6.6 Using Labels in Macros

All labels in an assembly language program must be unique. This includes labels in macros. If a macro is expanded more than once, its labels are defined more than once. Defining a label more than once is illegal. The macro language provides a method of defining labels in macros so that the labels are unique. Simply follow each label with a question mark, and the assembler replaces the question mark with a period followed by a unique number. When the macro is expanded, you do not see the unique number in the listing file. Your label appears with the question mark as it did in the macro definition. You cannot declare this label as global. See Section 4.8.3 for more about labels.

The syntax for a unique label is:

Example 13 shows unique label generation in a macro. The maximum label length is shortened to allow for the unique suffix. For example, if the macro is expanded fewer than 10 times, the maximum label length is 126 characters. If the macro is expanded from 10 to 99 times, the maximum label length is 125. The label with its unique suffix is shown in the cross-listing file. To obtain a cross-listing file, invoke the assembler with the --cross_reference option (see Section 4.3).