Module: Subprograms

Use the stack to implement subprograms using activation records.

Learning Outcomes

Be able to develop assembly programs using a main classes of instructions and programming idioms.

Understand some of the relations between high-level programming languages and assembly language

Understand how the stack is used to implement subprograms and structured as activation records and how it is managed at runtime

Indirect addressing, function calls, pusha, popa, call, ret (PCASM Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)

Lecture notes Textbook reading

Activation records, ESP, EBP, variable arguments, return values (PCASM Sections 4.5.1)

Lecture notes Textbook reading

Local variables, re-entrant subprograms, the stack (PCASM Sections 4.5.2)

Lecture notes Textbook reading

Programs from the lecture notes

Source code

Lecture notes Textbook reading

Manipulate the stack and local variables

Sample problems