machine code

Raw computer language

Machine code is the lowest-level programming language—binary instructions that a computer's processor executes directly.

Unlike human-readable code, machine code consists of sequences of ones and zeros representing specific operations.

Programmers rarely write machine code directly; they use higher-level languages that compilers translate down to machine code.

Also called machine language.

programming

assembly

Constructing from components

binaryConsisting of two parts
instructionGuidance for action
bytecodeCompiled platform-neutral instructions

compiler · low-level · hexadecimal · register · CPU · processor · executable · disassembler · mnemonic · operand

optimization

efficiency

Productive without waste

speedupIncrease in pace
tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
fine-tuningSmall precise optimization adjustments

profiling · unrolling · vectorization · pipelining · caching · latency · throughput · benchmarking · hotspot · bottleneck

Categories

codespassword, binary, DNA, RNA, passcode
computer termsbit, byte, binary, cursor, click
computer architectureCPU, ALU, registers, processor, microprocessor
CPU Architectureinstruction set, CPU, processor, register, microarchitecture
programmingvariables, functions, for, function, debugger
assembly languageregisters, accumulator, instruction set, operand, directive

Opposites

abstraction level

machine codehigh-level language

Abstracted programming syntax

source code · Python · Java · JavaScript · Ruby

human readability

machine codeplain English

Unadorned, accessible wording

natural language · pseudocode · plain text · prose · English

Family

machine, code, machinery, mechanical, mechanism, machines, mechanics, machinist, machination

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G