>;somewhere in the data memory
>location:       DB      'storage','$'
>
>BTW is there a public domain assembler that works in the above fashion,
>uses object files and has a linker and librarian

Parallax assembler uses DS to reserve space.  For the above example, one
would use

location:       RETW      'storage','$'

You must remember that you cannot initialize RAM in this manner, only ROM
areas.

If you want to see the message, do the following in Parallax assembler
(http://www.parallaxinc.com):


                org     (somewhere in RAM)

MsgPntr ds      1



                org     (somewhere such that all characters are below address 25
6 in current
bank)

Msg             jmp     PC+W
                RETW      'storage','$'


Then later in your code



MsgOut
                clrf    temp1
:Loop           movf    temp1,W
                call    Msg
                xorlw   '$'             ; TEst for end
                btfss   Z
                goto    :Done           ; Found, then exit
                xorlw   '$'             ; Fix bits back again
                call    Display
                incf    temp1,F
        goto    :Loop
:Done
        continue with rest of program

FWIW, I use 0x00 as end-of-string.  Not only is it understood by more
stuff, but then you can actually send "$" character easily.

Andy

==================================================================
Andy Kunz - Montana Design - 409 S 6th St - Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
          Hardware & Software for Industry & R/C Hobbies
        "Go fast, turn right, and keep the wet side down!"
==================================================================