ASM2.TXT - intro to keyboard and flow control
Alright. This bit of code introduces control flow, keyboard input, and
a way to easily print out one character.
First off, lets examine the easiest one: printing a character.
It's like this: you put the character to print in DL, put 2 in AH and
call interrupt 21h. Damn easy.
Ok, lets look at the next easiest one: keyboard input.
There are quite a few functions related to INT 16h (the keyboard
interrupt.) They are:
FUNCTION#
0h -Gets a key from the keyboard buffer. If there isn't one, it waits
until there is.
Returns the SCAN code in ah, and the ASCII translation in AL
1h -Checks to see if a key is ready to grab. Sets the zero flag if a
key is ready to grab. Grab it with Fn# 0
This also returns the same info about the key as Fn#0, but does
not remove it from the buffer.
2h -Returns the shift flags in al. They are:
bit 7 - Insert active
bit 6 - Caps lock active
bit 5 - Num Lock active
bit 4 - Scroll lock active
bit 3 - Alt pressed
bit 2 - Ctrl pressed
bit 1 - Left shift pressed
bit 0 - right shift pressed
3h -You can set the Typematic Rate and delay with this function
registers must be set as follows
AL = 5
BH = Delay value (0-3: 250,500,750,1000 millisec)
BL = Typematic rate (0-1fh) 1fh = slowest (2 chars per sec)
0 =fastest (30 chars per second)
4h -Key Click control - not important
5h -STUFF the keyboard
input:
CH = scan code
CL = ascii code
output:
al = 0 no error
al = 1 keyboard buffer is full
10h -Same as #0, but its for the extended keyboard. Checks all the keys.
11h -Same as #1, but for the extended keyboard.
12h -Same as #2, but AH contains additional shift flags:
bit 7 - Sys req pressed
bit 6 - Caps lock active
bit 5 - Num Lock active
bit 4 - Scroll lock active
bit 3 - Right Alt active
bit 2 - Right Ctrl active
bit 1 - Left Alt active
bit 0 - Right Alt active
Al is EXACTLY the same as in Fn#2
WHERE AH= the function number when you call INT 16h
That's neat-o, eh? Now on to flow controll via CMP and Jcc...
CMP:
CMP is the same as SUB, but it does NOT alter any registers, only the
flags. This is used in conjunction with Jcc.
Jcc:
Ok, Jcc is not a real instruction, it means 'jump if conditionis met.'
I'll break this into 3 sections, comparing signed numbers, comparing
unsigned numbers, and misc.
Note that a number being 'unsigned' or 'signed' only depends on how you
treat it. That's why there are different Jcc for each...
If you treat it as a signed number, the highest bit denotes whether it's
negative or not.
Prove to yourself that 0FFFFh is actually -1 by adding 1 to 0FFFFh. You
should get a big zero: 00000h. (Remember that the number is ONLY 16 bits
and the carry dissapears..)
UNSIGNED:
JA -jumps if the first number was above the second number
JAE -same as above, but will also jump if they are equal
JB -jumps if the first number was below the second
JBE -duh...
JNA -jumps if the first number was NOT above... (same as JBE)
JNAE-jumps if the first number was NOT above or the same as..
(same as JB)
JNB -jumps if the first number was NOT below... (same as JAE)
JNBE-jumps if the first number was NOT below or the same as..
(same as JA)
JZ -jumps if the two numbers were equal (zero flag = 1)
JE -same as JZ, just a different name
JNZ -pretty obvious, I hope...
JNE -same as above...
SIGNED:
JG -jumps if the first number was > the second number
JGE -same as above, but will also jump if they are equal
JL -jumps if the first number was < the second
JLE -duh...
JNG -jumps if the first number was NOT >... (same as JLE)
JNGE-jumps if the first number was NOT >=.. (same as JL)
JNL -jumps if the first number was NOT <... (same as JGE)
JNLE-jumps if the first number was NOT <=... (same as JG)
JZ, JE, JNZ, JNE - Same as for Unsigned
MISC:
JC -jumps if the carry flag is set
JNC -Go figgure...
Here's the rest of them... I've never had to use these, though...
JO -jump if overflow flag is set
JNO -...
JP -jump is parity flag is set
JNP -...
JPE -jump if parity even (same as JP)
JPO -jump if parity odd (same as JNP)
JS -jumps if sign flag is set
JNS -...
Here's the flags really quickly:
bit# 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
symbol: O D I T S Z A P C
O = OverFlow flag
D = Direction flag *
I = Interrupt flag
T = Trap flag
S = Sign flag
Z = Zero flag *
A = Auxiliary flag
C = Carry flag *
The * denotes the ones that you should know.
That's it for now... Until next time...
Draeden\VLA
ASM2.ASM
; ASM2.ASM
; Prints messages get keyboard input and has control flow
DOSSEG
.MODEL SMALL
.STACK 200h
.DATA
Prompt db 13,10,"Do you want to be prompted again? (Y/N) $"
NoMessage db 13,10,"Ok, then I won't prompt you anymore.$"
YesMessage db 13,10,"Here comes another prompt!$"
UnKnownKey db 13,10,"Please hit either Y or N.$"
.CODE
START:
mov ax,@DATA ;moves the segment of data into ax
mov ds,ax
MainLoop:
mov ah,9
mov dx,offset Prompt
int 21h ;print a message
mov ah,0
int 16h ;get a key, returned in AX
;AL is the ASCII part
;AH is the SCAN CODE
push ax
mov dl,al
mov ah,2
int 21h ;print character in dl
pop ax
cmp al,"Y" ;was the character a 'Y'?
jne NotYes ;nope it was Not Equal
mov ah,9
mov dx,offset YesMessage
int 21h
jmp MainLoop
NotYes:
cmp al,"N" ;was the character a 'N'
je ByeBye ;Yes, it was Equal
mov dx,offset UnknownKey
mov ah,9
int 21h
jmp MainLoop
ByeBye:
mov dx,offset NoMessage
mov ah,9
int 21h
mov ax,4c00h ;Returns control to DOS
int 21h ;MUST be here! Program will crash without it!
END START