Ralph,

I won't say this I know a magic formula, I will just tell you how did I learn these things.

The key factor for me is motivation.

I like to program the 8-bitters because they do what I tell them to do. They are my slaves, and I like that feeling^*. This is why I started learning BASIC, then 8080 assembly etc. back in the years when computers were completely new in our country, and that's why I don't like the big computers (PC) especially with complex OS and stuff - they are too autonomous (this is also why I like asm more than any HLL, although my C-hatred has more roots than just this :-) ).

So for me, the key is to see whay my program does. Blinkey, that's the absolute minimum; "talking" to it (via serial connection) is an another good thing (this then lead to my playing with BASIC52). Simulators are way off, too artificial. And books... well I read some of those, basically just get the feeling and mainly to get a grip of how can I tell them what I want them to do.

So, my suggestion would be, don't just read, try and do it in real.


Jan Waclawek

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* maybe this IS some psychic disorder, I don't care :-)