I have been heavily considering making an ASM tutorial over the past few months. I finally have the time and motivation for such an endeavor, so I'm going to feel out what the response to it would be. Here are its goals:

1. Current tutorial's don't provide adaquate information for setting up compiler and environment.
2. Provide more information about the components of a basic program. It will provide enough information to make your basic math program to some small graphical programs. I think it's more important for an asm tutorial to cover the very basic stuff, and then for the reader to research advanced stuff in specialized guides.
3. Teach the language with the sole assumption that they have a working knowledge of TIBASIC, knowledge of any other language will not be required.
4. Cover each topic very much in depth and give many examples of how it can be used in programs.
5. Perhaps it can become a group project like the Cemetech Tutorials.

My plan is to post each section of the tutorial as Sticky Posts in the ASM section where they can be criticized and perfected until they are ready for the guide. That way the entire cemetech community can have input. Eventually, I'll compile the topics into the guide.

Now, I need a little help before I start. I want to know what you guys think are the most important topics to cover in an ASM tutorial? I already have a lot in mind, but I'm curious as to what you think.

This sounds like it could be fun. I really want to learn ASM, but what was out there was too dificult.

That's the market I want to capture with this. I know there are a ton of people out there that want to learn, but just think it's too hard with what's out there. Thanks for the support. Do you have any ideas of what you would like to see in the guide specifically?

Are you going to use latenite and brass? (just wondering, I have problems with tasm).

Someone was making an On-Calc compiler. You should make the tutorial for that. Also, make it so a complete noob(to ASM) can use it.

Yeah, it would be nice to have a good tutorial written for use with brass.

would be nice. I think what we should do is you write them, then we give them a shot. If we are confused on anything, you can the clarify and then edit your stuff and when we have a good ASM knowledge, you have done a job well done.

Making it interactive would be great. Make a good one and then alter it based upon infinite suggestions.

Give it to me, I don't know anything about ASM.

Ok, I know what RET is...

Sounds like a good idea. I'm happy to help with stuff, especially seeing as I actually know asm.

These suggestions sound awesome. There's just the one problem that I have no experience with latenite or brass. Call me old fashion, but I never saw the need to upgrade from TASM. Obviously, I can't leave them out as any new tutorial worth anything will discuss them. I'll play around with them, but perhaps somebody else could handle that part.

I love the idea of me making the tutorial and you guys trying it. There's no better method for checking the completeness of a tutorial than having people try it out who don't know the language.

Sounds great! Some input for you: I tried to read the learn ASM in 28 days but i got lost in the technical junk at about day 5 or 6.

Thanks.

So, I think the obvious first part of the tutorial will be a huge section on setting up the coding environment. I think it should cover:

1: TASM and edittor (crimson or notepad++)
2: Brass Latenite
3: On Calc Compilers
4: Assembly Studio 8x (I've heard about it, so it might be worth looking into)

After that, I'll move on to obtaining a rom image (from your own calculator, of course), and getting an emulator set up.

Next, there might be a section on available shells, and the advantages of programming for each and how to program for each.

Finally, I'll get into the actual programming, but I want these first sections to be very thorough because you wouldn't believe how many people I see posting at forums because they can't get TASM to work, or they can't get a rom, or they can't find a decent emulator.

Why not instead of just focusing on one compiler and such, give some info about each and let the reader choose. I've never used brass, TASM is ok, and I like to use Assembly Studio 8x and ZDS for most of my work.
Oh, wow, you just covered what I said.

I agree with Tari on that. Also, my preferred method is notepad++ with brass, so it'll be best to discuss each assembler and editor separately.

Sounds good! If only I could get the bit-level commands to work in my oncalc compiler!

What kind of bit-level commands? Like bit, res, and set? Those are tres-easy.

It's mostly the "iy+" that's bugging me.

Ah. Too hard to program? If it's not that, if it's that you don't know how it works, I can give you a hand.

If I remember correctly, you do $FD, first byte of command, offset, rest of command, right?

Edit: And the command must use (hl).