It's very useful in that you get to learn exactly how the processor interfaces with other hardware such as memory and registers, and it can also teach you about program efficiency in terms of both file size and execution time.

If you're going to be taking a class on it in college, it's always good to get a bit of practice in first.

-------
My life blog
My tech blog
My Twitter updates

ASM courses come late in college
please learn your C, C++ first

---

trust me, NOT worth learn9ing now.

ASM courses come late in college
please learn your C, C++ first

---

Actually, C/C++ are pretty lame, too.  There's plenty of better languages for learning the theory behind algorithms.

-------
http://www.golivewire.com/forums/peer-yatapys-support-a.html

---

Quote: from paganinio at 12:59 pm on Aug. 26, 2008

---

trust me, NOT worth learn9ing now.  

 ASM courses come late in college  
 please learn your C, C++ first

---

Actually, C/C++ are pretty lame, too.  There's plenty of better languages for learning the theory behind algorithms.

---

How can you say C/C++ are pretty lame when once you learn C you can virtually make the jump painlessly to several other languages. Also C has the highest availability for jobs (including its derivatives).

-------
YOU MUST
NARFLE THE GARTHOK!

Robdude is my LW Wife.

---

How can you say C/C++ are pretty lame when once you learn C you can virtually make the jump painlessly to several other languages.

---

The whole point is that you could start with, say, Python (or even Java) and you'd have just as good of an understanding of the actual algorithm's you're implementing, but you'd waste less time doing things like fixing dangling pointers, garbage collection, and all of the other lame stuff that you have to do in C/C++ for no reason.

---

Also C has the highest availability for jobs (including its derivatives).

---

This, as it turns out, is probably the only reason C and C++ are even still around: lots of code written in these languages still needs to be maintained, lots of people stick with it because it's been a "standard" for so long, and there's arguably better documentation about it.  

However, if you're learning programing on your own before college, you're not going to be getting a traditional "job" right away so this is basically meaningless.  Even if you're an amazing prodigy, you'll succeed by making stuff on your own (in which case it doesn't matter what language you use), because companies generally look for either a degree or experience.

And really, if you start with an "easy" language like Python or Java and actually gain a deep understanding of the algorithms you're implimenting, you shouldn't have much problem switching to C/C++ later but you've saved lots of time by learning in a slightly more reasonable setting.

I initially learned C and C++ on my own, but now I almost exclusively use Java when I have the opportunity to do so.  

-------
http://www.golivewire.com/forums/peer-yatapys-support-a.html

---

Quote: from Narfle the Garthok at 12:00 pm on Sep. 2, 2008

---

How can you say C/C++ are pretty lame when once you learn C you can virtually make the jump painlessly to several other languages.

---

The whole point is that you could start with, say, Python (or even Java) and you'd have just as good of an understanding of the actual algorithm's you're implementing, but you'd waste less time doing things like fixing dangling pointers, garbage collection, and all of the other lame stuff that you have to do in C/C++ for no reason.

---

Also C has the highest availability for jobs (including its derivatives).

---

This, as it turns out, is probably the only reason C and C++ are even still around: lots of code written in these languages still needs to be maintained, lots of people stick with it because it's been a "standard" for so long, and there's arguably better documentation about it.  

However, if you're learning programing on your own before college, you're not going to be getting a traditional "job" right away so this is basically meaningless.  Even if you're an amazing prodigy, you'll succeed by making stuff on your own (in which case it doesn't matter what language you use), because companies generally look for either a degree or experience.

And really, if you start with an "easy" language like Python or Java and actually gain a deep understanding of the algorithms you're implimenting, you shouldn't have much problem switching to C/C++ later but you've saved lots of time by learning in a slightly more reasonable setting.

I initially learned C and C++ on my own, but now I almost exclusively use Java when I have the opportunity to do so.  

---

I learned programming on my own before college (I didn't go to college) and I have a "traditional" job that I started with 0 experience and without a degree. I now have 6 years experience and make over $50,000 a year. C was one of my starting points.

-------
YOU MUST
NARFLE THE GARTHOK!

Robdude is my LW Wife.

---

And so that suggests that you'd be worse off if you'd started with, say, Python, how, exactly?

---

No but without that I doubt I would be where I am at now. Many languages build off C.

-------
YOU MUST
NARFLE THE GARTHOK!

Robdude is my LW Wife.

---

No but without that I doubt I would be where I am at now. Many languages build off C.

---

Can you be a bit more specific in this regard?

-------
http://www.golivewire.com/forums/peer-yatapys-support-a.html