Machine Language

A computer is basically a very fast pocket calculator attached to a large memory. Machine instructions specify movement of data between the memory and calculator (ALU or Arithmetic/Logic Unit) or tell the ALU to perform operations.

Machine language is the only language directly executable on a computer, but it is very hard for humans to write:

• Absolute Addresses: hard to insert code.

• Numeric Codes, e.g. for operations: hard to remember.

• Bit fields, e.g. for registers: hard to pack into numeric form.