Programming

[MAD_DOG]

Let me ask you guys something what is the toughest type of Programming Language on techtalk?

[samaru]

The toughest one listed in this forum? Or overall toughest. I think the toughest language to pick up listed in this forum is probably Perl, compared to C++/C and Java. Java has a steeper learning curve in which it forces you to really understand OOP in the beginning, which C++ does not. As you programs get more complicated, because C++ gives you more control over low level operations than Java does, C++ programs can get messier than Java.

The only thing I don't like about Perl is its syntax, especially when you do shortcuts. That's probably because I come from a C++/Java/Windows world, and not used to all the little cryptic syntax from Perl/Unix/Linux.

Overall though, I think the hardest language to program in is Assembly Language. That is a language that you have to use a reference book to program with. You can't program without it.

[MAD_DOG]

Is that Machine Langage like Device Drivers and stuff?

[samaru]

Well, device drivers can be programmed in C++ now. But under the hood, at one time, it had to be created in assembly language. Assembly language is the closest to actual machine language (0's and 1's), so usually the programs that were written in it run fast because there's not much overhead as C++ or even worse, something like QBASIC. Programs are usuall small too. I wrote a small executable (.COM) program that rebooted the computer... 2 byte program. Yes, 2 bytes, not kilobytes, but bytes. That's the smallest you can get.

Here's a typical Assembly program written for the Turbo Assembler compiler. It prints out "Yo, I be da master of ebonics!"

; A program that displays line of text. 
.MODEL SMALL 
.STACK 100h 

.DATA 
DISPLAY DB 13,10,'Yo, I be da master of ebonics!$'

.CODE 
START: 

            MOV AX,@DATA 
            MOV DS,AX 
            MOV AH,9 
            MOV DX,OFFSET DISPLAY 
            INT 21h 

            MOV AH,0 
            INT 16h MOV 

            AH,4Ch 
            INT 21h 

END START

Assembly Language was popular in the Demo Scene - a community of programmers/hackers that made graphical special effects through assembly. It usually promoted their coding team or some other event. This was more popular in the late 80's and early nineties. Now I don't think it's as popular... around here anyways.

If you would like to see some examples of what these "Demos" are like, check out the link from my site:

http://www.xeonstudio.com/prog/prog.htm#demos

I've had some trouble running these on my W2K machine, but most of them work. My favorite ones are Astral Blur, Tribes, and Machines of Madness.

[aeinstein]

why am i going 2 ask this question? i know the answer! so why am i still compelled to ask? curiousity? yes! fascination? yes! real of possiblities?.... i know assembler is a pc based language, although i dont know if its strickly CISC/486x based, or possibly RISC compatible as well - my question (drumroll plz) is cant i run it/demos on my Mac? no, of course not! had 2 ask, just incase the obvious isnt quite so in this particular instance... :-\

[samaru]

Nope... sorry. Assembly language is very machine specific. Mac CPUs have a different architecture than PC CPUs.

[aeinstein]

yeah, i new about the diffs btwn the Intel Complex sets and the Motorolla Reduced sets but wasnt quite sure there was a Magic Compiller out there that would, well, work magic! ;)

[samaru]

That would be a cool... a magical compiler. You open up your source code and it will compile for whatever computer in the world you wanted.

[azwiz]

You don't see many anymore, but it's call a cross-compiler. Takes assembly code for one machine type and compiles it for a different one.

[John A]

Congratulations on bumping a six year old thread.

[azwiz]

you're welcome. Glad to be of service :icon_smile: