This is a two-part text about assembly language programming in the VAX/MACRO language. Unlike texts that are concerned solely with the assembly language itself, this addresses the design of assemblers, macroprocessors, and linkers. Part I focuses on the fundamentals of assembly language programming in the VAX/MACRO language. It is aimed at the beginning assembly language programmer, conforming with current ACM recommendations concerning these courses. Part II addresses the same subjects from a systems viewpoint, most especially assembler, macroprocessor, and linker design.

This text offers both the theoretical, machine-independent concepts underlying the construction of all computers, and a specific introduction to the assembly language and architecture of the widely used PDP-11. It discusses the major functional components of a computer - memory, ALU, Input/Output, and processor - and how they are integrated into a complete computer system. The book describes and builds an idealized model of a computer and shows how the theoretical concepts are put into practice in the construction of the PDP. It integrates hardware concepts with software principles, introducing the student to internal systems programs used to run the computer.