PiDP-8/I Software

Changes To A Field Guide to PDP-8 Assemblers
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## <a id="macro-8"></a>MACRO-8

| **Introduced** | October 1965
| **Manual** | [PDF, 1.7 MB](https://www.grc.com/pdp-8/docs/MACRO-8_Programming_Manual.pdf)
| **Delivery** | paper tape

MACRO-8 was another paper tape assembler for the PDP-8. Its main advantage over PAL-III is that it added [macros](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_instruction), a very useful feature in assembly language programming as it reduces a lot of the tedium of writing such programs.
MACRO-8 was another paper tape assembler for the PDP-8. Its eponymous advantage over PAL-III is that it added [macros](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macro_instruction), a very useful feature in assembly language programming as it reduces a lot of the tedium of writing such programs.

MACRO-8 is based on the PAL-III language, adding many new features:
MACRO-8 is based on the PAL-III language, but it added much more than just macros:

*   `DEFINE` macro definition system
*   automatic off-page link generation
*   literals in the current page via `(NN)` syntax or in page zero via `[NN]`; closing paren/bracket optional
*   more operators in expressions:
    *    `!` for Boolean OR (the ASR-33 terminal character set [did not include the &brvbar; character][cs33])
    *    `&` for Boolean AND