x86 Assembly Language Basics
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Questions and Answers

What is the value of AL after executing 'mov al,[arrayB+1]'?

  • 10h
  • 30h
  • 40h
  • 20h (correct)
  • What happens if you execute 'mov ax,[arrayW-2]'?

  • AX will be assigned a random value.
  • It will crash the program.
  • It will produce an error due to an invalid memory address. (correct)
  • It will assemble without errors.
  • What value is stored in EAX after executing 'mov eax,[arrayD+4]'?

  • 00000004h
  • 00000001h
  • 00000003h
  • 00000002h (correct)
  • How will the values in arrayD change after executing the rearrangement program provided?

    <p>3, 1, 2 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of executing 'add ax,[myBytes+1]' if 'myBytes' contains BYTE values 80h, 66h, 0A5h?

    <p>AX will be 146h. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why doesn't 'arrayB+1' produce the value 11h?

    <p>arrayB contains values starting from 10h. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What will be the final value of 'arrayD' after executing the given rearrangement program?

    <p>None of the above (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the value of AX after the operation 'add ax,1'?

    <p>0100h (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the value of the Zero Flag (ZF) after 'add al,1' if AL is initially 00h?

    <p>1 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which condition triggers the Overflow Flag (OF) to be set during addition?

    <p>Adding two negative numbers resulting in a positive sum (A), Adding two positive numbers resulting in a negative sum (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What operation does the NEG instruction perform on its operand?

    <p>Substitutes the operand with its additive inverse (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Carry Flag (CF) value after 'add bh,95h' if BH is initially 6Ch?

    <p>1 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When the processor executes "neg valB", what is the resulting state of the Carry Flag?

    <p>Set to one (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the value of AL after 'mov al,-2'?

    <p>FEh (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which flag is set when the result of an arithmetic operation equals zero?

    <p>Zero flag (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the Overflow Flag when performing 'add al,1' with AL set to 7Fh?

    <p>OF is set to 1 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the Overflow flag after executing "neg valC" where valC is set to -128?

    <p>It indicates an overflow occurred (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the value of the Sign Flag (SF) after the operation 'sub al,3' if AL starts with 02h?

    <p>1 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the outcome of 'add al,92h' if AL is initially set to 80h?

    <p>AL = 0Ch, OF = 1 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the expression Rval = -Xval + (Yval – Zval), what is the value of Rval after the assembly instructions are executed?

    <p>-36 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following flags is NOT affected by the MOV instruction?

    <p>None of the above (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What will be the result in the ALU's status flags after the operation "neg [valB + 1]"?

    <p>CF = 0, OF = 0 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When compiling Rval = Xval - (-Yval + Zval), which statement reflects the assembly language translation correctly?

    <p>It uses two negations in the translation. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the value of AX after the loop terminates if the initial value was set to 6 and ECX was set to 4 with the LOOP instruction?

    <p>10 (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many times will the second loop labeled as X2 execute if ECX is initialized to 0?

    <p>0 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the ECX register in a nested loop structure?

    <p>It must be saved manually to prevent data loss. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the largest possible forward jump when using a single signed byte for the relative offset?

    <p>+127 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the LOOP instruction example provided, what machine code corresponds to the instruction 'mov ecx,5'?

    <p>B9 00000005 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the hexadecimal representation of the negative offset used for the backward jump in the LOOP instruction?

    <p>FBh (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the initial action of the loop at location 00000009?

    <p>Add the value of CX to AX. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If a signed byte is used for a relative offset, which of the following values can be achieved by a backward jump?

    <p>-128 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What operation is performed to scale an indexed operand in the provided example?

    <p>Multiplying the index by the array's TYPE (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of pointers, what does the variable 'ptrW' represent?

    <p>An offset to an address in memory (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What would be the result of the instruction 'mov al, arrayB[esi*TYPE arrayB]' if 'esi' is 4?

    <p>4 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the instruction 'mov ax, [esi]' do in the context of pointers?

    <p>Loads the value at the address pointed to by 'esi' into AX (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements is true regarding general-purpose registers?

    <p>Any 32-bit general-purpose register can be used as an indirect operand. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the LENGTHOF operator measure in data declarations?

