Ian.M wrote:
... the intermediate planning step before you get down to line by line coding and commenting looks much like a program in a high level language.
+5
That's why asm is so difficult. If you are using proper programming technique you are first writing the pseudo code that is high level, and then having to render it down to the funky asm language. The pseudo code becomes the function header. Rendering to asm is an extra step, and one command of high level can mean writing 6 lines of assembly.
Well written, modular assembly can be "portable" to other architectures and languages because the high level code is in the headers, and details are in the line comments.
But otherwise, when a job requires menu structures then right away I start looking for a compiler. Since they are being given away for free, there is no justification for mucking around in asm now-a-days, unless it is a critical code section.
And I just noticed that ME Labs is giving away their student edition of PICBASIC Pro compiler (it used to be $50). I don't suggest basic for professional development because it is so divergent and unique from implimentation to implimentation, but there is a race for the bottom in price among compiler companies and high level compilers are approaching the pocket change to free zone. We often used to use asm because comilers were expensive and really sucked with bugs in the old days, but those days are over.
The only reason I can see to pursue this project in pure asm would be for the learning experience, but I see frustration ahead because I think the OP is not properly prepared with understanding structured programming.