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"Take the agony out of assembler - the mystery out of machine code", screams the packaging. Anyone else grappling with learning machine code will know how eagerly I fell upon this program.

It has three sections: 1 ROM & RAM store, registers and simple machine code elements explained, 2 14 assembler commands are described, 3 a mini-assembler to create your own program with these commands and see their effects.

The registers and memory are graphically represented, showing their state before, during and after each command - helpful to anyone who finds pictures easier than straight text.

But, assuming that nobody is daft enough to start machine code before becoming proficient in Basic, much of the explanation covers known ground, the commands available are a very small selection of total assembler commands and, although the high/low byte order is demonstrated, your attention is not drawn, nor is explanation given.

But, if you have already ploughed through the books and are now searching for the 'missing link' between understanding assembler code and its application, then this program will add nothing to your knowledge.

D.C.