Green University of Bangladesh
Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)
Semester: (Fall, Year: 2024), B.Sc. in CSE (Day)
Assembly-Based Text Editor
Course Title: Microprocessor & Microcontroller Lab
Course Code: CSE-304
Section: 222-D1
Students Details
Name ID
Md. Mustakim Hossain 221902279
Md. Tasnimur Rahman Shakir 221902285
Nur Hossain 221902288
Submission Date: November 20, 2024
Course Teacher’s Name: Rabea Khatun
[For teachers use only: Don’t write anything inside this box]
Lab Project Report Status
Marks: Signature:
Comments: Date:
Contents
1 Introduction 2
1.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Problem Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3.1 Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3.2 Complex Engineering Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.4 Design Goals/Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.5 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
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Chapter 1
Introduction
One specialized software program created with assembly is called the Assembly Text
Editor. language to offer text manipulation features. Users can input, modify, and ef-
fectively store text in a character-based user interface. In a regulated setting, this editor
incorporates basic functions including file saving, line management, and cursor move-
ment. Assembly language guarantees low-level communication with devices, providing
peak performance and economical use of resources.
1.1 Overview
One specialized software program created with assembly is called the Assembly Text
Editor—a language to offers text manipulation features. Users can input, modify, and
effectively store text in a character-based user interface. In a regulated setting, this
editor incorporates basic functions including file saving, line management, and cursor
movement. Assembly language use guarantees low-level interaction with hardware,
delivering optimal performance and resource efficiency.
1.2 Motivation
The goal of this project is to create a useful assembly language application that enhances
comprehension of low-level programming topics. With an emphasis on efficiency and
direct hardware interfaces, we hope to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding
of computer architecture and actual coding skills by putting our text editor into use.
1.3 Problem Definition
1.3.1 Problem Statement
High-level languages are used in the creation of modern text editors to abstract direct
hardware control. The difficulty of creating a text editor in assembly code, which en-
ables accurate hardware control and effective resource use, is addressed in this project.
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The objective is to develop a simple editor that carries out necessary text operations
while guaranteeing simplicity and speed optimization.
1.3.2 Complex Engineering Problem
Real-time mouse tracking, controlling text storage in a fixed-size memory area, and
including necessary user interactions via keyboard inputs are all part of the project.
The intricacy is in coordinating with the display hardware for text rendering and cursor
placement, making sure user input is handled smoothly, and optimizing memory alloca-
tion. The project also manages file I/O operations for text saving to a file, guaranteeing
error control and data preservation. For easy text editing and navigation, it integrates
keyboard event listeners for specific keys like Enter, backspace, and arrows. Low-level
assembly language interrupts (int 10h and int 21h) are used to enable effective hardware
interface for file management and display updates. Future scalability made possible by
the modular design opens the door to possible improvements like sophisticated format-
ting.
1.4 Design Goals/Objectives
• Performance Optimization: Optimize memory and processor usage by mak-
ing sure the editor processes text input and rendering quickly. Direct hardware
interfaces and effective memory management are used to accomplish this.
• Functionality: Offers standard text manipulation functions that are implemented
in the code, such as text editing, file saving, and cursor movement.
• Compatibility: Use assembly instructions specific to the x86 platform to design
the editor to work with common x86 architectures.
• User Interface Simplicity: As seen in the design of the text editor, create an
easy-to-use character-based interface for simple user interactions.
• Error Handling: As demonstrated by the use of error messages during file save
operations, include systems to handle file I/O problems and prevent invalid oper-
ations.
• Scalability: The code’s modular design enables future improvements like the
addition of sophisticated text editing or search capabilities.
• Keyboard Interaction: Offer smooth support for text input and navigation using
a keyboard, including managing special keys like Enter, Backspace, and arrow
keys.
• Low-Level Hardware Control: Use BIOS interrupts such as int 10h to control
display rendering and cursor placement to exhibit direct hardware control.
• Memory Efficiency: To store and handle text effectively, use a predetermined
memory matrix to maximize memory utilization.
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• File Management: Ensure data permanence by enabling effective text file saving
through assembly language file I/O operations.
• Real-Time Feedback: To guarantee a responsive user experience, provide instan-
taneous updates for user actions, such as text rendering and cursor movement.
• Customizability: Make it possible to alter elements such as text color and layout,
laying the groundwork for future user-specific improvements.
1.5 Application
The Assembly Text Editor project is used in several contexts and fields, such as:
• Educational Resources: Assists students in comprehending low-level system
interactions and programming in assembly language.
• System Diagnostics: For system administrators working in low-tech settings,
this can be used as a lightweight text editor.
• Embedded Systems: Offers a framework for creating text-based applications
with hardware limitations.
• Research and Development: Serves as a foundation for investigating improve-
ments in hardware and memory interaction methods.
• Minimalist Software Environments: Suitable for situations requiring a straight-
forward, effective, and low-resource text editing solution, like diagnostic tools or
boot environments.
All things considered, the Assembly Text Editor project shows how assembly lan-
guage programming may be used practically to create effective, low-level software so-
lutions. It demonstrates the ability to work directly with hardware, efficiently manage
memory, and carry out necessary text editing tasks. This project is useful in several
fields, such as education, where it helps teach assembly language; system diagnostics,
where it offers a lightweight text editing solution for contexts with limited resources;
and embedded systems, where it provides a basis for text-based applications on limited
hardware. It also acts as a research and development platform, encouraging advance-
ments in hardware interaction and low-level programming methods. This editor empha-
sizes how crucial modularity, efficiency, and simplicity are to software development.
