Unlike high-level languages such as Java and C++, assembly language is much closer to the machine code that actually runs computers; it's used to create programs or modules that are very fast and efficient, as well as in hacking exploits and reverse engineering. Covering assembly language in the Pentium microprocessor environment, this code-intensive guide shows programmers how to create stand-alone assembly language programs as well as how to incorporate assembly language libraries or routines into existing high-level applications; demonstrates how to manipulate data, incorporate advanced functions and libraries, and maximize application performance. The examples use C as a high-level language, Linux as the development environment, and GNU tools for assembling, compiling, linking, and debugging.