asm

Asm is an acronym that may refer to several concepts in computing, engineering, and language codes. In computing, 'asm' commonly denotes assembly language or the assemblers that translate it into machine code. Assembly language is a low-level programming language that uses human-readable mnemonics for a computer's instruction set. Because it is architecture-specific, code written in assembly is closely tied to the processor's registers and addressing modes. Assemblers convert assembly instructions into object code, enabling software development for operating systems, firmware, and performance-critical routines. While high-level languages offer portability, assembly provides fine-grained control and can yield maximal efficiency or precise hardware interaction. Modern toolchains often support macros, conditional assembly, and integration with higher-level languages.

Another use of ASM is Abstract State Machines, a formal method for modeling and reasoning about computational systems. ASM describes a system as a set of states and state-changing rules, allowing rigorous specification, analysis, and verification of algorithms and hardware/software designs.

ASM International, formerly known as ASM, is a professional society for materials scientists and engineers. It publishes standards, reference works (notably the ASM Handbook), and hosts conferences related to metallurgy, materials engineering, and surface science.

Additionally, 'asm' is the ISO 639-3 language code for Assamese, an Indo-Aryan language spoken in India, and the .asm file extension is used for source code in multiple assembly languages.