Re: Is it possible to link source files with Merlin Pro 2.43???

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <3kkfq2$f63@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
Netco King <netcoking@aol.com> wrote:
> I use Merlin Pro 2.43 which I bought the original disks but no
> accompanying diskettes.
> 
> Can anyone tell me how to "link" source files?  In other words, when a
> source file is assembling, I would like for it to "link" in another source
> file which is stored on the same diskette.

Do you really mean "link", i.e. separately assemble two files,
producing relocatable object files, then linking them together to form
the program?

Alternatively, you could just "include" one of the files in the other,
and do a single assembly (as long as you don't run out of memory).

I believe Merlin Pro supports linking (I haven't used it for about
seven years), but it is rather messy.  It is much easier to include
files.

There are two directives for doing this:

        PUT filename.S

and

        USE filename.S


The USE directive is intended for use with macro files.  Macro
definitions must be kept in memory at all times, and this is what the
USE command does.  If you have multiple USE directives, Merlin will
require enough free memory to load all of the files (I'm assuming that
it will let you do this - it might only let you have one USE file).

The PUT command loads the file in, and it will stay in memory until
you do another PUT command.  The second file will then replace the
first one in memory.  This saves memory, at the expense of having to
load the file twice (once in each assembly pass).  Merlin takes care
of this for you, so it is very easy to use.

> This way I can keep one hardware equate source file on disk and not have
> to replicate the equate table in every other source file I create.

It sounds like you should be able to use the PUT directive.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand