Assembly Code
Assembly code is a human-readable form of machine code. It uses mnemonics and symbolic names to represent machine instructions, registers, and memory locations.
MOV EAX, 5 ADD EAX, 10 CALL PrintNumber
Machine Code
Machine code is the native language of a computer's CPU. It is a series of binary digits (0s and 1s) that directly control the operation of the CPU.
10000011 00000000 00000000 00000101
Object Code
Object code is a form of machine code that is generated by an assembler or compiler. It is typically stored in a file with a .o or .obj extension.
Key Differences
| Feature | Assembly Code | Machine Code | Object Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Readable | Yes | No | No |
| Level of Abstraction | Low-level | Lowest-level | Low-level |
| Generated By | Assembler | Compiler/Assembler | Compiler/Assembler |
| File Extension | .asm, .s |
.bin, .com |
.o, .obj |
Conclusion
Assembly code, machine code, and object code are all essential parts of the software development process. Assembly code provides a way for humans to write code that can be directly understood by the CPU. Machine code is the actual code that the CPU executes. Object code is a form of machine code that is generated by an assembler or compiler and is typically stored in a file.