Masfix — Macro‑First, Assembly‑Like Language

Masfix builds high‑level features from the ground up with a powerful macro system on top of minimal, suffix‑based instructions that compile directly to x64.

• Masfix stands for Macro ASsembly sufFIX:
  • Pervasive macro system: express control flow, namespaces, and build the language in itself.

    Ever wondered how classes were implemented?

  • Low level assembly: based on simple instructions
  • Suffix semantics: instruction meaning is specified by their suffixes.

Architecture Overview

• Execution model resembles a Turing machine
  • single read/write head moving along memory
  • 16 bit wide architecture
• Direct compilation to x64 assembly
  • developed for x64 Windows-Intel system

Work in progress — This project may change at any time. Some features may be unimplemented or inconsistent with docs.

Setup

1. Install toolchain

   • g++ (x86_64-posix-seh-rev0, Built by MinGW-Builds project) 13.2.0
   • native compilation:
     • NASM version 2.16.03 compiled on Apr 17 2024
     • gcc version 13.2.0 (x86_64-posix-seh-rev0, Built by MinGW-Builds project)
   • The above are from http://winlibs.com/
   • Python 3.13.0

2. Build the compiler

g++ Masfix.cpp -o Masfix.exe

1. Run in interpreting mode
   Interpreter works even without nasm/gcc setup.

Masfix --interpret tests\basic-test.mx
test.py quick

1. Native compilation (assemble + link + run)
   This sequence should help you set up your enviroment.

Masfix --keep-asm --verbose tests\basic-test.mx
nasm -fwin64 -g -F cv8 tests\basic-test.asm
gcc -nostartfiles -Wl,-e,_start -lkernel32 -o tests\basic-test.exe -g tests\basic-test.obj
tests\basic-test.exe
echo %ERRORLEVEL%
test.py run

1. Normal usage

Masfix -r <.mx-file-to-run>

Getting started

• intended Masfix file extension - .mx
• whitespace insensitive
• single line comments use ;
• one instruction per line
• macro system directives start with %

Explore the repo

• Code examples
  • check out newest Masfix code standart here
  • or compare same code in plain assembly and with macro system
• Standart library
• language docs: assembly, macro system

Code example

mov 6    ; mov to addr 6
ldm      ; load r with value from memory
ld 42    ; load internal register (r) with immediate value
ld& 7    ; and r with 7
movart 3 ; addr += r * 3
strr     ; store r in memory at new addr


; include standart library with preprocessor
%include "std/memory"
%include "std/math"
%include "std/procedures"
%include "std/control"

; define preprocessor directives
%define divideBy 7
%macro callDiv_macro(local_param_divWith) {
	; macro body
	%stack:pushm() ; using macros
	%stack:push(%local_param_divWith)
	%call(divide)  ; call procedures
}

:loop              ; start of while loop
	outum          ; output memory
	%callDiv_macro(%divideBy)
	%stack:pop()

	%if {          ; control flow from std
		lrge 3,    ; if condition: load 1 -> r if r >= 3
		jmp loop   ; jmp back ^
	}

Background & philosophy

The idea of developing a programming language first came to me when watching Tsoding's development of Porth language.
The turing machine basis also comes from his project: Tula.

The main goal of this project is to explore how programming language internals work by implementing them from scratch and discovering the various challenges that emerge along the way.

Proudly by Michal-Martinek