From: address@nospicedham.not.available   
      
   Paul,   
      
   > Yes, I am after an assembly error.   
   >   
   > But neither @err nor not seem to work on masm or wasm.   
   >   
   > @err gives an error and "not" seems to be used as a variable   
   > which is false.   
      
   My suggestions where based on Borlands Tasm32 (yeah I know, ancient).  But   
   now you've specified which assembler you're using you stand a chance that   
   someone here uses the same and knows the answer to all three of the above.   
      
   Though you could try using "ifn" instead of "if not".   Bottom line, take a   
   peek at your assemblers documentation.   
      
   > On the subject of small and medium memory model -   
   > how is it possible for them to work?   
   ...   
   > Those are different address spaces.   
      
   I had the same thoughts/problem.  Its almost impossible to use stack-based   
   structures/strings when DS and SS are not the same.   As such they are most   
   always (made) the same.   
      
   If you want to store data in / retrieve from the code segment of your   
   program (you should not, but its your choice) than you have no other option   
   than to make sure that all three segment registers are the same (locking you   
   into the smaller memory models).   
      
   That, or special functions that override the pointers default segment with   
   one of your own choice (for example,  mov al,[cs:si] ).   
      
   Regards,   
   Rudy Wieser   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)