The Lost Art of Assembly Programming: Unraveling a Childhood Mystery

Many of us started out using computers that were much less sophisticated than what we have today. Now that we're used to object-oriented development environments and fast machines, thinking about how software was made decades ago can make your brain ache. However, the systems of yesteryear still have lessons to teach today's developers. This session will dig into the strange world of 6502 assembly language, with particular focus on the Atari 2600 videogame system from 1977. Common idioms will be explained, and most of the rules of software development that you live by will be turned upside-down. You will come away with a new appreciation for the tools you have today, as well as some new insights into the inner workings of all your computing devices.