问题
As programmers we need to be precise with our verbal and written communication. Why do so many programmers confuse the term "assembler" (the object code generator) with "assembly" (the language you program in)?
The distinction is unambiguous. Could there be historical explanation?
回答1:
The reason it's sometimes called "assembler language" is that the assembler, as a program, understands that language.
For example, there are different assemblers generating x86 machine code. Their languages are different, so basically you are writing in say, GAS assembler's language.
回答2:
I'd guess it's because it's so much quicker to say "assembler" than "assembly language." I remember a lot of people saying "ML" in the 80s. I liked "ML." Nice and short, and it sounds like it could be one of Superman's relatives.
"Assembly language" is long and awkward. It sounds like a term that might have come out of the UN. "Assembler" has a nice "blood and guts" feel that matches the experience of low-level programming.
The usage of "assembler" to mean "assembly language" has been around for decades. "Written in assembly language" just barely beats "written in assembler" in a Google fight, so on the usage front I'd say either is valid. "Code Complete 2" uses the term "assembler" in the description of languages section.
You get many historically interesting pages if you search for "written in 68000 assembler," "written in 6502 assembler," etc.
The usage is mentioned on wikipedia.
Note that, in normal professional usage, the term assembler is often used ambiguously: It is frequently used to refer to an assembly language itself, rather than to the assembler utility. Thus: "CP/CMS was written in S/360 assembler" as opposed to "ASM-H was a widely-used S/370 assembler."
Words often have multiple meanings. English is not assembler.
回答3:
Because speech errors don't throw stack overflows?
回答4:
Probably because a lot of people don't know the difference (and possibly don't want to admit it).
Or they've been taught to say it incorrectly, which is surprisingly common.
回答5:
Not sure, but I would say that those programmers are the SAME ones who - when you ask them if their coding is completed, they answere..."well, yes and no..."...arrrghhh!!
回答6:
Probably because the words are so similar?
来源：https://stackoverflow.com/questions/991009/why-do-programmers-confuse-the-term-assembler-with-assembly