Assembly language adding two numbers code error issue

Question

I am working on the assembly language that adds two user input numbers and then returns the sum. However, my code does not work properly. Can anyone check the issue?

.model small

.stack 100h

.data

message1 db 'Enter the first number: $'
message2 db 'Enter the second number: $'
    result_message db 'The sum is: $'
    newline db 13, 10, '$'
    buffer db 6, ?, 6 dup('$')
    num1 dw ?
    num2 dw ?
    sum dw ?

.code
main:
    mov ax, @data
    mov ds, ax

    ; Display message to enter the first number
    mov ah, 9
    lea dx, message1
    int 21h

    ; Read the first number
    mov ah, 0ah ; 
    lea dx, buffer
    int 21h
    mov si, offset buffer + 2
    mov cx, 0
    mov cl, buffer[1]
    call convert_to_number

    ; Store the first number
    mov num1, ax

    ; Display message to enter the second number
    mov ah, 9
    lea dx, message2
    int 21h

    ; Read the second number
    mov ah, 0ah ; 
    lea dx, buffer
    int 21h
    mov si, offset buffer + 2
    mov cx, 0
    mov cl, buffer[1]
    call convert_to_number

    ; Store the second number
    mov num2, ax

    ; Add the numbers
    mov ax, num1
    add ax, num2
    mov sum, ax

    ; Display the result
    mov ah, 9
    lea dx, result_message
    int 21h

    ; Convert sum to ASCII
    mov ax, sum
    call convert_to_ascii ; Fixed error: Corrected procedure call

    ; Display sum
    mov ah, 9
    lea dx, buffer + 5 ; Fixed error: Adjusted offset
    int 21h

    ; New line
    mov ah, 9
    lea dx, newline
    int 21h

    ; Exit program
    mov ax, 4c00h
    int 21h

convert_to_number:
    xor ax, ax
convert_loop:
    mov bl, byte ptr [si]
    cmp bl, 0
    je convert_done
    sub bl, '0'
    mov dx, ax
    mov ax, 10
    mul dx
    add ax, bx
    inc si
    jmp convert_loop
convert_done:
    ret

convert_to_ascii:
    mov bx, 10
    mov si, offset buffer + 5
    mov byte ptr [si], '$'
convert_loop2:
    xor dx, dx
    div bx
    add dl, '0'
    dec si
    mov [si], dl
    test ax, ax
    jnz convert_loop2
    ret
end main

I have tried some number changes, but didn't work

Answer 1

mov ax, sum
call convert_to_ascii ; Fixed error: Corrected procedure call
; Display sum
mov ah, 9
lea dx, buffer + 5 ; Fixed error: Adjusted offset
int 21h

Your convert_to_ascii code is correct, but it will never display anything because you have set the DX register to the end of the buffer (where the string terminator $ was placed). Upon returning from convert_to_ascii the SI register is pointing at the first digit of the converted number, so what you need to do is write mov dx, si.

---

convert_to_number:
   xor ax, ax
convert_loop:
   mov bl, byte ptr [si]
   cmp bl, 0
   je convert_done
   sub bl, '0'
   mov dx, ax
   mov ax, 10
   mul dx
   add ax, bx
   inc si
   jmp convert_loop
convert_done:
    ret

Your convert_to_number has multiple issues!

• When adding the current digit from BL to the current number, the addition that you use must make sure that the BH register is 0.
• The input that DOS gives you is not zero-terminated. The terminator that DOS uses is the carriage return, so instead of cmp bl, 0 you need to write cmp bl, 13.
• You could shorten the multiplication a bit. Instead of transferring AX to DX, followed by loading AX with 10, you can load DX with 10. From mov dx, ax mov ax, 10 mul dx to mov dx, 10 mul dx.

convert_to_number:
    xor ax, ax
    xor bx, bx               <- bullet 1
convert_loop:
    mov bl, byte ptr [si]
    cmp bl, 13               <- bullet 2
    je  convert_done
    sub bl, '0'
    mov dx, 10               <- bullet 3
    mul dx
    add ax, bx
    inc si
    jmp convert_loop
convert_done:
    ret

mov cx, 0
mov cl, buffer[1]
call convert_to_number

Since the algorithm does not use CX, better not waste code on retrieving CX from the DOS buffer ...