Scribd
Upload
10 views7 pages

Digital Elec 7

The document presents an assembly language program that implements a stack to reverse a string, detailing the design and development process, including understanding the problem, choosing the data structure, writing the code, and testing. It highlights the benefits of using assembly language for high-level data structures, such as efficiency, control over hardware, low-level access, and compact code. The conclusion emphasizes the enhanced understanding of low-level programming concepts gained through this assignment and the advantages of using assembly language for efficient coding practices.

Uploaded by

munyendoadam9
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views7 pages

Digital Elec 7

The document presents an assembly language program that implements a stack to reverse a string, detailing the design and development process, including understanding the problem, choosing the data structure, writing the code, and testing. It highlights the benefits of using assembly language for high-level data structures, such as efficiency, control over hardware, low-level access, and compact code. The conclusion emphasizes the enhanced understanding of low-level programming concepts gained through this assignment and the advantages of using assembly language for efficient coding practices.

Uploaded by

munyendoadam9
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 7

Bachelor of Computer Science

University of the People


CS 1105-01 Digital Electronics & Computer Architecture
Dr. Yogi Gibson
October 22, 2024
Assembly Language Program for a Stack Data Structure

1. Assembly Language Program

Below is a simple assembly language program that implements a stack to reverse a string. The

program uses the stack to hold characters temporarily while reversing the string.

section .data

input db 'Hello, World!', 0 ; Null-terminated string

output db 50 dup(0) ; Buffer for reversed string

section .text

global _start

_start:

; Initialize pointers

mov rsi, input ; Source pointer to input string

mov rdi, output ; Destination pointer to output buffer

; Push characters onto the stack

push_loop:
mov al, [rsi] ; Load character from input

cmp al, 0 ; Check for null terminator

je pop_loop ; If null, start popping

push rax ; Push character onto stack

inc rsi ; Move to next character

jmp push_loop ; Repeat

pop_loop:

pop rax ; Pop character from stack

mov [rdi], al ; Store in output buffer

inc rdi ; Move to next position in output

cmp rsi, input ; Check if we are done

jnz pop_loop ; Repeat until stack is empty

; Null terminate the output string

mov byte [rdi], 0 ; Add null terminator


; Exit program (Linux syscall)

mov rax, 60 ; syscall: exit

xor rdi, rdi ; status: 0

syscall

2. Design and Development Process

The design process for this assembly language program involved several steps:

 Understanding the Problem: The goal was to reverse a string using a stack data

structure. This required knowledge of how stacks operate (LIFO - Last In, First Out) and

how to manipulate data in assembly language.

 Choosing the Data Structure: A stack was chosen because it naturally fits the

requirement of reversing a string by allowing us to push characters onto it and then pop

them off in reverse order.

 Writing the Code: The code was written in sections, with clear delineations for data and

text. The .data section holds the input string and an output buffer, while the .text section

contains the logic for pushing and popping characters.

 Testing: After writing the initial code, I tested it in an assembly language environment

(e.g., NASM with Linux) to ensure it worked as intended. Debugging was done by

checking intermediate values in registers and memory.


This project enhanced my understanding of low-level programming concepts by requiring me to

think about memory management and instruction execution at a granular level. It also

highlighted how data structures can be implemented directly in assembly language.

3. Benefits of Using Assembly Language for High-Level Data Structures

Using assembly language to implement high-level data structures offers several benefits:

 Efficiency: Assembly language allows for highly optimized code that can execute faster

than equivalent high-level language implementations. For example, operations like

pushing and popping from a stack can be performed with minimal overhead.

 Control Over Hardware: Assembly provides direct access to hardware resources,

enabling fine-tuned manipulation of memory and CPU registers. This is particularly

useful when implementing data structures that require precise control over how data is

stored and accessed.

 Low-Level Access: Assembly language allows developers to perform operations that

may not be feasible in high-level languages, such as direct memory addressing and low-

level system calls.

 Compact Code: Programs written in assembly can be more compact than those written

in high-level languages because they do not require additional syntax or abstractions that

higher-level languages impose.

For example, when implementing a loop in C, multiple instructions may be needed due to

compiler overhead. In contrast, the same loop can often be implemented with a single instruction

in assembly, leading to faster execution times.


Conclusion

In summary, this assignment has allowed me to explore the intricacies of assembly language

programming while implementing a high-level data structure. The experience has deepened my

understanding of low-level programming concepts and highlighted the advantages of using

assembly for efficient coding practices. By mastering these skills, I am better equipped to tackle

complex programming challenges in future projects.

Discussion Question

What are some specific scenarios where using assembly language would provide significant

advantages over higher-level programming languages?


References

 Spiceworks. (n.d.). Assembly Language Working, Features, and Advantages. Retrieved

from Spiceworks

 FasterCapital. (n.d.). Advantages Of Using Assembly Language. Retrieved

from FasterCapital

 GeeksforGeeks. (2023). Advantages and Disadvantages of Assembler. Retrieved

from GeeksforGeeks

You might also like