64-Bit Assembly?

[Cpudood]

I started programming in C about 3 years ago. Close to a year later I had dropped out of college and soon became bored with the language. Knowing that computers run the world, I didn't stop my quest for knowledge and soon stumbled upon Assembly. Wow! This language got me in gear seeing that, not only did you have to know syntax, you had to understand the hardware upon which the software you created. It was instant love, a true techy's dream language. I found two great textbooks(listed at end of article) and was on my way. Although I was totally psyched about my new venture, I began to acutally use my brain and pondered upon three numbers. 16,32, and 64. With the advent of the 64-bit chip and software development headed towards 64-bit architecture, I asked myself would assembly language fall by the waistside, while High Level Language counterparts dominated the programming world? Would it be worth the commitment to continue studying assembly up to and possibly beyond win32 programming? Better yet, would assembly adapt just as other languages would have to? Texts -The 80x86 IBM PC and Compatible Computers Vol I & II Assembly Language, Design, and Interfacing(Mazidi) -80x86 Assembly Language and Computer Architecture(Detmer) One cocerned programmer!

[Roger Wright]

There is no reason to expect Assembly language to die off because of the advent of 64-bit architectures. It is, and will always remain, the most efficient way to control computing hardware. HLLs are great for programming applications, but they're extremely inefficient for low-level programming. If you enjoy programming "down to the metal" stick with assembly; somebody has to program the compilers for HLLs, and it might as well be you.:) "My kid was Inmate of the Month at Adobe Mountain Juvenile Corrections Center" - Bumper Sticker in Bullhead City