    <p>The number of elements in a declaration (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If an array is declared as 'array WORD 30 DUP(?),0,0', what is the result of LENGTHOF(array)?

    <p>32 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the SIZEOF operator return?

    <p>A value equivalent to LENGTHOF multiplied by TYPE (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In a data declaration, which statement is true regarding spanning multiple lines?

    <p>Each line except the last must end with a comma (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the LENGTHOF value for the digitStr BYTE '12345678',0 declaration?

    <p>9 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is SIZEOF(array) if array is declared as 'array WORD 10,20,30,40,50,60'?

    <p>24 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    For an array initialized as 'array1 WORD 30 DUP(?),0,0', how many total WORDs are declared?

    <p>32 (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the effect of the SIZEOF operator on a declaration made across multiple lines?

    <p>It includes all lines in the calculation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Flashcards

    Direct-Offset Operands

    Adding a constant offset to a data label to generate an effective address (EA). This address is then used to access the value stored in the corresponding memory location.

    MOV with direct offset operand

    An instruction that replaces the contents of a register with the value stored at a specified memory address. The address is usually calculated by adding a constant offset to a data label.

    XCHG (Exchange)

    In assembly language, a process that replaces the contents of a register with the contents of a memory location, while simultaneously replacing the contents of that memory location with the value of the register.

    ADD instruction

    A program instruction that adds two values together.

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    Data Label

    In assembly programming, a data label is a symbolic name assigned to a memory location holding a value. For example, "arrayB BYTE 10h, 20h, 30h, 40h" defines a label called "arrayB" pointing to the first byte of the array.

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    Rearranging values in an array

    To rearrange the values in an array, you can use a series of memory operations, such as moving values between registers and memory, and exchanging values within the array itself. The goal is to modify the order of values stored in the array's memory locations.

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    Variable

    A variable that holds data in a dedicated memory location within a computer program. The name of the variable is associated with that memory location. This label enables you to access the value stored at that location.

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    Array

    A data type in assembly language that defines a sequence of bytes in memory. Each byte in the array can store a value, and these values can be accessed individually using their index within the array.

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    What does the NEG instruction do?

    The NEG (Negate) instruction in assembly language performs the two's complement operation on an operand.

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    How does the NEG instruction work internally?

    The NEG instruction internally uses the SUB (Subtract) instruction with the first operand set to 0, effectively subtracting the operand from 0.

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    What does the Carry flag indicate after using NEG?

    The Carry flag (CF) is set when the NEG instruction results in a value outside the range of representable unsigned values.

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    What does the Overflow flag indicate after using NEG?

    The Overflow flag (OF) is set when the NEG instruction results in a value outside the range of representable signed values.

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    When is the Zero flag set after using NEG?

    The Zero flag (ZF) is set when the NEG instruction produces a result of 0, meaning the value is now its own negation.

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    When is the Sign flag set after using NEG?

    The Sign flag (SF) is set when the NEG instruction results in a negative value.

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    Does the MOV instruction affect the flags?

    The MOV (Move) instruction does not modify any of the status flags.

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    What is the ALU and how does it relate to flags?

    The ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) is responsible for performing arithmetic operations and setting the status flags based on the results. These flags are useful for conditional branching and other operations.

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    Array Scaling

    An indirect or indexed operand can be scaled to the offset of an array element by multiplying the index by the array's data type size.

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    Pointer Variable

    A pointer variable is declared to store the offset of another variable, allowing indirect access to the variable's data.

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    Array Element Offset

    The offset of an array element is determined by multiplying the index by the array's data type size. This allows you to access specific elements within the array.

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    General-Purpose Registers as Indirect Operands

    General-purpose registers can be used as indirect operands, allowing for flexible address manipulation.

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    EBX Register's Role in Stack Addressing

    The EBX register is often used for addressing the stack, a dedicated memory area for storing function parameters and local variables.

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    Overflow Flag (OF)

    Indicates whether the result of a signed arithmetic operation is outside the valid range for signed numbers. It's set when adding two positive numbers results in a negative value or adding two negative numbers results in a positive value.

