Re: [Nasm-users] [nasm-devel] new learner

[Frank K. <fbk...@ve...>]

tihaashik wrote:
> 
> 
> Hello,I am new in assembly language and it seems quite difficult for
> me.but as it is one of the subject I need to learn as a part of
> syylebus in undergraduation courses I am at wits end about what to do
> can anyone tell me step by step how to learn assembly language?

Isn't that why you're taking the courses? :)

Well... First, this mailing-list is for the use of Nasm developers 
discussing the development of Nasm. Second, it's obsolete - kept around 
only for "archival" purposes. Current Nasm development is at 
http://nasm.sf.net and the list(s) you'll find there. The "nasm-users" 
list there was specifically created to keep this kind of question off 
the "nasm-devel" list... it isn't very active. :(

So... "step by step"... sounds perfect for Jeff Duntemann's "Assembly 
Language Step By Step"! :)

http://www.duntemann.com/assembly.htm

Another good beginner's resource, this one for 32-bit asm:

http://www.drpaulcarter.com/pcasm/

Jonathan Bartlett's "Programming From The Ground Up" is another nice 
book that starts from the beginning, but uses (G)as syntax (AT&T) rather 
than Nasm.

http://www.cafepress.com/bartlettpublish.8640017

Or the "free, as in freeloader" version:

http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/pgubook/

The examples from that book have been translated to Nasm syntax, and are 
available here:

http://mysite.verizon.net/fbkotler/nasm-pgu-examples.tar.bz2

if you'd care to attempt to read the book about Gas and use Nasm...

These are all "step by step", "from the beginning" approaches. In the 
context of a cs curriculum, you presumably know some high level 
language(s) before encountering assembly language. There's an apporoach 
which proposes to "leverage" that knowledge and ease you into asm "from 
the top, down" - Randy Hyde's "Art of Assembly Language Programming":

http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/AoA/index.html

This uses HLA... which uses a very different syntax from Nasm. I 
personally much prefer the "bottom up" approach, but this *is* intended 
for your presumed situation... (and poke around that site! there are 
links to *all* kinds of asm resources!)

But wait... if you're in a cs course, "Assembly Language and Machine 
Architecture" or some such is in your future (sounds like you're not 
taking it now? or taking it but not getting it?) How are *they* doing 
it? If they're teaching MIX or some such, learning Nasm-for-x86 may not 
help you much. Well it will, probably, but not directly ("perspective" 
is nice... as long as it doesn't lead to "confusion"). If they're still 
teaching Tasm-for-dos... you could follow along using Nasm. If they're 
using HLA, you're stuck with it. Wash your hands after. :)

There are lists here at !Yahoo! for win32-nasm-users and 
linux-nasm-users and Jeff Owens' DesktopLinuxAsm - depending on what you 
want to do. I'll cc this to the nasm-users list at SourceForge (we need 
the business). There's the "Beginner's Questions" forum at SF, too. If 
you can cope with usenet, news:alt.lang.asm and news:comp.lang.asm.x86 
are good places to ask questions... if by any chance you have any... :)

I guess the first thing for you to do is determine what OS you'll be 
programming for, and get "hello world" to assemble and run. Then, or 
before, you'll probably have more specific questions. Talk to ya later.

Best,
Frank