I'm fairly new to coding and currently taking a computer architecture class, and I've hit a wall of confusion regarding PEP 9. I can't seem to find much info about it online—and most of what I do find, people are asking similar questions with no clear answers. Is PEP 9 primarily used for educational purposes? Are there actual jobs that involve it, or is it just a stepping stone for us to understand assembly language without getting into more complex topics? I know assembly gives us direct control over the CPU and memory, but why is that control necessary? Often, when we write code, I wonder why we can't just do the same thing in Python or Java. Plus, my teacher sometimes has us translate C++ code—what's the point of that? It feels like translating code manually isn't the best use of our time. Can anyone shed some light on this?
3 Answers
PEP 9 is mainly an educational language. Schools use it to help teach the basics of how assembly language works without getting bogged down by the details of real hardware. While you probably won't see it in job listings, understanding it gives you insight into how computers operate at a fundamental level. For example, if you're getting into kernel development or working on optimized software, knowledge of assembly and how processors work will definitely give you an edge. You're also enhancing your ability to troubleshoot and optimize code, which is a valuable skill set to have in any programming job!
Learning PEP 9 allows you to explore how instruction sets really work! Since assembly languages are closely tied to machine instructions, it’s a key learning tool in any computer architecture course. Each assembly language is specific to a processor type, which is why you're learning a fictional version instead of a real one—it keeps things consistent. Plus, while modern compilers handle code translation, understanding the process behind that can really boost your coding skills and comprehension of how software interacts with hardware.
Thank you this is really helpful!
Essentially, PEP 9 isn't used in actual jobs—it's more about learning concepts. Understanding assembly language helps when you're trying to optimize code performance or debugging complex systems. As for translating C++ code, it’s about grasping how different programming languages work and understanding the bridge between high-level languages and machine code. This knowledge can make you a better programmer by teaching you how compilers operate and how to think about code from a hardware perspective.
Thank you, this is really helpful!!
Thank you, this is very helpful!!