Product Description

For undergraduate courses in assembly language programming and introductory courses in computer systems and computer architecture.

This complete and fully updated study of assembly language for the IBM-PC teaches students how to write and debug programs at the machine level. Based on the Intel processor family, the text simplifies and demystifies concepts that students need to grasp before they can go on to more advanced computer architecture or operating systems courses.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #833178 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 700 pages

From the Back Cover

This text is designed for students and professionals interested in learning the basics of operating systems, architecture, and programming in the context of a microprocessor. In his eagerly anticipated fourth edition, Kip Irvine concentrates on the combined Windows/MS-DOS operating system and thoroughly covers 32-bit assembly language applications for Intel-based computers.

Focusing on how to approach programming problems with a machine-level mindset, Assembly Language for Intel(r)-Based Computers includes the following features:

• Detailed tutorials on numbering systems and data storage fundamentals.
• All programs tested with the Microsoft(r) MASM 6.15(tm) assembler.
• Inline assembly code, as well as linking assembly language to C/C++ in both Real and Protected modes.
• Extensive instruction set reference that includes instruction formats and CPU flag usage.
• Interrupt vectoring and device I/O.
• CD-ROM that includes the full professional version of the Microsoft(r) MASM 6.15(tm) Assembly Language Development System, a programmer's editor, a macro library, and the book's source code.

New to the fourth edition:
• Win32 programming, including the console API and a graphical application.
• Expanded coverage of procedures, recursion, stack parameters, structures, and unions.
• Boolean expressions, truth tables, and flowcharts.
• Basic string handling, sorting and searching algorithms.
• Bit-mapped graphics in both Real and Protected modes.
• IEEE floating-point binary representation.
• Virtual machine architecture; IA-32 Protected mode segmentation and paging.
• Introductory explanations of the instruction execution cycle, memory I/O, multitasking, pipelining, and superscalar architecture.
• Disk fundamentals, including disk geometry, FAT32 and NTFS file structures.

About the Author
Kip Irvine has written four computer programming textbooks, for Intel Assembly Language, C++, Visual Basic, and COBOL. His Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers has been translated to six languages, and has been a best seller since 1990. Kip grew up in Hawaii as a surfer, sailor, and surfboard maker. He studied classical guitar and music composition at University of Hawaii, eventually earning his music doctorate from the University of Miami. He began programming computers for music synthesis around 1982, and taught at Miami-Dade Community College. He has a Masters degree in Computer Science from the University of Miami, and is currently on the computer science faculty at Florida International University.

Customer Reviews

An excellent guide, perhaps the best there is
This is the most complete guide to Intel Assembly Language that I've come across. Most Assembler books suffer from being years out of date and making the curious assumption that you couldn't possibly want to program anything higher than a 286. Irvine's book is both reasonably current and acknowledges that we live in a 32-bit world. Heck, it even covers programming the x87 FPU which is something that other authors presume that you would never dream of doing. There are some complaints about the content, however. Much of the DOS-based material is now so outdated as to be useless and many of the programming examples might be better as Win32 console applications. I would like to see video displays more advanced than standard VGA addressed as well. Generally, however, the content is comprehensive and well explained. The comparatively useless 'Assembler Insde And Out' was given away free with Microsoft MASM 6.11. MASM 6.11 is given away free with 'Assembly Language for Intel-based Computers'. Do you need any further reason to buy this excellent book?

A superb programming resource
I recommend this as THE text to own on assembly language. It is the only book I can find out there which assumes you will be working in 32-bit protected mode, and only teaches 16-bit real mode as an option in the latter part of the book (which I have no complaints about, Intel's own guide to their chipsets do the same). The explanations are clear and Irvine hasn't riddled the book with crap jokes and "humourous" analogies which seems to be typical of programming authors at the moment. This is a serious and direct text which explains everything from the perspective that an assembly language programmer would like to learn from. Plus, there is a whole section on working with windows, so by the end of the book you will be able to code an entire windows program in pure assembler.

Using it to drop others into the assembly world
Rarely you find the right guide to teach others a whole language. And to teach all the topics of a language is often a hard work to do, but if you are going to teach just a part of it, or an introduction in order to the students can walk over the language by them selves the most common thing you find is that most of the books are written for those who have already programmed or for those who want to learn step by step from beggining to end.

But this... this is an excelent book for both of them.

If someone wants to look for a subject, it ok to use it as a reference guide because it provides all the help needed. If some other wants to watch at an specific part of the language, it is the apropiate book to look for. If there is a programmer interested in assembly language and he/she has no idea of what it is or what it is used for, in this pages there is all the information to learn step by step.

And if you're, as I am, a teacher, and need a guide to guide students through the assembly, Kip R. Irvine wrote this book for us. It's an excelent book for all purposes and I bet you'll be satisfied while using it to drop others into the assembly world.

Sorry my English, but the truth most be known.