Machine Language
Encyclopedia of Software Engineering · 2002
Abstract Machine language is the native language of all computers or processors. It is a binary representation of the states of a binary arithmetic system. The electronics in a computer normally recognizes only two states, high and low, or 1 and 0. This binary representation is used to model, or control, the electronics in the processor. Typically, machine language instructions are composed of operation codes and memory addresses. Machine language is classified as a low level language due to its dependence on the hardware. Machine languages are sometimes referred to as “1st generation languages” because they were the first languages used to write computer programs. Writing in machine language is extremely tedious and error‐prone.