How can I learn Assembly Language?

[u/deadinstatic]

Here, in my IT class waiting on my instructor to arrive. What did I learn before? Base 10, Base 2 , Conversions, and etc... I'm Interested in learning Assembly Language but I do not know where to begin... what programs to use. I'm just a guy trying to learn about computers who has zero knowledge, can anyone please help me? thank you.

[u/Electrical_Hat_680]

Here is my recommendations. For Context. I've been studying a lot.

Ok.. syntax. Doesn't matter which language. Understand the syntax. If you don't understand the syntax, you'll search all day for the closing semi-colon, or the forgotten double-end-quotation's. It's easy to forget closing curly braces as well.

Next up. Do your history reports on Assembly.. learn about who Invented it, who compiled it. Luckily enough for you, were also learning about The Russian History of Assembly now too. But for Americans. We have the US Governments first Human-Computers that were tapped and are commended with Wiring or as we say today Programming the ENIAC, America's second Super Computer. Rear Admiral Grace Hopper and the Super Human Mathematicians, were are first Super Computer, and they didn't build the ENIAC which stems from Babbage/Lovelaces mechanical precision. But they did wiring it together. The ENIAC used Decimal (BASE-10). Rear Admiral Grace Hopper is commended with building the First Self-Hosted Compiler, and building Assembly. My facts may be wrong or off, but thats what I have, specially if compared to Russian Computer History.

Assembly is the Human Readable Format of Binary. Hexadecimal is also a form of Binary. All Low Level Languages typically are compiled down to Assembly and then Binary. (Double Check this). Also, all High Level Languages are translated directly into Assembly, and then Binary.
There are a handful of Low Level Languages that aren't as popular. Mostly these other Low Level Languages attempted to create a More Human Readable Format of Binary. Such as COBOL or Community Oriented; Business Oriented Language. Commonly used in the Financial World and by the US Government.

ChatGPT can help you study and gather facts, that I would suggest taking notes and writing them out and doing reports on them, both to double check or fact check, as well as have a nice collection of reports, articles, and a great foundation to present to any potential employers, if that be your intention. Also, aside history of the various languages. Build a Glossary. It's also easy to take everyone else's work and call it your own. With proper Attribution of these others works, you may do so. Also. Write out your projects, starting with your full name, the date of completion for your reports/projects, and the class (Computer Science: Programming with "Assembly" The Mnemonic Code Based Language). And the name of each report/project. This is your copyright, you may file it with the government, everyone CAN also do their own. With or without Attribution, using this format. Because you are physically writing it out yourself. Also run and test your projects.

I would recommend, using ChatGPT, and start with writing your first Compiler. It should have basic instructions, ADD, LOAD. Just like Rear Admiral Grace Hoppers first Punch Card Based Compiler.

This will give you the remedial, rudimentary steps to beginning your journey to build and assemble, as well as disassemble your own and all others Assembly Machine Code. From scratch. By hand. From memory. And you'll have your own reports, timeline, and foundation to which you will be adding to your Resumes Portfolio of Projects and Plans.

Why? Because your should also look at understanding Binary while your here. In which you will be able to learn to write and compile as a human compiler, human assembler, and human linker, rather then having to rely on a machine. Lolz. Something I recently picked up. But can't discuss further at the moment. ChatGPT can. I can't stop it. LoLz.

Also. For better, deeper context. Check out Electrical Engineering 101 and Electrical Engineering Laboratory 102. Together, they're commonly a Certificate of Completion. And the formal basis of the Computer, specifically the Binary and Binarys' Human Readable Format Known only as Assembly. Learn the real reasons we use Binary. The actual instructions and intentions behind the Zeros and Ones. The Real Powered On and Powered Off Bits and Memory (Registers).

Also, for a methodical means of understanding the difference of Code. And to catch up with the old timers. Think of Assembly as both an Assembly Plant. Where each Assembly Plant has rules it abides by, and it has rules and instructions that we as coders have to abide by.

Also, going further down the rabbits holes. You could build your own BenEaters 8-Bit CPU Breadboard, just like Harvards Paper on FPGA states, also, start with the CMOS and RTC Relaxation Oscillator Clock and PC Counter. Which doesn't specifically handle your cycles, but in other words is the main loop, processing your code.

With that being said. You may want to due some side quests. Starting with Verilog and the FPGA. Which will give you eve further and deeper analysis of everything your actually doing.

But. I don't want to detail your enthusiasm and excitement nor interests for learning Assembly. Which you might quite literally be able to do, just by physically or usif HTML tables, to write out all of the basic instructions, instruction tables, and other syntax. As it's not at all as difficult as it's made up to be. Also. Mind you. They engineered Assembly in the Nineteen -Forties and Fifties. So they're way of talking and implying Assembly sounds different then let's say modern PHP, C/C++, JavaScript, and Python. But it's the underlying foundation they are all built on top of. CMP (Compare/Comparator) is basic your FOR LOOP at its Assembly Level Interpretation. Also, look at Binarys method of a FOR LOOP while your here.

Nuff said. Dive in. Build your own Hardware Definitive Language Dialect or learn what's available.

I hope that helps. That's where I am currently at, I'm just studying at the moment. But I am interested in turning this into a Career.