This book is intended to serve as a tutorial for students learning the Macro Assembler language on IBM microcomputers. It can be used by students in a one-semester class or by individuals who wish to learn how to program in assembler on their own. Although the author suggests that this could provide readers with their first programming experience, it would be beneficial for the reader to have studied structured programming with a high-level language before using this book. What is particularly unique in this book is the excellent discussions of real address mode programming on the 80286 and 80386 machines and a discussion of the protected mode architecture on both types of machines.

IBM microcomputer assembly language is divided into three parts: introductory Macro Assembler, advanced topics, and the hardware-software interface. The first six chapters constitute in the first part. Chapter 1 begins with a brief introduction to the IBM family of microcomputers, the IBM Disk Operating System, and the Macro Assembler. A few diagrams might improve the discussion of the hardware in this section. This chapter concludes with the necessary discussions of number systems, registers, and buses, and finally a preview of the rest of the text.

Chapter 2 introduces assembler programming using several simple examples. This chapter also introduces the use of DEBUG for examining the assembler programs. An introduction to the software architecture of the IBM family of microcomputers is included. The concept of software design is discussed in chapter 3. Although the author does a very good job of discussing structured programming in the context of writing assembler programs, a beginning programmer would require a much lengthier discussion. Chapter 4 includes both a discussion of the Macro Assembler instruction set and six short but well-written program examples. A thorough discussion of interrupts including PS/2 firmware and OS/2 software interrupts follows in chapter 5. Chapter 6 includes a detailed discussion of pseudo-ops with an emphasis on macros. There are also several detailed examples of applications programs.

Part 2 consists of two chapters of advanced topics: chapter 7 on sequential disk file management and chapter 8 on coprocessor programming. Both chapters include several small examples in addition to a more significant applications program. The third part contains illustrations of hardware device driver programming in chapter 9 and systems programming in chapter 10.

This well-written book would be suitable for students who have had some exposure to structured programming concepts. It would not be a good introduction to programming as it lacks a detailed discussion of structured programming concepts. The first eight chapters would be very suitable for use in a one-semester assembler language course. The author has included a good variety of examples illustrating the different aspects of programming IBM microcomputers. One especially good feature of this book is the author’s use of graphs and graphics in many of the programming examples. It makes the programs more interesting for the reader and addresses the problems of assembler I/O in a much friendlier fashion. Each chapter in the book is followed by a short list of references and a nice selection of well-written exercises which make the book more suitable for use in a classroom. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who knows a high-level language and now wishes to learn to program the IBM family of computers and compatibles.