Getting Started with Assembly Language (COAL)

Ready to dive into the fascinating world of COAL (Computer Organization and Assembly Language)? Don’t worry—it’s not as scary as it sounds. 

Let me walk you through the setup process step-by-step!

Why Learn Assembly?

Before we get started, let’s talk about why assembly is worth your time:

• It teaches you how computers actually work at their core.
• You’ll get better at debugging and optimization.
• You’ll understand the magic behind high-level languages.
• Plus, it’s super satisfying to see your program actually work.

What You’ll Need

Here’s your toolkit for starting with assembly:

1. NASM (Assembler) and AFD (Debugger) – Download from this GitHub repo.
2. VS Code – Grab it from the official website.
3. DOSBox – Download it here.

Setting It All Up

Step 1: NASM Setup

1. Extract the NASM files to a folder you’ll remember.
2. Inside the NASM folder, create a new folder named .vscode.
3. Download the tasks.json file from the GitHub repo and put it inside the .vscode folder.

Step 2: DOSBox Configuration

1. Open the tasks.json file in VS Code.
2. Find this line:

   "command": "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\DOSBox-0.74-3\\DOSBox.exe"
   

3. Replace it with your actual DOSBox installation path.

Writing Your First Assembly Program

Create Your File

1. Open the NASM folder in VS Code.
2. Create a new file named something like hello.asm.

Your folder structure should look like this:

📂 NASM  
  └─📂 .vscode  
     └─📄 tasks.json  
  └─📄 hello.asm  
  └─📄 nasm.exe  
  └─📄 afd.exe  

Running Your Code

Compile and Run

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + B in VS Code.
2. In the popup, type your file name (without the .asm) and press Enter.
3. DOSBox will pop up and run your program!

Debug with AFD

If you need to debug, type this in DOSBox:

afd hello.com

Pro Tips

• Keep all your files in the NASM folder for easy access.
• Double-check the DOSBox path in tasks.json if things aren’t working.
• Comment your code—future you will appreciate it!
• Start simple and work your way up to more complex programs.

Common Issues and Fixes

• Program not found? Type the filename without .asm when running.
• DOSBox not launching? Check your path in tasks.json.
• Compilation errors? Double-check your syntax and folder setup.

Ready to Start?

That’s it—you’re officially ready to explore the world of assembly programming! Take it step-by-step, experiment, and have fun learning. Need more resources? Check out the GitHub repo.

Happy coding! 🚀

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