acme/docs/Errors.txt

                                 ACME

         ...the ACME Crossassembler for Multiple Environments

                        --- error messages ---


Here's a sorted list of all error messages ACME can give, possible
reasons and what you can do to sort it out.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Section:   Errors on startup
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Cannot open toplevel file "FILENAME".
    Maybe you mistyped its name?

Error in CLI arguments: ...
    There are several of these errors, but they should be quite self-
    explanatory.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Section:   Warnings during assembly
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"!cbm" is deprecated; use "!ct pet" instead.
    This is given when "!cbm" is encountered. It still works though.

"!pseudopc/!realpc" is deprecated; use "!pseudopc {}" instead.
    "!pseudopc" can now be used with a block, so it can be nested.
    So "!realpc" is no longer needed. It still works though.

"!subzone {}" is deprecated; use "!zone {}" instead.
    "!zone" can now be used stand-alone (which just changes the
    current zone) as well as with a block (which creates a subzone).
    So "!subzone" is no longer needed. It still works though.

!warn: ...
    This is given when the pseudo opcode "!warn" is executed. The
    actual message varies according to the pseudo opcode's arguments.

Assembling buggy JMP($xxff) instruction
    The original 6502 processor has a bug: When executing an indirect
    JMP instruction where the low byte of the argument equals $ff, it
    fetches the high byte of the jump target address not from memory
    location ARGUMENT+1, but from ARGUMENT-255. Therefore ACME issues
    this warning if you are about to generate such an instruction.
    Note that this warning is only given for CPU types 6502 and 6510,
    because 65c02 and 65816 have been fixed in this respect.

Bug in ACME, code follows
    A situation has been encountered implying there is a bug in ACME.
    See the last section in this file.

Implicit label definition not in leftmost column.
    An implicit label definition has blanks before the label name.
    Imagine this source code:
		lda #00
		imx
		rts
    Obviously, there's a typo in the middle line (imx instead of inx),
    but ACME does not recognize this: It looks just like an implicit
    label definition! Therefore releases 0.89 and higher warn you when
    an implicit label does not start in column 1. Releases 0.94 and
    higher support a command line option to switch off this warning
    ("-Wno-label-indent").

Label dump file already chosen.
    The "!sl" command was given more than once (or in addition to the
    "--labeldump" command line option). Only use it once.

Label name starts with a shift-space character.
    The name of a global label starts with a shift-space character. It
    is highly likely that this is a typing error, therefore this
    warning is issued.

Memory already initialised.
    The "!initmem" command was given more than once (or in addition to
    the "--initmem" command line option). Only use it once.

Offset assembly still active at end of segment.
    There's a "*=" command inside an offset assembly block. There has
    been some discussion on the ACME mailing list over whether this
    should raise a warning. Future releases of ACME might not warn
    anymore.

Output file already chosen.
    The "!to" command was given more than once (or in addition to the
    "--outfile" command line option). Only use it once.

Segment reached another one, overwriting it.
    The program counter has just reached the start of another segment.
    Because some people might want to assemble "onto" a binary file
    that was loaded before, this warning can be switched off using
    modifier keywords when changing the program counter via "*=".
    Future versions of ACME might throw an error instead of a warning
    in this case.

Segment starts inside another one, overwriting it.
    The given value in a "*=" command is located inside another
    segment. Because some people might want to assemble "onto" a
    binary file that was loaded before, this warning can be switched
    off using modifier keywords when changing the program counter via
    "*=".
    Future versions of ACME might throw an error instead of a warning
    in this case.

Used "!to" without file format indicator. Defaulting to "cbm".
    Now that "!to" can be given a file format keyword (either "plain"
    or "cbm"), using "cbm" as default seems inappropriate. It still
    works though.

Using oversized addressing mode.
    ACME just assembled a command using an addressing mode that was
    larger than needed. This only happens if ACME could not work out
    the argument's value in the first pass, therefore assuming a 16-
    bit addressing mode. If, in a later pass, ACME finds out that the
    argument is small enough to fit in 8 bits, then this warning is
    shown. If you define all your zeropage labels *before* they are
    first used, this shouldn't happen. If you know that a specific
    argument fits in 8 bits, you can force ACME to use 8 bits
    addressing by postfixing the command with "+1". Example:
		lda+1 label
    ACME will then use an 8-bit addressing mode, regardless of whether
    the label is known or not. If the label value happens to be too
    large to fit in 8 bits, ACME will show an error of course (To
    always truncate a value to 8 bits, use the '<' operator).
    More about the postfixing method can be found in "AddrModes.txt".


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Section:   Errors during assembly
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"ACME" environment variable not found.
    This will be shown if the source code references any files from
    the library, but the library location variable wasn't set. This
    can only be given on systems using the said variable.

!error: ...
    This is given when the pseudo opcode "!error" is executed. The
    actual message varies according to the pseudo opcode's arguments.

Cannot open input file.
    ACME had problems opening an input file ("!bin", "!convtab" or
    "!src"). Maybe you mistyped its name.

Conversion table incomplete.
    The conversion table file is too small. It needs to be exactly 256
    bytes in size.

Division by zero.
    Guess what - you attempted to divide by zero.

Exponent is negative.
    Using negative exponents would only give sensible results when
    using floating point maths.

File name quotes not found ("" or <>).
    File names have to be given in quotes. Either "" quoting for files
    located in the current directory or <> quoting for library files.

Found '}' instead of end-of-file.
    ACME encountered a '}' character when it expected the file to end
    instead (because no blocks were open).

Garbage data at end of statement.
    There are still arguments when there should not be any more.

Illegal combination of command and addressing mode.
    The given command cannot be used with the given addressing mode on
    the CPU you have chosen.

