ASM or PBP First?

[mackrackit]

I gave up using ASM a few years ago when I went with PBP. PBP has been able to do, or I should say I have been able to everything I need to do with PBP.

Now I have some young folks that are wanting to get into this stuff and I wonder what others think.

Should you learn ASM first or even learn it at all?

I figure you should learn ASM at some point. I look at the things Bruce and Darrel do and there is no way I could do it because I do not know enough about ASM.


Start with PBP because it is easy and the person learning will not quit because of the learning curve?

Looking for opinions.

Thanks!

[timmers]

...Start with PBP because it is easy and the person learning will not quit because of the learning curve?

You said it all there.
I started with ASM and ended writing loads of gosubs/macros to try and make it work like Basic!

[Jerson]

Start with PBP because that is the easy path to succeed. But, once you've driven PBP, you will get curious to know how to tweak it. In PC terminology, I would liken it to overclocking your processor. There is nothing to beat a well written ASM code. PBP is close, but, if you look at the listing, you will see places where you can definitely do it better if you know ASM coding.

So, in short, you learn to drive a basic(PBP) car and then set eyes on a Ferrari (ASM).

As for me, I started with ASM and migrated onto PBP. It was tough, but, it is worth knowing ASM because of the things you can do with a mix of PBP and ASM.

[Acetronics2]

Hi, Dave

+1 for Jerson Analysis ...

a Working "blinking LED" is the best encouragement to go further ...

Note Darrel's goodies are somewhat aside : one might consider it as PBP Enhancements, so, it deals with ASM + PBP Internal " procedures " ( note the quotes ... !!! ).

Something interesting is to work with MPLAB : you can compare BASIC and ASM listings side to side ( good thing to learn how to do it with ASM ...)

Hope Melabs will QUICKLY repair the awful labels "numbering" they offered with the 2.60 Version ... Helped a lot for that kind of comparison !!!

or I should say I have been able to everything I need to do with PBP.

and always remember : the best tool is the one you know the best ....

a Ferrari goes slowlier than a walking man ... if there is traffic jam ahead !!! ( I verified it once with a ... F40 on my left side !!! ( not mine, the F40 ... be serious !!! ...)

a well organized PBP program is often better than a 4 Ghz Pentium ... and its programs Pyramid !!! ( did I mention Vista ??? ... no,no, I do not remember ...)

Alain

[mackrackit]

Thank you for the replies!!!!

Interresting... I figured folks would say ASM first.

Looks like PBP it is to start. Being that some of the young ones have the attention span of an ice cube. Meaning that the time it takes for an ice cube to melt is as long as the "class" is productive. I live in a desert so some times that does not take long. Then when the ice cube gets bigger we can mix some ASM in here and there.

Thanks again.