Warning: This thread will be much ado about nothing. Proceed with caution.

When I refer to assembler code, I call it ".asm". Others call it "ASM".

In long form, some say "assembly" rather than "assembler" which I think is the proper long form. Which is correct?

"ASM" looks like an acronym to me. For those not in the know, they may run off looking for its definition. Granted, they may have no clue of ".asm" as well.

I like to use .asm because it directly indicates the file type that is used by pretty much all assemblers.

Thoughts welcome.

 

As far as "assembly" vs. "assembler":

Assembler code is code written for an assembler in assembly language. No?

 

My take: The language is "assembly language" (of whatever flavor) and an "assembler" is what is used to convert "assembly code" to machine code. Using .asm as a shorthand for assembly language code seems reasonable to me. As for ASM, is there a particular assembler out there named ASM? I'm not sure, but I think there is. There are lots of assemblers such as MASM, TASM, and others that use ASM as a suffix, so it would not be unreasonable to use ASM (or perhaps *ASM just like you see *NIX for Unix/Linux, etc.) to refer to an assembler.

But at the end of the day we have to accept that all of these terms WILL be used for all of these different things and we have to strive to understand what is meant based on the context of use as opposed what we would ideally like them to mean.

 

Warning: This thread will be much ado about nothing. Proceed with caution.

When I refer to assembler code, I call it ".asm". Others call it "ASM".

In long form, some say "assembly" rather than "assembler" which I think is the proper long form. Which is correct?

"ASM" looks like an acronym to me. For those not in the know, they may run off looking for its definition. Granted, they may have no clue of ".asm" as well.

I like to use .asm because it directly indicates the file type that is used by pretty much all assemblers.

Thoughts welcome.

Although I am sure I do everything the correct way, this thread is clear evidence that we are running out of things to talk about.

 

Although I am sure I do everything the correct way, this thread is clear evidence that we are running out of things to talk about.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

 

Back when I started using it it was used to write P.C. programs, it was not considered then that anyone would ever need any more than 1 meg of memory.
Hence the 640K.
Then we called it 'Assembly language'.
Max.

 

Then we called it 'Assembly language'.

Agreed. But should the assembly language code be called "assembly code" or "assembler code" as in, "code for the assembler"?

 

Agreed. But should the assembly language code be called "assembly code" or "assembler code" as in, "code for the assembler"?

I think they wrote a song about it that involves 'Tomatoes'.
Max.

 

I think they wrote a song about it that involves 'Tomatoes'.
Max.

I thought is was potatoes.

 

I love the internet. It seems I am not the first to ponder the question (see first paragraph).

 

I did a quick inventory list of Books out there that are available on the subject some have been around for decades and all the titles I found used 'Assembly' without exception.
Max.

 

I did a quick inventory list of Books out there that are available on the subject some have been around for decades and all the titles I found used 'Assembly' without exception.
Max.

See my previous post. I will consider it authoritative. I found it on the internet, after all.

 

Agreed. But should the assembly language code be called "assembly code" or "assembler code" as in, "code for the assembler"?

Not very authoritative but this is what we were told.

The assembler takes blocks symbolic 'machine' code' and converts it into a usable format for the linker that makes an executable program that can run directly on native hardware. This machine code is normally called an Assembly of machine code instructions. So the program is build from parts with each part an Assembly of the whole as in the mechanical construction of a machine.

 

...Assembly of machine code instructions...

Yes. For clarity, I shall use this in the future. In fact, I will endeavor to obscure (in a clarifying way, of course) it further.

Should go over well with the noobs.

 

And now, onto the .asm vs. ASM part of our show...

 

Agreed. But should the assembly language code be called "assembly code" or "assembler code" as in, "code for the assembler"?

I'd say it's "source code" written in "assembly language". It gets processed (assembled) by an assembler. This is similar to how one writes source code in the C language and compiles it with a compiler.

 

I'd say it's "source code" written in "assembly language". It gets processed (assembled) by an assembler. This is similar to how one writes source code in the C language and compiles it with a compiler.

Agreed. Takes too long to type, though. I'll have to write a macro.

 

Agreed. Takes too long to type, though. I'll have to write a macro.

What will you call the macro?

 

What will you call the macro?

.asm. Assuming punctuation is allowed.

 

The term ASM actually refers to a group of people that originated and, later, perpetuate and propagate assembly language programming.

ASM - Analists, Smartasses, and Masochists.

Anyone here qualify for membership based on any one of the pillars?

How many, besides myself, can go for the trifecta and qualify for all three pillars.