Re: Writing Assembler!

I'm following up to Cliff Click's article, but really wanted
to respond to the included text:


mark@omnifest.uwm.edu (Mark Hopkins):
: >Defining a grammar and setting up a parser, whether it be written by
: >hand or otherwise, is essential, because this provides the framework
: >on which to hang everything else. In a top-down program design
: >methodology, the grammar is the thing you'll be starting with at the
: >top level.


Unfortunately, "the thing you'll be starting with", for a
commercially available CPU, is the manufacturer's "We have to get it
out the door now, and didn't start until the first silicon was in fab,
so I'll have the neighbor kid whip one up" assembler syntax, because
_all_ the code on the BBS (which doesn't run anyway, but your
customers _will_ use it) is written in that syntax. The concept of
"design", let alone "grammar" is totally alien to these guys.


Mike
| albaugh@agames.com
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