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    Overflow Flag Set Example

    The Overflow flag is set when the signed result of an operation is invalid or out of range. When a sign change is observed, the Overflow flag will be set. Example: mov al,+127; add al,1 The Overflow flag is set, and the result of this operation will be -128 or 0x80.

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    Overflow Flag Set Example 2

    The Overflow flag is set when the signed result of an operation is invalid or out of range. When a sign change is observed, the Overflow flag will be set. Example: mov al,7Fh; add al,1 The Overflow flag is set, and the result of this operation will be -128 or 0x80.

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    Overflow Flag Rule of Thumb

    The Overflow flag is only set when adding two numbers with the same sign and their sum is a number with the opposite sign.

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    Overflow Flag Example 3

    The Overflow flag is set because adding 80h (128) and 92h (146) produces a result that is outside the range of signed 8-bit numbers (0 to 127).

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    Overflow Flag Example 4

    The Overflow flag is not set in this example, because adding -2 and +127 results in a valid signed 8-bit number (125), and there's no sign change involved.

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    Overflow Flag Simplified Rule

    When adding two integers, the Overflow flag is only set when... Two positive operands are added and their sum is negative. Two negative operands are added and their sum is positive.

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    Overflow Flag: Key Takeaway

    The Overflow flag is only set when adding two numbers with the same sign and their sum is a number with the opposite sign.

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    LENGTHOF operator

    The LENGTHOF operator counts the number of elements in a single data declaration. For example, LENGTHOF array1 would return 32 because array1 is declared as WORD 30 DUP(?),0,0. The array1 declaration contains 32 elements, 30 duplicates of (?) (unknown values) followed by two zeros.

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    SIZEOF operator

    The SIZEOF operator calculates the total size of a data declaration in bytes by multiplying the number of elements (found with LENGTHOF) by the size of each element (defined by its data type). For example, SIZEOF array1 would return 64 because array1 is declared as WORD 30 DUP(?),0,0. Each WORD element takes up 2 bytes, so the total size is 32 * 2 = 64 bytes.

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    Spanning Multiple Lines with Data Declarations

    A data declaration can span multiple lines when each line (except the last) ends with a comma. Both the LENGTHOF and SIZEOF operators will take into account all lines belonging to that declaration.

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    Data Declaration Name

    In a multi-line declaration, the name given to the data declaration identifies only the first line in the declaration. The LENGTHOF and SIZEOF operators will work on the entire multiline declaration.

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    TYPE operator

    The TYPE operator provides information about the data type of a variable. It returns a value that represents the size of the data type.

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    LENGTHOF and SIZEOF in multiline Declarations

    The array variable in this example is declared as WORD and includes multiple elements (10 through 60). LENGTHOF array returns the number of elements in the declaration, which is 6. SIZEOF array returns the total size of the declaration in bytes, which is 12 (because there are 6 elements and each element takes up 2 bytes).

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    BYTE data type

    A data declaration that starts with a BYTE data type defines each element as a single byte. The SIZEOF operator returns the size of the entire declaration in bytes.

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    WORD data type

    Data declarations that use word (WORD) data types assign each element a size of 2 bytes (bytes). The SIZEOF operator returns the size in bytes of the entire declaration.

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    LOOP Instruction

    A loop that executes a specific number of times, determined by the value in the ECX register. The LOOP instruction automatically decrements ECX by 1 and jumps back to the loop's beginning if ECX is not zero. When ECX reaches zero, the loop terminates.

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    Loop Iteration

    A way to create a loop that repeats a particular number of times, controlled by a pre-defined counter value stored in the ECX register.

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    Looping in Assembly Language

    A powerful way to control the flow of your program by repeatedly executing a block of code until a specific condition is met. This enables you to repeat tasks without writing the same code over and over.

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    Largest Possible Forward Jump

    If the relative offset is encoded in a single signed byte, the largest possible forward jump is +127 bytes. This means it can jump ahead up to 127 bytes from the current instruction location.

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    Largest Possible Backward Jump

    If the relative offset is encoded in a single signed byte, the largest possible backward jump is -128 bytes, which allows for jumping back up to 128 bytes from the current instruction location.

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    Nested Loop

    A technique in assembly language where you create a loop inside another loop. This allows you to create more complex algorithms that involve nested repetitions.