Illegal combination of command and postfix.
    The given command cannot be used with the addressing mode
    indicated by the given postfix.

Illegal postfix.
    You used a postfix other than "+1", "+2" or "+3".

Label already defined.
    You defined a label that already had a different value. To change
    a label's value, use the "!set" pseudo opcode.

Macro already defined.
    Macros can only be defined once. If you define a macro twice, ACME
    will help you find the definitions by giving a warning for the
    first definition and a serious error (stopping assembly) for the
    second definition.

Macro not defined (or wrong signature).
    You tried to call a macro that either wasn't defined yet (always
    define macros before using them) or was called with an illegal
    argument list. There must be a 1:1 match between the definition's
    formal parameters and the call's actual arguments.

Macro parameter twice.
    The same label name is used two (or more) times in the same macro
    parameter list.

Negative value - cannot choose addressing mode.
    Because the argument is a negative value, ACME does not know what
    addressing mode (8 bits, 16 bits, on a 65816 even 24 bits) to use.
    You can overcome this problem using the postfix method. Or correct
    your program to use positive addresses instead.

No string given.
    ACME expects a string but doesn't find it.

Number out of range.
    A value is too high or too low.

Program counter is unset.
    You didn't set the program counter, so ACME didn't know where to
    start.

Quotes still open at end of line.
    You forgot the closing quotes.

Source file contains illegal character.
    Your source code file contained a null byte.

Syntax error.
    Guess what - there's a syntax error.

Target out of range.
    A relative addressing (branch commands or PER) only has a limited
    range. You exceeded it.

There's more than one character.
    You used a text string in an arithmetic expression, but the string
    contained more than a single character.

Too late for postfix.
    You can only postfix labels at the start, before they are used for
    the first time.

Too many '('.
    A formula ends before all parentheses were closed.

Too many ')'.
    There are more closing than opening parentheses in a formula.

Unknown encoding.
    You used the "!convtab" command with a keyword ACME does not know.

Unknown operator.
    You used an arithmetic/logical operator ACME does not know.

Unknown output format.
    You used the "!to" command with a keyword ACME does not know.

Unknown processor.
    You used the "!cpu" command with a keyword ACME does not know.

Unknown pseudo opcode.
    You have mistyped a "!" command.

Unknown "*=" segment modifier.
    You used a modifier keyword ACME does not know.

Value not yet defined.
    A value could not be worked out. Maybe you mistyped a label name.
    Whether this is given as a "normal" or as a serious error depends
    on the currently parsed pseudo opcode.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Section:   Serious errors (stopping assembly)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

!serious: ...
    This is given when the pseudo opcode "!serious" is executed. The
    actual message varies according to the pseudo opcode's arguments.

Found end-of-file instead of '}'.
    The file ended when ACME expected the block to be closed instead
    (because there was at least one block left open).

Loop count is negative.
    You used the "!for" command with a negative loop count.

Macro already defined.
    Macros can only be defined once. If you define a macro twice, ACME
    will help you find both definitions by giving a warning for the
    first definition and a serious error (stopping assembly) for the
    second definition.

Missing '{'.
    ACME didn't find the expected '{' character. Remember that '{'
    characters must be given on the same line as the command they
    belong to.

Out of memory.
    When ACME runs out of memory, it stops assembly, giving this
    error. Free some memory and try again. It's highly unlikely anyone
    will ever see this error, though. ;)

Produced too much code.
    The program counter reached address $10000, leaving the output
    buffer. At the moment, ACME can only produce a maximum of 64 KB.

Syntax error.
    This is only given as a _serious_ error if it's in a "!do" loop
    condition.

Too deeply nested. Recursive macro calls?
    The only reason for ACME to have a limit on macro call nesting
    at all is to find infinite recursions. Current limit is 64.

Too deeply nested. Recursive "!source"?
    The only reason for ACME to still have a limit on "!source"
    nesting at all is to find infinite recursions. Current limit is
    64.

Value not yet defined.
    A value could not be worked out. Maybe you mistyped a label name.
    Whether this is given as a "normal" or as a serious error depends
    on the currently parsed pseudo opcode.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Section:   Errors on closedown
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Cannot open label dump file "FILENAME".
Cannot open output file "FILENAME".
    Make sure the name doesn't contain wildcard characters and you
    have write access to the directory.

No output file specified (use the "-o" option or the "!to" pseudo opcode).
    You didn't specify the output file, so ACME did not create one.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Section:   Bugs in ACME
----------------------------------------------------------------------

    The warning "Bug in ACME, code follows" is always followed by a
    serious error message, stopping assembly. The second message
    actually gives a hint about the bug's location in the source code.
    If you ever get this combination of warning and serious error,
    please send me an e-mail and tell me about it. If possible,
    include a piece of source code that triggers it.

    Please don't get this wrong - there are no known bugs. I just left
    some debugging code in place in case there is a bug I failed to
    notice during testing. In practice, this warning is not expected
    to be given at all. That's the reason why I want to be notified if
    it *does* decide to show up.

    The hint messages are of no real interest to the end user, but here
    they are for completeness' sake.

IllegalGroupIndex
    The mnemonic tree contains a group that I didn't add.

IllegalBlockTerminator
    A RAM block (macro or loop) was terminated incorrectly.

IllegalOperatorHandle
    The expression parser found an operator that does not exist.

OperandStackNotEmpty
    The expression parser has finished though there are still operands
    left to parse.

OperatorStackNotEmpty
    The expression parser has finished though there are still
    operators left to parse.

StrangeInputMode
    The input state machine has reached a state that does not exist.

StrangeParenthesis
    The expression parser found a non-existing operator.