In SX Microcontrollers, SX/B Compiler and SX-Key Tool, kmonsx wrote:

[quote="GRC"]
Hello All.
I been researching the SX and its features.  The problem is I haven't learned assembly

yet.  I see the SX can now be programmed in basic, but at the price of non optimizing.

I'd like you hear personal view points of poeple that use basic to program thier SXs.

Hi Gordon.
I've started with playing with the SX about 3 or 4 months ago, so I'm still a novice, so you'll have to take that into consideration with my comments.
I've found SX/B to be remarkedly easy, and powerful.  I was writing little sample programs with leds, switches, etc on the same day I got my SX.  SX/B is really intuitive, like Basic's should be --- if you have any experience with any programming language, the learning curve is zero.  And as far as "optimizing" goes, SX/B is translated to assembly, and then assembled.  It's not interpreted like it is on other platforms like PCs, etc.  Normally that interpretation is what is slow, requires lots of memory(relatively speaking), etc.
There *are* penalities for using SX/B, in that startup code, entry and exit to the Interrupt Service Routines, etc have these mandatory code segments which add possibly unnecessary overhead to your code.  Now in ASM, you may have to very much have to have similar code, but obviously you have a lot finer grain control over what gets done in those routines.
SX/B is still in its infancy, so it's not really polished or perfected yet.  But there appear to be regular updates, and I'm sure the problems, lack of features, etc there are will be rectified.
As far as learning ASM, I know just enough to be dangerous.  I have the theory down, have had college classes on the subject, etc.  But I have very little practical experience.
I think you'll find the bulk of the community support, books, published projects etc is going to be in ASM.  But I think it really depends on what your purpose is for the SX.  If you have a small, non-demanding hobby project, I think SX/B is just fine.
I plan on learning SX ASM in the near future.  But sure, there is a high entrance cost.  Most will tell you that it's worth it.
And as Jon mentioned, you can get an assembly-output for your SX/B code, so this makes learning ASM even easier.....
Hope this helps,
Keith

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