# The faker's guide to reading (x86) assembly language

DevFeed: [The faker's guide to reading (x86) assembly language](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-faker-s-guide-to-reading-x86-assembly-language-39723.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.timdbg.com/posts/fakers-guide-to-assembly/>)

Author: Tim Misiak

Published: 2023-01-03T16:20:24Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [TimDbg](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/timdbg.md>)

Topics: [Assembly](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/assembly.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/x86.md>), [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>), [Reverse Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/reverse-engineering.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>), [Ghidra](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ghidra.md>)

Tags: [assembly](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/assembly.md>), [c](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c.md>), [c-plus-plus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c-plus-plus.md>), [ghidra](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ghidra.md>), [guide](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/guide.md>), [ida](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ida.md>), [language](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/language.md>), [reading](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/reading.md>), [reverse-engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/reverse-engineering.md>), [rust](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/rust.md>), [tools](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tools.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/x86.md>)

## AI overview

This tutorial explains why reading x86 assembly is generally easier than writing it and why it helps developers understand native-code programs. It presents assembly reading as useful for troubleshooting, understanding compiled behavior, and reverse engineering code when source is unavailable, while noting that it complements tools such as Ghidra and IDA.

## Source excerpt

Assembly code scares people. There's a good reason for that. For many people, writing code in assembly language seems equivalent to writing code in ancient dwarven runes, or calculating pi in roman numerals. The fact that RollerCoaster Tycoon was almost completely written in assembly language sounds almost too amazing to be true. Many programmers view assembly language as some combination of ancient, arcane, inscrutable, useless, and complex. Despite all that, I have a secret to share with you.