COAL (LAB) JUNE 12, 2025
ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAM
REVERSE A STRING
Code:
.model small
.stack 100h
.data
msg db 'Enter a string: $'
reverseMsg db 13, 10, 'Reversed string: $' ; Message with new line
exitMsg db 13, 10, 'Press any key to exit...$'
input db 50 ; Max buffer size (50 characters)
db ? ; Actual characters entered
db 50 dup (?) ; Input data buffer
.code
main:
mov ax, @data
mov ds, ax
; Display input prompt
lea dx, msg
mov ah, 09h
int 21h
; Read string input from user
lea dx, input
mov ah, 0Ah ; DOS buffered input
int 21h
; Load length of input
mov cl, [input + 1] ; Number of characters entered
mov ch, 0 ; Clear upper byte of CX
; Display reverse message (will stay on the same line)
lea dx, reverseMsg
mov ah, 09h
int 21h
; Prepare to display in reverse
lea si, input + 2 ; SI points to start of input string
add si, cx ; Move SI to last character
dec si ; Adjust to last valid character
reverse_display:
mov dl, [si] ; Load character
mov ah, 02h ; DOS display character function
int 21h
dec si ; Move to previous character
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COAL (LAB) JUNE 12, 2025
loop reverse_display ; Continue until all characters displayed
; Display exit message
lea dx, exitMsg
mov ah, 09h
int 21h
; Wait for any key press
mov ah, 01h ; DOS input character function (waits for key)
int 21h
; Exit program
mov ah, 4Ch
int 21h
end main
Output:
Step-by-Step Explanation:
.model small
.stack 100h
.model small: Defines a small memory model (separate code and data segments, each less
than 64KB).
.stack 100h: Reserves a stack of size 256 bytes (100h = 256 in hexadecimal).
.data
msg db 'Enter a string: $'
reverseMsg db 13, 10, 'Reversed string: $'
exitMsg db 13, 10, 'Press any key to exit...$'
input db 50
db ?
db 50 dup (?)
msg: Prompt message displayed before user input. Ends with $ for DOS interrupt 21h
(function 09h).
reverseMsg: Displays "Reversed string:" with a new line (13, 10 = carriage return + line
feed).
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COAL (LAB) JUNE 12, 2025
exitMsg: Displays exit instruction, also starting on a new line.
input db 50: DOS buffered input. First byte = maximum input length.
db ?: Placeholder. DOS stores the number of characters actually typed here.
db 50 dup (?): Reserves 50 bytes for the actual string data entered by the user.
.code
main:
mov ax, @data
mov ds, ax
.code: Begins the code segment.
main:: Program entry point.
mov ax, @data: Loads the address of the data segment into AX.
mov ds, ax: Initializes the DS register to point to the data segment.
; Display input prompt
lea dx, msg
mov ah, 09h
int 21h
lea dx, msg: Load the effective address of msg into DX.
mov ah, 09h: DOS function to display a string.
int 21h: Interrupt to call DOS function (display string until $ is found).
; Read string input from user
lea dx, input
mov ah, 0Ah
int 21h
lea dx, input: Load the input buffer address into DX.
mov ah, 0Ah: DOS buffered input function. Reads string into the buffer.
int 21h: Calls the DOS input function.
; Load length of input
mov cl, [input + 1]
mov ch, 0
mov cl, [input + 1]: Gets the number of characters entered from the second byte of the
buffer.
mov ch, 0: Clears upper byte of CX. Now CX holds the correct length.
; Display reverse message
lea dx, reverseMsg
mov ah, 09h
int 21h
lea dx, reverseMsg: Load address of the reverse message.
mov ah, 09h: DOS function to display a string.
int 21h: Displays "Reversed string: " (with a new line).
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COAL (LAB) JUNE 12, 2025
; Prepare to display in reverse
lea si, input + 2
add si, cx
dec si
lea si, input + 2: Points SI to the first character entered (buffer offset + 2).
add si, cx: Moves SI forward by the length of the string → now SI points just after the last
character.
dec si: Moves SI back by one byte → now SI points exactly to the last character.
reverse_display:
mov dl, [si]
mov ah, 02h
int 21h
dec si
loop reverse_display
mov dl, [si]: Loads the character at the current position into DL.
mov ah, 02h: DOS function to display a single character (character in DL).
int 21h: Display the character.
dec si: Move SI backward → next character to display in reverse.
loop reverse_display: Decrement CX → if CX ≠ 0, repeat the loop.
; Display exit message
lea dx, exitMsg
mov ah, 09h
int 21h
lea dx, exitMsg: Load exit message address.
mov ah, 09h: DOS function to display a string.
int 21h: Show "Press any key to exit..."
; Wait for any key press
mov ah, 01h
int 21h
mov ah, 01h: DOS function to wait for a key press (character will be read but not used).
int 21h: Pauses program until the user presses any key.
; Exit program
mov ah, 4Ch
int 21h
mov ah, 4Ch: DOS function to terminate the program.
int 21h: Ends the program and returns control to the OS.
end main
end main: Marks the end of the program and sets the entry point to main.
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