wes@engr.uky.edu (Wes Morgan) (07/29/88)
In article <24134@bu-cs.BU.EDU>, bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) writes: > > What is unfortunate is the loss of assembler programming from a lot of > curricula as, at least, an exercise in what the hell a computer really > is. Too many kids I run into view a computer as a box which interprets > Pascal or C code (etc.) Their mental model is broken so they have a > lot of trouble turning out reasonable code (eg. they have little idea > why screaming down an incrementing pointer is a lot faster than doing > an array lookup on each turn of a loop, and should usually be coded as > such on the first pass in most straightforward routines, particularly > search routines, at best they rote memorize such hints.) > > The problem is a crowded curricula, mostly. Well, we still use good old IBM ASMG in CS 250, Computer Organization. Of course, we're running it on a 3090. 8) The cries of "CLI! MVC! BALR!" still ring through the UKentucky Computer Center. However, this particu- lar course has a goshawful attrition rate <last time I heard, anyway>. The problem begins in the first few classes the CS undergraduate completes. Sure, after these courses he can program in BASIC and PASCAL, but he's done little or no actual bit-by-bit work. The concepts introduced in a good Computer Organization class usually blow away all but the most capable students reared on PASCAL. Why not teach machine organization concepts right alongside HLL programming? Certain topics, such as loop control and number crunching, could be programmed in both an HLL and in assembly. This would give the beginning student both a better understanding of the machine and some rudimentary skills in assembly language. Both of these would serve him well in future, more advanced machine organization courses. Comments should go to comp.edu; I'm redirecting them there. Wes [USING 15,*] Morgan > > -Barry Shein, Boston University -- wes@engr.uky.edu OR wes%ukecc.uucp@ukma OR ...{rutgers, uunet}!ukma!ukecc!wes "So round, so firm, so fully packed!" -- From a cigarette ad? Yoikes!