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flat assembler VS LLVM

Compare flat assembler VS LLVM and see what are their differences

flat assembler logo flat assembler

A fast and efficient self-assembling x86 assembler for DOS, Windows and Linux.

LLVM logo LLVM

LLVM is a compiler infrastructure designed for compile-time, link-time, run-time, and...
  • flat assembler Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-28
  • LLVM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-11-06

flat assembler features and specs

  • Size and Speed
    Flat Assembler (FASM) is known for its small size and fast execution, making it an excellent choice for developers looking for efficiency in both development and runtime.
  • Low-Level Control
    FASM provides developers with in-depth control over the hardware, allowing for optimization and manipulation at a granular level, which can be critical for performance-sensitive applications.
  • Cross-Platform Capabilities
    FASM supports multiple platforms, enabling developers to write assembly code that can be compiled on different operating systems without significant changes.
  • Integrated Assembler and IDE
    It comes with an integrated development environment that simplifies assembling and linking processes, which can enhance productivity.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The assembler is well-documented with comprehensive guides, reducing the learning curve for new users and providing valuable resources for advanced programming.

Possible disadvantages of flat assembler

  • Learning Curve
    FASM requires a good understanding of assembly language and low-level programming, which can be a steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Limited High-Level Features
    As a low-level assembler, FASM lacks the abstractions and conveniences of high-level programming languages, which can make complex application development cumbersome.
  • Community and Support
    FASM has a smaller community compared to more mainstream programming tools, which can result in less available support and fewer third-party libraries.
  • Platform-Specific Optimization
    While cross-platform, achieving optimal performance can require platform-specific adjustments, adding complexity to the development process.
  • Debugging Difficulty
    Debugging assembly code can be challenging and time-consuming due to the low-level nature of the language and the increased possibility of hard-to-trace bugs.

LLVM features and specs

  • Modularity
    LLVM is designed to be modular and flexible, allowing developers to utilize only the components they need for their specific tasks. This makes it versatile for a wide range of use cases.
  • Optimization
    LLVM provides advanced optimization techniques that allow for efficient code execution across various platforms. It utilizes a variety of standard and state-of-the-art optimization passes to improve performance.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    LLVM supports a wide range of architectures and platforms, enabling developers to build and deploy applications across multiple target environments without needing to make significant code changes.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    The LLVM project includes a wide array of tools and libraries, such as Clang and LLDB, that enhance development capabilities and provide comprehensive support for different programming languages.
  • Community and Industry Adoption
    LLVM has a robust and active community, along with backing from major technology companies. This means consistent updates, improvements, and a broad support network for troubleshooting and enhancements.

Possible disadvantages of LLVM

  • Complexity
    Due to its extensive feature set and flexibility, LLVM can be complex to understand and use, particularly for newcomers who may find its detailed API and documentation challenging.
  • Resource Intensive
    The advanced optimizations and capabilities provided by LLVM can require significant compute resources, which might not be suitable for all systems or use cases, particularly those with limited capabilities.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    LLVM's power and flexibility come with a steep learning curve, demanding a strong understanding of compiler design and architecture to fully leverage its potential.
  • Limited Legacy Support
    While LLVM supports many modern architectures, its focus on newer platforms means that it may offer limited functionality for legacy systems or older processor architectures.
  • Lack of High-Level Language Features
    LLVM is primarily focused on compiler and intermediate representation infrastructure, which means that it does not provide some high-level language features or abstractions unless provided by front-end tools.

flat assembler videos

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LLVM videos

Interview with LLVM Foundation President Tanya Lattner

More videos:

  • Review - [COSCUP2021] A trip about how I contribute to LLVM
  • Review - Introduction to LLVM Building simple program analysis tools and instrumentation

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to flat assembler and LLVM)
Text Editors
49 49%
51% 51
IDE
29 29%
71% 71
Email Marketing
11 11%
89% 89
Project Management
34 34%
66% 66

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, LLVM seems to be a lot more popular than flat assembler. While we know about 55 links to LLVM, we've tracked only 1 mention of flat assembler. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

flat assembler mentions (1)

  • Show HN: Torque – A lightweight meta-assembler for any processor
    Oh neat! Thanks for the link, I hadn't heard of fasmg before. It looks like fasmg builds up from the byte level, so it would only work for architectures that use 8-bit words. Torque builds up from the bit level, so it can assemble code for architectures like in PIC microcontrollers, using word sizes of 12 or 14 bits. However, fasmg does allow a lot more control over the syntax of the language. The documentation... - Source: Hacker News / 24 days ago

LLVM mentions (55)

  • macOS Sequoia is certified to Unix 03
    Apple has made some substantial open source contributions. - LLVM - https://llvm.org/ - They are the stewards of CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) - https://www.cups.org/ - Darwin kernel is open source - https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/xnu. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Why you should keep an eye on Apache DataFusion and its community.
    Similarly, LLVM revolutionized the world of programming languages and compilers. Since its creation, we've seen many new languages being created of increased complexity. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Yes, Ruby is fast, but…
    In conclusion, none of the proposed changes to the Ruby version of the code makes a dent in the Crystal version. This is not entirely Crystal's doing: it uses the LLVM backend, which generates very optimized binaries. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Playing with DragonRuby Game Toolkit (DRGTK)
    This Ruby implementation is based on mruby and LLVM and it’s commercial software but cheap. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Which books/resources to understand modern Assembler?
    'Computer Architeture: A Quantitative Apporach" and/or more specific design types (mips, arm, etc) can be found under the Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architeture and Design. "Getting Started with LLVM Core Libraries: Get to Grips With Llvm Essentials and Use the Core Libraries to Build Advanced Tools " "The Architecture of Open Source Applications (Volume 1) : LLVM" https://aosabook.org/en/v1/llvm.html... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing flat assembler and LLVM, you can also consider the following products

NASM - The Netwide Assembler, NASM, is an 80x86 and x86-64 assembler designed for portability and...

GNU Compiler Collection - The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a compiler system produced by the GNU Project supporting...

PCem - PCem emulates an IBM 5150 PC, several models of clones and successors, along with various graphics...

clang - C, C++, Objective C and Objective C++ front-end for the LLVM compiler.

Yasm - Yasm is a complete rewrite of the NASM assembler.

Tiny C Compiler - The Tiny C Compiler is an x86, x86-64 and ARM processor C compiler created by Fabrice Bellard.