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From: MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Re- HLLs vs. Assembly
Message-ID: <9104101742.AA13905@apple.com>
Date: 10 Apr 91 17:30:38 GMT
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On Wed, 10 Apr 91 12:16:26 GMT Raymond Lang said:
>In article <1991Apr9.150402.563@latcs2.lat.oz.au> stephens@latcs2.lat.oz.au
> (Philip J Stephens) writes:
>>You can't program effectively in a HLL if you don't know the hardware
>>you're working on, it's limitations and it's features.
>
>I always thought one of the reasons for using a HLL was so you could
>program without having to know the grungy details about the hardware.
>
>Ray
>lang@rex.cs.tulane.edu

It's true that you don't NEED to know the grungy details of the hardware
to program in a HLL, but knowing the grungy details will help you create
MUCH better and more efficient programs than if you didn't know assembly.
Also, I think one of the reasons why HLLs were created was because not
EVERYTHING needs to be written in Assembly.  Take Applesoft for example.
I use that about as much as I use assembly.  My final projects never end up
in Applesoft though.  Applesoft is a quick and dirty way to check to see if
an idea works (so is the mini-assembler), but I certainly wouldn't want
my code to be in Applesoft.  It's good for speedy programming, but it has
severe limitations:  Exucution speed is pathetic and there are some things
it just cannot do, specifically, time critical code, which can only be
implemented in assembly, and C in SOME cases.

Imagine a Chemist that didn't know the detailed properties of the basic
elements, although he knows what many different combinations of chemicals
did.  He may be able to do alot with the knowledge he has, but he doesn't
understand WHY it works or HOW he can come up with something completely
different.  On the OTHER hand, a chemist that knows the physical properties
of all the elements and how and WHY they react with other elements.
This chemist, can, undoubtably, do everything the other chemist can plus a
WHOLE lot more.

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