Assembly Language Instructions Quiz

A modular block of code that performs a specific task. It's like a function in other languages, enabling code reuse and organization.

A set of instructions used to create a procedure in assembly language. Defines the starting and ending points of the procedure.

Documentation that explains the procedure's purpose, inputs, outputs, and any preconditions required for it to work correctly.

A special instruction that transfers program execution to the defined procedure. Saves the return address on the stack for later use.

The instruction that returns control from a procedure back to the caller. It retrieves the saved return address from the stack and continues execution at that point.

A procedure that calls another procedure within its body. This allows for hierarchical organization and breaking down code into smaller, manageable tasks.

Labels that are accessible only within the procedure. They are local to a specific procedure and are not visible outside of its scope.

Labels that are accessible throughout the entire program, including all procedures. They are shared and can be accessed from different procedures.

The CALL instruction places the current instruction pointer (EIP) onto the stack, then loads the address of the subroutine (the new EIP) into EIP, effectively transferring control to the subroutine. The RET instruction reverses this process: it pops the return address from the stack back into EIP, resuming execution at the instruction following the CALL.

Nested procedure calls allow functions to call other functions, creating a hierarchical structure for organizing code. Each function call adds its return address to the stack. When RET is executed, the correct return address is popped from the stack, ensuring the program continues execution from the right place.

Local labels are visible only within the procedure where they are defined. They are used to label specific instructions within a procedure. Global labels, on the other hand, are visible throughout the entire program, enabling jumps between different procedures. Using local labels for jumps inside a procedure ensures that these jumps do not accidentally interfere with other parts of the program.

The stack in assembly programming is a data structure that functions like a stack of plates - items are added (pushed) and removed (popped) in a specific order (Last In, First Out). The stack is used to store return addresses, function arguments, and local variables.

A procedure, often referred to as a subroutine or function, is a block of assembly code that performs a specific task. The code inside a procedure can be executed by calling it from another part of the program.