Why learn assembly, where to get good tutorials?

[ShIzO]

Why would VB programmer want to learn Assembly Lang.?
Are there any special reasons, if so where can i find good tutorials.


Thanks.

[kb244]

well for one, you can do anything in ASM, ASM is about the lowest level programming you can get into, many C++ programmers learn some ASM to include in their code, benefits of ASM is its extremely small size(when compiled) and extremely fast speed, many virus writers will use ASM (even tho it's not intended) ASM is about as close as you'll get to writing actual machine code, with ASM you program the calls direct to the registers of the CPU, so you have nearly absolute control as long as you know what you are doing. I dont know ASM , but I know it's benefits.

[cognito]

Here's a tutorial I found the other day:


http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/Page_asm/ArtofAssembly/ArtofAsm.html

[Paul282]

MASM32

lots of code for windows apps in asm

http://www.pbq.com.au/home/hutch/masm.htm

Try http://burks.bton.ac.uk/burks/language/asm/artofasm/artof001.htm

[stupete]

Assembly allows you to write compact code and to the point. I needed to send some code to a printer one time, I wrote it in Machine code. The file was only 10 bytes!!! If I would have written in any other language, It would have been at least 1k because of all the overhead high level languages have to put in.
Back when PC's were slow, it was the best way to speed things up, especially graphic work. It still has many uses today.
Also, you need to know what you are doing, it's easy to crash your PC if you forget a register pointer or something.

If you write gaming code, you WILL, or you should in some instances have Assembly routines.

Have Fun.

[parksie]

I think a lot of programmers just use asm for speed rather than size for most programs, unless size is of the essence.

[Das Mad]

Some Easy Asm vs. C examples

Set a value to a variable named A
A=0; .C
mov A,0 .Asm

Increase A
A++; .C
inc A .Asm

Add A with B
A=A+B .C
add A,B .Asm

Multiply
A=B*6; .C
mov eax,B .Asm
imul eax,6 .Asm
mov A,eax .Asm

Eax is a kind of predefined variable in the CPU

If U use VB and Need some more speed, make a Win32 Dll file in Assembler and load it from VB.

Try Pass32
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/3437/

[Paul282]

Originally posted by parksie
I think a lot of programmers just use asm for speed rather than size for most programs, unless size is of the essence.

ASM's best use in my opinion is in languages that can use it inline, so you can have a function or sub with a really entensive loop coded as ASM into the normal source of your program. Coding an entire app in ASM seems a bit excessive, after all you're still making calls to the API written in C so your better just optimising areas of the app that require it.

That's one of the reasons I like powerbasic

[parksie]

And for things that you can't do in C/C++. (see my thread in the C++ forum about inline asm).

[Das Mad]

A inline Assembler means much, but the way I see it
assembler is easier to use because it's logical and clean
In a non Assembler Language the programmer of the Language
have made some changes to make it easier to Use(when you know it), but also less logical

The point is that Assembler does not have to be harder to work with then
a non Assembler Language
With a good Macro Assembler and a good editor
The Assembler code will look like basic

A simple Pset Macro Example
;not working just to show the principle and power of macro

.Code

Proc MainAsm
pset(100,100,Black)
Endp MainAsm

.Macro Pset(X,Y,Color)
;Code to set a pixel
Endm Pset

U save all the macros into a include file and then they will appear like basic commands
A macro assembler is Like a Assembler with a inline Basic

I just wanna say once you write a full app in ASM, the sheer size of it makes you feel good. Then the added speed puts you on could 9.

[parksie]

...and the weather's really fine, up on Cloud Number Nine.

[Cybrg641]

I read in a book one time that you should only learn assembler if you have mastered at least one language(perferably C/C++). What do you think? I have just begun to learn Assembly and it doesn't seem that hard, so far, and I have only been doing C++ for about a month and a half and VB for 1 year now.

ASM isnt that hard, especially for windows. If you know the api, its pretty easy.

[Paul282]

That's why a language which supports inline ASM is good, it sort of eases you into it and you can use it where you want.

heheh - I have been learning Assembly lanuage at college today. Wrote some C scripts in linux :)

[/\/\isanThr0p]

Hey Das Mad!
How can I implement those macros to my VB code?

[Das Mad]

Well, you can not use Asm macros direct in VB, what I meant was that
when programming in Asm you can use macros that will make the asm look like Basic.

However by making a Win32 DLL in assembler
and calling it from VB you can get the same effect(almost).

There are languages that got a asm built-in(a inline assembler C,C++,Pascal,Delphi,PowerBasic)
That means that you don't have to make a DLL to get asm speed

There are some things that you need to know about Win32 DLL's
Not anything hard if you are familiar with asm

[/\/\isanThr0p]

Hm actually I'm not very familiar to ASM, but I really think I should get more familiar to it, cause it is very easy to learn the basics of it. Hm So i'll first learn some easy stuff, than I'll try to write my first Dll. Would be so cool adding some fast graphic stuff to my boring games lol! In one of the posts here there was a real good link to an online learning book. Anybody here who knows a good program to download the whole page with links. (not the IE thing, I want more options!)

[Paul282]

Teleport Pro

[/\/\isanThr0p]

thanks! is it freeware? were can I get it? Has it a hp?

[Paul282]

not sure,

I downloaded it about 3 years ago and still use it. captures java too.

I registered it online