Summary of changes

Date of Publication
July 2017, last revised October 2022
Form of Publication
Eighth Edition, SC26-4941-07 HLASM Programmer’s Guide

Changes since release 6 are identified by APAR number. The information report produced by running the assembler with the INFO option can be used to determine which APAR updates have been installed.

Changes since the eighth edition:

  • Flexible code page support (PH50915):
    • New options EBCDIC, ASCII, UNICODE, CE, CA, CU
    • New CODEPAGE option values
  • Improved support for Linux on IBM Z (PH47425):
    • Provide asma90 as ELF64 executable which does not need 32-bit compatibility libraries
    • Support LIST(ASCII) for ASCII listing
    • Support ASMAOPT file on Linux
  • Support for new instructions in IBM z16™ (OPTABLE and MACHINE options) (PH39324)
  • Support for lower and upper limits on USING statement (PH42816).
  • Support generation of ELF64 relocatable binary code for 64-bit Linux® (PH15557).
  • Support the new instructions for the IBM® z15® (PH00902).
  • New FLAG options TRUNC, LONGER and SIGNED for truncation checks (PH06572).
  • Support extended OPTABLE and MACHINE options (PH03536):
    • New alternative OPTABLE names based on CPU generation, such as IBM z14®.
    • New MACHINE options providing alternative ways to identify OPTABLE.
    • Support for MACHINE on ACONTROL.
Changes for the eighth edition:
  • Support the new instructions for the IBM z14 (PI62275).
  • New option ILMA to allow inline macros to support OPTABLE switch (PI74470).
Changes for the seventh edition:
  • Support the new instructions and vector registers for the IBM z13® (PM79901).
  • New option FAIL to terminate when too many errors (PM95959).
  • Support conditional external sequential resolution of V-type address constants (PM59337).
  • Support the new instructions for the IBM zEC12 (PM49761).
  • Add z/Architecture® instructions available in ESA/390 mode to the OPTABLE(ESA) table (PM26119).
  • Support the new instructions for the IBM z196 (PK97799).
Changes for the sixth edition (HLASM release 6):
  • New features
    • High Level Assembler for Linux on z Systems®
    • Support for IBM Z® processors up to IBM z10
  • New options
    • WORKFILE
  • Changed assembler instructions
    • DC/DS
      • Decimal floating-point constants
      • Unsigned binary constants
      • Tags allowing use of macros and machine or assembler instructions with identical mnemonics
  • Changed assembler statements
    • Parts with text
    • OPTABLE option for ACONTROL
  • Services Interface
    • HLASM Services Interface for I/O exits added
  • Miscellany
    • Qualifiers identified in symbol cross-reference.
    • References to System z® have been changed to IBM Z.
    • HLASM listings have been refreshed.
    • Updates made resulting from readers' comments.
    • Minor changes made resulting from APARs.
    • New section added to Chapter 6. Diagnosing Assembly Errors entitled Alerting to assembly warnings
    • New section added to Appendix M. Typecheck assembler option entitled Vector Register type checking.
    • New section added to Appendix O. High Level Assembler for Linux on z Systems entitled Batch assemblies for Linux on z Systems.