ASM for what??

Hello Folks!
I am a programmer for Java and C++... These days I thought that it's time now to read a little about Assembler and already bought a book. Now I see it's just about 386er CPUs and its really LONG and COMPLICATED sourcecode for a little "Hello World"...
Could someone of you please tell me, why nowadays someone would choose to learn Assembler? I mean, I know there is a lot beyond and beneath the Windows-surface... and, how do I write an ASM programme for the MAC, its a lot different? If yes.. because of the RISC-chip I guess. And what about Gameboy and all the Nintendo-stuff? Don't tell me that they make their games with Assembler!

So, it would be really nice, if someone would tell me a little!
Thanks, Fabian

Comments

  • Assembly is a very important language to learn because of it's itimate relationship with the computer hardware. It can be hard to learn and it is true that you have to know how each system you program works. Small rpice to pay for toltal control of the computer, fast code, and small filesizes compared to most other languages. Game Boy can be programmed in assembly but also in C if you get a compiler like No Ca$h. It is also a good tool to use when righting an OS or need to optimize routines in C/C++/etc.. by using inline ASM.

    That is why.... someone else may have more to say...




    [blue][size=3]Question [b][italic]everything![/italic][/b][/size][/blue]

    Espydude

  • Assembly is a very important language to learn because of it's itimate relationship with the computer hardware. It can be hard to learn and it is true that you have to know how each system you program works. Small rpice to pay for toltal control of the computer, fast code, and small filesizes compared to most other languages. Game Boy can be programmed in assembly but also in C if you get a compiler like No Ca$h. It is also a good tool to use when righting an OS or need to optimize routines in C/C++/etc.. by using inline ASM.

    That is why.... someone else may have more to say...




    [blue][size=3]Question [b][italic]everything![/italic][/b][/size][/blue]

    Espydude

  • Assembly is good to learn but there is no reason to WASTE your time learning it in depth. As it was previously metioned it is specific to the architecture of the processor. Being RISC and CISC has some factor on the differences, but the differences vary down to the wires / data paths on the chip. Programming PowerPC, AMD, INTEL, PS2, Gameboy etc are all different. And the comment about "fast code" and being a "small price to pay" is not true. It take a very, very good assembly programmer to make efficient code for one very specific processor. Sometimes or rather usually the code you would have to write in assemble to take advantage of a processor would be humanly unreadable. Hence, compile optimization (-O option).

    It doese make a well rounded programmer to know assemlby code of any kind but it is a niche that you wouldn't want to specialize in.



    : Assembly is a very important language to learn because of it's itimate relationship with the computer hardware. It can be hard to learn and it is true that you have to know how each system you program works. Small rpice to pay for toltal control of the computer, fast code, and small filesizes compared to most other languages. Game Boy can be programmed in assembly but also in C if you get a compiler like No Ca$h. It is also a good tool to use when righting an OS or need to optimize routines in C/C++/etc.. by using inline ASM.
    :
    : That is why.... someone else may have more to say...
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    :
    :
    :
    : [blue][size=3]Question [b][italic]everything![/italic][/b][/size][/blue]
    :
    : Espydude
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    :

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