Is Assembly Language a Dying Art?

Imagine you are in the 1950s with only one programming language developed.

Now, return to the present where there are more than 8000 programming languages developed. Among those, only 100s of them are widely used and promise an easy and promising career.

So, the race for a programming language is high here, but let's go back to a time when there was only assembly language ruling over the market. All the system programs and application programs were entirely built on Assembly language. You know Assembly, you know the computers, and you get hired.

But in current times, all those programming languages with all those frameworks and competitions make it easier for programmers to get into this field and make a career out of it. But is it even easier for a programmer with knowledge of assembly to make it big into the market?

The Question Arises: Is Assembly Still Good Enough to Make It Up With These Languages?

The simple answer to the question is assembly is still good and better than these languages because assembly was the foundation for the building of all these available languages like:

• Python
• Javascript
• C
• C++
• Swift etc.

The Current Market Situation of Programming: Most Used Programming Languages

According to a survey done by a site named Statista, the most used programming languages in 2023 are:

• Javascript (63.61%)
• Python(49.28%)
• Typescript(38.87%)
• Java(30.55%)
• C#(27.62%) etc.

Where Assembly languages don’t even make it to the list.

The Current Situation of Assembly in A Professional Context

Although Assembly doesn’t make it on the list, malware analysts and reverse engineers use assembly for their daily work. Different software developed are not written on assembly due to their complexity. But still, some professions require the need of assembly language.

So, Assembly is still in the race.

Why Even Learn Assembly Then?

Now with this in your head, everybody is wondering why learn assembly if you have to go through such a hard time, and the chances of using Assembly in your career are low.

First of all, in the tech industry, if you are just for money, you are never gonna make it long or big in the field. Learning is the key to success in the industry.

So, the most basics of technology are working off a computer and all for which the best resources may be understanding the fundamentals of computers and programs in Assembly.

Assembly language requires a deep understanding of OS, syscalls, memory, interrupts, drivers, etc. which makes you a tech wizard.

Moreover, there goes a saying

                                      “Everything Is Open Source If You Can Read Assembly”

You can understand the workings of every technology and software if you know how to program in assembly language.

The Dying Art of Assembly

Currently in the market, most of the programming languages have their own community to learn together and grow.

So goes assembly, but due to a lack of knowledge of the invincible power of assembly, the community is smaller and consists mostly of people who don’t use assembly as their primary language.

The real art and capability of assembly language are being hindered by the obsolete talents following the assembly languages.

Moreover, the hardware being developed also puts restrictions on assembly being used to its fullest.

In the current scenario, people want to learn assembly to be cool rather than to understand the core of computer systems.

Most of them follow the tutorial and miss the essence of true programming.

Closing Thoughts

As we travel from the basic days of the 1950s to today's tech-savvy world, things sure have gotten complex. Back then, assembly language was the boss. You knew assembly, you knew computers, and you got hired.

Nowadays, it's a different story. There are thousands of programming languages out there, but only a handful really make the cut for a solid career. So, where does assembly fit in?

Sure, newer languages might seem fancier, but assembly was there from the start. It's like the great-grandparent of all the cool languages we use today, like Python, JavaScript, and C++.

But does that mean assembly is still relevant? Absolutely. It's the OG—the original gangster. Understanding assembly gives you a deep insight into how computers really work. And in a world where speed and efficiency matter more than ever, that's a pretty big deal.

So, while assembly might not be the easiest language to learn, it's definitely worth it. It's like having a secret weapon in your programming arsenal—one that sets you apart from the crowd and opens doors to endless possibilities.