Xref: utzoo comp.lang.c++:2162 comp.lang.c:14450 comp.lang.forth:701 comp.lang.fortran:1569 comp.lang.misc:2245 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ukma!gatech!hubcap!ncrcae!ncrlnk!ncrcce!anderson From: anderson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Joel Peter Anderson) Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.forth,comp.lang.fortran,comp.lang.misc Subject: Re: Assembly or ....ok Summary: How about... CoreWar? Keywords: Corewar, Assembler, HLL, Forth Message-ID: <912@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM> Date: 1 Dec 88 15:00:31 GMT References: <1388@aucs.UUCP> <729@convex.UUCP> <1961@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk> <1432@zen.co.uk> <11915@cup.portal.com> Reply-To: anderson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) Organization: NCR Comten, Inc. Lines: 31 As a user of both high level languages, applications, and assembler I have to say that in my work (telecommunications software) even though I use C for a lot of my work I have to know assembler to 1)figure out why the program is not behaving as I expected and 2) the best way C generates the best code. I learned assembler in college on a Macro11 simulator (no one wanted to trust us on the mainframe with real machine language, I guess) and found that somewhat useful. If I never had to write real assembler it would have been enough. (we wrote an assembler in Macro11 and used it to assemble itself). Actually my own experience with an assembler on my own computer (a VIC20 at the time) was far more practical and meaningful when I had to teach myself BAL. Now to the point: most people don't really need to know the guts of assembler. They can program Forth, Lisp, BASIC or C and never look inside the box. On the other hand - in order to psychoanalyze the machines (mis)behaviour the mental model that assembler experience provides (even in simulation) will go a long way toward lighting the path. So... How about CoreWar? A nice, fun non-threatening assembler. An interesting HLL programming project (I want to write one... maybe in FORTH...) it teaches the basics of machine language, multi-tasking, the internals of an assembler -PLUS - it has a popular appeal "learn to write your very own virus!". :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "We know only the strong will survive, But the meek will inherit. So if you've got a coat of arms, oh friend, I suggest we wear it." John Mellencamp. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- anderson@c10sd3.StPaul.NCR.COM |UUCP: {rosevax, crash}!orbit!pnet51!jpa Joel Peter Anderson |ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!jpa@nosc.mil NCR Comten / Software engineer |INET: jpa@pnet51.cts.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------