100% New!

[josh_schlesner]

Hi, I'm new! New to all of this 100%. I have always wanted to learn a porgraming language but was always to lazy to try. A few days ago I found a tutorial on A86, I completed it, and I learned a little about ASM. I read around a bit and found that A86 is kinda out dated so I turned to here to try and learn MASM.

I downloaded MASM32 v8.2 I think and installed it. I opened the folder and didn't even know where to start. There were so many files in it unlike A86. I searched the folder a little and found some example codes I believe. It all looks so much different then A86 and alot harder. And another problem is I don't even know how to assemble these examples. Is it like in A86 where I just use Command Prompt or MS-DOS and go to the dir A86 is in then just type in like "A86 program.asm" and it assembles my program? How does this work!? If anyone can please help me or give me some kinda tutorial on how MASM32 works... I have read a few and they only seemed to confuse me more.

Sorry for my stupidity but I wish to learn.
Thanks, Josh.

[pmpnfrsh]

Hey sup sup

Personally speaking i think Assembly is a bad choice for your first language. It requires the programmer to closely work at the *machine level*, which can be very confusing. There is enuf new things to deal with when learning you very first language. If you start off with Assembly, it is a very big learning curve - esp if you are planning to teach youself.

Several years ago i was at the exact same place you are now - learning my first language... I taught myself VB. Now i know what you have probably heard about VB. To quote from phrack.org "Visual this, Visual that, Visual Bloat for dummies".

I deffinately agree that it is a language with little use... however it helped me learn about the basics of programming, and it was *very* easy to learn.

Once i realized the limitations of VB, i was easily able to move to C++, and from there it was very easy for me to pick up Assembly. Currently I am very comfortable with writing Asm code (even tho im new to the masm compiler), and I am learning another language called Scheme.


Anywayz what im trying to say is, learn some easy language to start off with. It certainly worked for me. You dont have to start off with VB. Even starting of with C/C++ would be ok. But Assembly is a bad choice. I would not recomend trying to learn assembly until you have mastered at least one other language.

Hope this stuff helps.... Good luck man

[MichaelW]

Josh,

You might want to start by taking a look at Readme.htm in the MASM32 folder.

[Bieb]

It might be a little too advanced for someone who knows nothing about ASM, but take a look at Iczelion's Tutorials.  The first one starts out with a brief summary of the basics of MASM.

[Titan]

Yeah, the help files are great in MASM.  You can start with the ASM Intro one, and then perhaps start reading some of the other ones.  There are also great examples all throughout!  Once you got a hang of the basics instructions, Iczelion's tutorials are the way to go for Win32 programming! :thumbu

[GregL]

I disagree that Assembly Language is not the place to start learning programming.  It may have a steeper learning curve than a high-level language but once a person learns it he will know the fundamentals of the computer hardware. If he decides to learn a high-level language later he will have a very good understanding of what is going on 'under the hood' and will be able to pick it up much quicker and will be a better programmer. I say go for it.  :thumbu

Use the macros available in MASM32 to get started. Read the entire MASM32 Help.

The Iczelion tutorials are good (and free). 

A couple of book suggestions:

• Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers - Fouth Edition - Kip Irvine
• Programming Windows - Fifth Edition - Charles Petzold (Based on C but it's the best on Win32 API)

[josh_schlesner]

Thanks for the replies! I will take all this to heart and really think about what I should do. I want to continue ASM but if it continues to be this confusing I may look into learning another language for now. I will do what you all said and see how it turns out, thanks again.

[fallenhobbit]

I have read just about every tut out there (worth mentioning) and bought a few books. The best that I know of and my bible on assembly is Kip Irvines "Assembly Language For Intel Based Computers"...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0136603904/103-8340687-9635854