On 1/26/2012 12:22 PM, Tedd Sperling wrote:
On Jan 26, 2012, at 11:34 AM, Ajai Khattri wrote:
On 1/26/12 11:03 AM, Rukbat wrote:
As someone who started by writing machine code (not assembly, bits - and in
octal, which was the big thing back when we wrote code on stone with wooden
chisels), I can say that's very true.
As someone who also cut his teeth writing code on 6502 and 68000 processors, I
personally believe all programmers should have some experience writing machine
code. Not for machismo or bragging rights, but simply because it gives you a
different perspective on languages and runtimes in general. You understand a
lot more how languages operate at a lower level and that makes you a better
programmer when using high level languages.
Oh, you had it easy. I cut my teeth on pre-6502 processors, namely a home built
variety (dual logic analyzers), where we programmed with dip switches and saved
our programs to paper punch tape. Later we hard-wired our first assembly
language.
Punched tape? My first assembler was a legal pad and a pencil with a
good eraser. Did a lot of 2-pass assembling that way. (Okay, so I
still have a [probably] working model 19 in my basement, but that came
later.). 8080 wire-wrapped with 1k of 2102 RAM. (I don't consider the
8008 board I made a "computer".) Remember the 2708? No more toggle
switches to get it running by that point.
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