mplab error: Executable code and data must be defined in an appropriate section

Question

I'm beginner to Mplab and microController programing.i'm following a pic book .basically my program is a led turn on and off program .I'm using mplabx-v2.10 .this is not my complete code.however the error comes from line

BSF STATUS, 5

my code

STATUS EQU 03H
TRISA EQU 85H
PORTA EQU 05H

    BSF STATUS, 5

    END

the error is

Error[152]   C:\USERS\MADHAWAX\MPLABXPROJECTS\P-STAR1.X\NEWASMTEMPLATE1.ASM 6 : Executable code and data must be defined in an appropriate section

a snapshot of error

Answer 1

You need to separate the data and code with appropriate keywords. So, for example, you start off with some declaration of the PIC type and any included files:

; beginning of source
list    p=16F684
#include <p16F684.inc>

Next, you can declare variables in a data section (this is just a generic example):

    ; declaring variables
GENVAR  UDATA           ; general variables
myvar1  res 1       ; one byte
myvar2  res 2       ; two bytes

Normally, you then start the code section, using the keyword CODE, and add a goto from the reset vector (where the processor starts executing):

    ; start of code (reset vector)
RESET   CODE    0x0000      ; processor reset vector
    goto    start

Then, you declare any further CODE sections, for example:

    ; main program
MAIN    CODE

start
    ; e.g. configure ports
    banksel TRISA       ; configure PORTA as all o/p
    clrf    TRISA

    ; main loop
main_loop
    ; do stuff
    ;    "

    ; repeat forever
    goto    main_loop

    ; mandatory terminator
    END

I think your problem is that you have started writing code without declaring a CODE section.

EDIT Just fixing your code by adding the CODE keyword and the initial jump from the reset vector compiles fine:

You also need to make sure you respect the necessary indents/initial spaces in code lines so that they are not mistaken for labels. Your first block of code (under MAIN) was not indented, so also caused errors.