Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!agate!ucbvax!UX1.CSO.UIUC.EDU!phil
From: phil@UX1.CSO.UIUC.EDU (Phil Howard KA9WGN)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.asm370
Subject: Re: why code in 370 Assembler
Message-ID: <9104252356.AA26772@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 25 Apr 91 23:11:50 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: IBM 370 Assembly Programming Discussion List
              <ASM370@OHSTVMA.BITNET>
Distribution: inet
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 42

chip@osh3.OSHA.GOV (Chip Yamasaki) writes:

>One question though.  It has been a long time since I took a 370 ALC
>course in school (and I didn't know then either), but does that MVC/MVCL
>instruction resolve to 1 machine code instruction?  If so, then I
>suppose you're right.  If not then you're back to square one.

Does it really matter?  You code one instruction.  It actually is one
instruction in binary though the machine might have to refetch it if
there are page faults during the copy (MVCL ONLY).

>In C your could code your own routine to move int's or unsigned chars to
>do something very similar, but why would you want to.

The goal is programming convenience.  MVC and MVCL are convenient.  They
do not justify using assembler; just reduce the difficulty.

>Also the one programmer here who does write ALC always uses a huge
>library of ALC routines and macros.  Isn't that about the same as
>calling a function in C?

That depends.

>Don't get me wrong, the programs I wrote in class were very rudimentary,
>but I do remember the assignments as being fun.  I also enjoy ASM on the
>PC.  I just think that any language, HL or LL, can be fun if you just
>get into the "spirit" of it (even BASIC or COBOL).

Unfortunately, typical assembler class assignments were things usually
NOT appropriate for assembler.  But you can't learn system interfaces
AND a new language as easily at the same time.

>As far as human languages are concerned I am not multi-lingual, but I
>understand that it is not "easy" or "fun" to speak French without first
>thinking like a Frenchman.  ;-)

That is why they teach the culture with it.
--
 /***************************************************************************\
/ Phil Howard -- KA9WGN -- phil@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu   |  Guns don't aim guns at  \
\ Lietuva laisva -- Brivu Latviju -- Eesti vabaks  |  people; CRIMINALS do!!  /
 \***************************************************************************/