Tony Harminc wrote: >It's useful to limit the opcodes understood, because the disassembler (any >disassembler for this architecture - not just IBM's) is less than perfect at >understanding what is code and what is data. If you know something about the >module you are working on (typically it is some legacy lost-source thing >written some time ago), then it is better to have things that could not be >code in that particular module shown as data rather than bogus instructions. >ASMDASM does allow you to tell it that an area is code-only or data-only, >but often enough you don't know that in detail early in the disassembling >process, and it helps not to have your work cluttered with instructions that >could not have been intended in, say, 1987.
Responding to my question: "The High level Assembler accepts and uses an OPTABLE parm which lets you limit the valid op codes to an architecture level such as XA or 370 (and optionally list the valid OP codes at that level). The Disassembler (ASMDASM) has a comparable ÓPTABLE option which "Specifies the operation code table to be used in disassembling CSECTs." Except the ASMDASM we are using - no version shown, but linked 06.125 WITH Identify data of UK09726 - does not limit the op codes generated, or even check for a valid parameter. Is there a later version which has this function, or am I missing something?" Tony expressed my view of the problem very well - sorry I didn't. Typically when we use the Disassembler it is for very old code. But since there is in fact an OPTABLE parameter documented, that suggests IBM also sees the need for the feature. My question remains: is (or will there be) a version of the Disassembler that implements it? Gene Lynd ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
