>> Frankly, the ones that can't be bothered aren't worth the bother anyway. 
>> ...
>
>I saw this same elitist argument on slashdot a few years ago when the
>easy-to-install Linux distributions came about. ...
>
>The argument was just as wrong for Linux, as it's wrong here. ...

I don't believe the argument is wrong here. Things like Linux installations 
can be made easier by suitable install programs. Yes programming MCUs can be 
made easier by using high level languages but that is defeating the purpose 
of learning the chip.

Having to read the documentation is just as necessary whichever way you go - 
the high level or the low level route. Yes you can install Linux with a plug 
and play CD, but what do you do after that??? You still have to read 
documentation to get the system to do anything - been down that route a 
couple of times myself, got the GUI up, now where do I go from here ...

Equally programming a small micro requires one to read the documentation to 
find out the quirks of the chip. I could 'just' try and fire up a 1W white 
LED directly from the I/O pins, and then go screaming to a mail group such 
as this about how my circuit 'doesn't work'. What does the documentation say 
about the output capability of the I/O pin is the question I'll probably get 
back. Doesn't matter what one does, the documents are there to help. If it 
is obscure then the time comes to ask questions to clear it up.

Quite frankly I think Olin gave a pretty straight to the point answer 
without being snarky. He has pointed out why to use certain directives, and 
where the details on them are. I have learnt quite a bit from Olins dev 
environment about how the MPLAB linker system works, and the macros Olin has 
written, and how they complement the linker suite.

Olins comment that is quoted in the first line of this mail is all too true 
in my experience. The people that do get things done, whether it is high 
grades for their degree or almost anything else, they have done it by 
applying themselves, and that is all that is being asked for here. The 
pointers on where to look have been given, now it is up to the learner to go 
learn.

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