Getting Started

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You're going to be learning assembler.

Know your environment

"default environment settings"

.COM file defaults

1-byte opcodes

The 80x86 family was originally a CISC design, which is a design philosophy that intentionally attempts to create many instructions that perform multiple steps. In sizecoding, you are trying to perform as much work in as little space as possible, so it is helpful to know (or memorize!) every 1-byte instruction in the 80x86 family. Here's a handy chart (segments and prefixes omitted):

Opcode Mnemonic Arch Description Notes
37 AAA ASCII adjust AL (carry into AH) after addition
3F AAS ASCII adjust AL (borrow from AH) after subtraction
98 CBW Convert byte into word (AH = top bit of AL)
99 CDQ 80386+ Convert dword to qword (EDX = top bit of EAX)
F8 CLC Clear carry flag
FC CLD Clear direction flag so SI and DI will increment
FA CLI Clear interrupt enable flag; interrupts disabled
F5 CMC Complement carry flag
A6 CMPS mb,mb Compare bytes [SI] - ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A7 CMPS mv,mv Compare vwords [SI] - ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A6 CMPSB Compare bytes DS:[SI] - ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A7 CMPSD 80386+ Compare dwords DS:[SI] - ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A7 CMPSW Compare words DS:[SI] - ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
99 CWD Convert word to doubleword (DX = top bit of AX)
98 CWDE 80386+ Sign-extend word AX to doubleword EAX
27 DAA Decimal adjust AL after addition
2F DAS Decimal adjust AL after subtraction
F4 HLT Halt Resumes operation if an interrupt occurs; could use this for pacing effects that run too fast
EC IN AL,DX Input byte from port DX into AL
ED IN eAX,DX Input vword from port DX into eAX
6C INS rmb,DX 80186+ Input byte from port DX into [DI], advance DI
6D INS rmv,DX 80186+ Input vword from port DX into [DI], advance DI
6C INSB 80186+ Input byte from port DX into ES:[DI], advance DI
6D INSD 80386+ Input dword from port DX into ES:[DI], advance DI
6D INSW 80186+ Input vword from port DX into ES:[DI], advance DI
CC INT 3 Interrupt 3 (trap to debugger)
CE INTO Interrupt 4 if overflow flag is 1
CF IRET Interrupt return (far return and pop flags)
CF IRETD 80386+ Interrupt return (pop EIP, ECS, Eflags)
9F LAHF Load: AH = flags SF ZF xx AF xx PF xx CF
C9 LEAVE 80186+ Set SP to BP, then POP BP (reverses previous ENTER)
AC LODS mb Load byte [SI] into AL, advance SI
AD LODS mv Load vword [SI] into eAX, advance SI
AC LODSB Load byte [SI] into AL, advance SI
AD LODSD 80386+ Load dword [SI] into EAX, advance SI
AD LODSW Load word [SI] into AX, advance SI
A4 MOVS mb,mb Move byte [SI] to ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A5 MOVS mv,mv Move vword [SI] to ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A4 MOVSB Move byte DS:[SI] to ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A5 MOVSD 80386+ Move dword DS:[SI] to ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
A5 MOVSW Move word DS:[SI] to ES:[DI], advance SI,DI
90 NOP No Operation
EE OUT DX,AL Output byte AL to port number DX
EF OUT DX,eAX Output word eAX to port number DX
6E OUTS DX,rmb 80186+ Output byte [SI] to port number DX, advance SI
6F OUTS DX,rmv 80186+ Output word [SI] to port number DX, advance SI
6E OUTSB 80186+ Output byte DS:[SI] to port number DX, advance SI
6F OUTSD 80386+ Output dword DS:[SI] to port number DX, advance SI
6F OUTSW 80186+ Output word DS:[SI] to port number DX, advance SI
1F POP DS Set DS to top of stack, increment SP by 2
07 POP ES Set ES to top of stack, increment SP by 2
17 POP SS Set SS to top of stack, increment SP by 2
61 POPA 80186+ Pop DI,SI,BP,x ,BX,DX,CX,AX (SP value is ignored)
61 POPAD 80386+ Pop EDI,ESI,EBP,x,EBX,EDX,ECX,EAX (ESP ign.)
9D POPF Set flags register to top of stack, increment SP by 2
9D POPFD 80386+ Set eflags reg to top of stack, incr SP by 2
0E PUSH CS Set [SP-2] to CS, then decrement SP by 2
1E PUSH DS Set [SP-2] to DS, then decrement SP by 2
06 PUSH ES Set [SP-2] to ES, then decrement SP by 2
16 PUSH SS Set [SP-2] to SS, then decrement SP by 2
60 PUSHA 80186+ Push AX,CX,DX,BX,original SP,BP,SI,DI
60 PUSHAD 80386+ Push EAX,ECX,EDX,EBX,original ESP,EBP,ESI,EDI
9C PUSHF Set [SP-2] to flags register, then decrement SP by 2
9C PUSHFD 80386+ Set [SP-4] to eflags reg, then decr SP by 4
C3 RET Return to caller (near or far, depending on PROC)
CB RETF Return to far caller (pop offset, then seg)
C3 RETN Return to near caller (pop offset only)
9E SAHF Store AH into flags SF ZF xx AF xx PF xx CF
AE SCAS mb Compare bytes AL - ES:[DI], advance DI
AF SCAS mv Compare vwords eAX - ES:[DI], advance DI
AE SCASB Compare bytes AL - ES:[DI], advance DI
AF SCASD 80386+ Compare dwords EAX - ES:[DI], advance DI
AF SCASW Compare words AX - ES:[DI], advance DI
36 SS Use SS segment for the following memory reference
F9 STC Set carry flag
FD STD Set direction flag so SI and DI will decrement
FB STI Set interrupt enable flag, interrupts enabled
AA STOS mb Store AL to byte [DI], advance DI
AB STOS mv Store eAX to word [DI], advance DI
AA STOSB Store AL to byte ES:[DI], advance DI
AB STOSD 80386+ Store EAX to dword ES:[DI], advance DI
AB STOSW Store AX to word ES:[DI], advance DI
9B WAIT Wait until floating-point operation is completed
D7 XLAT Set AL to memory byte DS:[BX + unsigned AL]

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