How to Read a z/OS Assembler Listing

Steve Pryor
DTS Software, LLC
steve@dtssoftware.com
1.919.833.8426
IGGCSISL

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Sample IBM program to list entries in a catalog
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Uses Catalog Search Interface

GPR 1 Address 1 Reason area

Work area

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Assembler Language

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Language Elements
– Machine Instructions
– Assembler Instructions
– Macro Instructions
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Coding Conventions
– Statement field – columns 1 to 71
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Continuation indicator column 72
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Statement continuation column 16
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Comments - ‘*’ in column 1
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Important Instructions

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Machine Instructions
– Load (L), Load address (LA), Move Characters (MVC), Branch (B, BAL, BNE, BC..)
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Assembler Instructions
– USING – specify which registers are used when instructions are assembled
– DS / DC – define data areas and constants
– CSECT / DSECT - define program sections and maps
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Macro Instructions
– GETMAIN/STORAGE, OPEN/CLOSE, GET/PUT, many more
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Assembler Language

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Statement format (1-4 entries: name, operation, operands, remarks)
– Fields separated by space
– Name entry
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(1-64 characters, previously max 8), typically col 1 start
– Operation entry
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Assembler mnemonic, machine instruction, macro, typically column 10 start
– Operand(s)
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Separated by commas, may continue to next line, typically column 16 start
– Remarks (i.e., line comments)
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Assembler Language – Symbols, Literals, Expressions

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Ordinary Symbols
– Usually, 1-8 chars, alphameric
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Internal symbols – from name field
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External symbols – available to lked, binder, placed in ESD
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Literals
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Duplication factor – how many copies?
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Type – what kind of literal? (address, fullword, character, hex…?)
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Modifiers – length
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Nominal value – value of the literal
– Assembled in to literal pool (LTORG)
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Assembler Language – Instruction Addressing

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Location counter
– Displacement into program or control block
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Registers
– 16 GPRs 0-15, address 24, 31, or 64 bits
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Base-displacement addressing
– Value in register (base) plus offset (displacement)
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Limited to x’FFF’ (4095) bytes
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Relative addressing
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no. of halfwords from current location

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CSECTS and DSECTS and USING

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CSECT
– Control Section – usually, an executable program
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DSECT
– Dummy section – usually, a control block
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Reserves storage but does not put data into it
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Referenced by base register + displacement
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USING Instruction
– Specifies the base register for a section of code

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Assembler Listing

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Assembler Options and Overrides
– Options from EXEC PARM, //ASMAOPT, *PROCESS stmt
– List of options in effect
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ESD – External Symbol Dictionary
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External symbols for use by the Binder, section lengths
– SD
– ER – external reference

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Assembler Listing

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Source and Object Listing
– Columns
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Location counter (offset)
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Instruction object code
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Operand locations (Addr1 Addr2)
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Statement Number (and macro indicator)
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Source Statement

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Assembler Listing

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Relocation Dictionary (RLD)
– Address constants that may be relocated by Binder
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Ordinary Symbol and Literal Cross-Reference
– Symbols and literals defined and used in program
– Symbol type, value, where defined and referenced
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Unreferenced symbols
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Macro and Copy Code Source Summary
– Macros used and where they came from
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Assembler Listing

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DSECT Cross-Reference
– DSECTS used, length, where defined
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USING Map
– Location of USING statements, type, and their addressable range
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GPR Cross-Reference
– References to registers and type of reference
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Diagnostic Cross-Reference
– Errors and statistics
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Documentation and Further Info

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https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/hla-and-tf/1.6
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https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/hla-and-tf/1.6?topic=pdf-format-documentation
– HLASM Language Reference SC26-4940

– HLASM Programmer’s Guide SC26-4941

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 Summary / Q and A
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Next webinar July 26, 2022
– An Introduction to Job Control Language

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1-919-833-8426
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