Assembly vs. C++

[grim918]

I'm a beginner programmer, I mostly work with PHP, but now i want to learn something else. I want to learn Assembly but everyone that I know tells me that it will be a waste of time and that I should just learn C++. I would like to know what are some of the advantages of programming in assembly, if there is any, over programming in C++. My goal is to eventually learn how to program some useful applications like programming a cd burner. I know that I am far,far away from programming a project like that but my goal right now is to start learning a language that has the capability of doing something like that.

[ignorance]

i don't know what you can do with c++, but i can tell you if your going to learn assembly than i sugest you start learning how ram and such works. assembly mainly uses your registery's.

but here is a nice link towards assembly programming.
http://la.kmv.ru/

[simon_is_learning]

Well the advantages of C++ vs Assembly is for me the ease of starting.

I have no experience with C++, but where I am a trainee we program PIC's with assebmly. And the master in programing has his background in C++.

So I think it's much more easy to start with C++ becouse all you need is a computer and a keyboard (and some brain). For assembly you have to get the code out of the box. You'll need a PIC (programmable integrated circuit) and electronical skills.

If you want to learn that, maybe you'll better search up someone that already has it, maybe a company nearby.

[Iandefor]

Assembly is pretty dated and not all that applicable. I would suggest C++.

[endersshadow]

Try Lisp!! Just kidding, of course.

You should figure out what you want to do...I would suggest C, or Python...but if it's between Assembly and C++, go C++

[lcg]

Originally Posted by endersshadow Try Lisp!! Just kidding, of course.

Actually, LISP (or Scheme) were and still are part of computer science at some universities. And the concepts and possibilities of functional programming are pretty cool, IMO. You probably don't use LISP or Scheme in the software engineering world, but the principles can be pretty useful (just like nobody speaks Latin nowadays, but the techniques you learn with it can be useful in a variety of fields).

Though both LISP and Scheme seem pretty strange at first, I can only recommend a class about functional programming (not for a beginner programmer, however).

Lars

[simon_is_learning]

Originally Posted by Iandefor Assembly is pretty dated and not all that applicable. I would suggest C++.

well.. depends on what you want.
If you want to control the lights from your computer.
Then assembly can come handy in place.

i still recommend at first C++, then when you get the "thinking", start with assembly. But if you have some cash, then you can get proton IDE
http://www.picbasic.org/proton_ide.php
it's for windows and it's the only one I know.

then you write in "basic" and it "translates" it to assembly/hex

so some "Basic" knowledge could be good to.

[Spark*]

Actually, PHP would probably be better suited to program a CD burner than assembly... I would suggest you to learn Python or C# if you are mainly interested in GUI programming and then get a grip of the most common GUI libraries. C and C++ are good choices for low level libraries or speed critical components. C probably more so than C++ because of the ease of creating language bindings for it.

[LordHunter317]

Originally Posted by grim918 I'm a beginner programmer, I mostly work with PHP, but now i want to learn something else. I want to learn Assembly but everyone that I know tells me that it will be a waste of time

I wouldn't bother learning assembly unless you intend to do hardware work or have a need for it. Then it's very useful, but it's a "niche" skill in the sense the carryover is almost zero.

When you need to know it, it's useful. When you don't, it's useless.

I would like to know what are some of the advantages of programming in assembly, if there is any, over programming in C++.

You're closer to the hardware.

My goal is to eventually learn how to program some useful applications like programming a cd burner.

If you mean like cdrecord, you don't need assembly to do that. If you mean the kernel internals cdrecord uses, then you need to know C, not C++.

[Swab]

Learning assembly will help you understand what is really going on inside your computer... There is a great free book called Programming from the ground up (pdf) Check it out!