantec Resource Editor. I prefer the integrated resource editor of Visual C++ IDE. RadASM also includes a nice visual dialog editor.
• Win32 API Reference. You'll need to look up this reference frequently in your programming career. You can download the free version from Borland/InPrise site. However, this reference is getting outdated. You'll not find information on the newer technologies in it. The most updated reference for this kind of things is Microsoft Developer Network. If you can buy the CD version, it'll be a great resource in your arsenal of knowledge.
• Debugger. Believe me, you need a debugger to root out the bugs in your own programs. The best software debugger you can buy is SoftICE. A free debugger by Netwalker can be downloaded from my site

In summary, if you want to use MASM, download MASM32 package and start reading my win32asm tutorials. I highly recommend that you use MASM: 99% of win32asm programmers use MASM so you can easily obtain lots of support.

Where can I get help about win32asm programming?

You can post your questions on my win32asm webboard. If you prefer a more direct approach, try IRC. I can be contacted on EFNET, channel #win32asm. Or if EFNET is not available, Undernet, channel #win32asm. You can also email me. My email address is Iczelion@win32asm.cjb.net. I will try my best to reply but I don't commit myself to reply ALL your emails.