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    Saving the Outer Loop Counter

    Saving the outer loop counter's ECX value before entering the inner loop ensures that the outer loop's counter is not accidentally overwritten by the inner loop's operations.

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    LOOP Instruction

    A loop that executes a specific number of times, determined by the value in the ECX register. The LOOP instruction automatically decrements ECX by 1 and jumps back to the loop's beginning if ECX is not zero. When ECX reaches zero, the loop terminates.

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    Study Notes

    Assembly Language Programming - Chapter 4

    • This chapter covers data transfers, addressing, and arithmetic operations in assembly language.
    • Data transfer instructions include MOV, MOVSX, MOVZX, and XCHG. These instructions move data from one location to another. MOVSX and MOVZX are used with sign and zero extension, respectively. XCHG swaps the contents of two operands.
    • Operand types include direct, direct-offset, indirect, and indexed.
    • Arithmetic instructions: INC, DEC, ADD, SUB, and NEG impact registers and memory locations.
    • Flags (Sign, Carry, Zero, Overflow) provide status information after arithmetic operations.
    • Operators (OFFSET, PTR, TYPE, LENGTHOF, SIZEOF, TYPEDEF) are used for addressing and manipulating data.
    • Branching instructions (JMP and LOOP) control the flow of execution.
    • 64-bit programming is also discussed. This involves different register usage and operand size considerations.

    Data Transfer Instructions

    • MOV: Copies data from source to destination. Both operands need to be the same size.
    • MOV reg, reg: Moves data between registers (e.g., MOV AX, BX).
    • MOV reg, mem: Moves data from memory to a register (e.g., MOV AX, [variable]).
    • MOV mem, reg: Moves data from a register to memory (e.g., MOV [variable], BX).
    • MOV mem, imm: Moves immediate data to memory (e.g., MOV [variable], 100h).
    • MOVSX: Moves and sign extends. Used for moving data between different size registers when using sign-based integer data types.
    • MOVZX: Moves and zero extends. Used for moving data between different size registers when using unsigned integer data types.
    • XCHG: Exchanges the contents of two operands.

    Operand Types

    • Immediate: A constant value.
    • Register: A named CPU register.
    • Memory: Location in memory addressed.

    Arithmetic Instructions

    • INC: Increments a value by 1.
    • DEC: Decrements a value by 1.
    • ADD: Adds two operands.
    • SUB: Subtracts two operands.
    • NEG: Reverses the sign of an operand.

    Operators

    • OFFSET: Returns the offset of a label.
    • PTR: Specifies the data type of an operand.
    • TYPE: Returns the size in bytes of a variable.
    • LENGTHOF: Returns the number of elements in an array.
    • SIZEOF: Returns the size in bytes of an array or variable.
    • TYPEDEF: Defines a new data type.

    JMP and LOOP Instructions

    • JMP: Unconditional jump.
    • LOOP: Conditional jump based on ECX value.

    64-Bit Programming

    • Different register usage compared to 32-bit assembly.
    • Operands in 64-bit mode are 8, 16, 32 or 64 bits.

    Overlapping Values

    • Modifying a 32-bit register using values of different sizes will overwrite the bits in the register depending on the data sizes.

    Invalid MOV Instructions

    • Attempting to move data to or from a protected register.
    • Moving values of different sizes (eg. moving a byte to a word).
    • Memory to memory moves.

    Arithmetic Flags

    • Zero Flag (ZF): Set to 1 if the result of an operation is zero.
    • Sign Flag (SF): Set to 1 if the result of an operation is negative.
    • Carry Flag (CF): Set to 1 if result is unsigned out of range
    • Overflow Flag (OF): Set to one if signed result is out of range.

    Other

    • Data transfer instructions, addition and subtraction, data-related operators, indirect addressing, JMP and LOOP instructions are covered.
    • 64-bit programming concepts are introduced.
    • Conventions to handle 64-bit data and operations are included.

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    Description

    This quiz tests your knowledge of x86 assembly language instructions and their effects on registers and flags. You'll explore operations involving 'AL', 'AX', 'EAX', and various flags like CF, ZF, and OF. Challenge your understanding of memory operations and the behavior of data manipulations in assembly.

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