Talk:Machine code
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in computer ,how to covert highlevel language to machine language
- With a compiler. --Mike Van Emmerik 21:20, 26 October 2005 (UTC)
It's not clear to me: is it the concensus that "machine language" is the same thing as "machine code"? Or is "machine language" a bit more like a grammar, and machine code only like "sentences" (programs or modules) expressed in that language? Or perhaps the language is a bit like an enum: you could talk about the Z80 language or the MIPs language, so while there is one Z80 language, there are many Z80 machine codes (compiled or assembled Z80 programs)? I think it would be good to spell this out in the article, which seems to use the two terms more or less interchangeably. --Mike Van Emmerik 21:20, 26 October 2005 (UTC)
Also, is there a consensus that instruction set is the same thing as "machine language"? The terminology makes it sound analogous to several natural languages being written out in some character set. But when someone talks about 2 different "machine languages", that always means he's talking about 2 different "instruction set"s, in my experience. I often hear the phrase "written in machine language", usually meaning that some person typed in assembly language). When I hear "machine code", the speaker is usually pointing out a block of hexadecimal numbers generated by a compiler or an assembler. Sometimes I hear "some machine code" or "the machine code for this program", so I think you are right. It's analogous to "some English text" or "the English text for this document". But "there are many Z80 machine codes" doesn't sound quite right to my ears. "There is a lot of Z80 machine code" sounds better -- I wish I could put a finger on exactly why. -- User:DavidCary --70.189.75.148 06:13, 5 February 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Assembly language vs. symbolic machine language
I am in doubt if these are the same. I believe that assembly language is the language actually used for coding to the assembler. On the other hand you do not code in symbolic machine language but use it for examining code, ie. instead of reviewing the assembler output as pure hexidecimal, you can (for learning purposes) write it in symbolic machine code, where at least all the opcodes are replaced by a mnemonics. Symbolic machine code is not mentioned in neither Machine code or Assembly language. Velle 17:46, 23 March 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Revision of 8th November
This revert by Karol appears to have been to a much earlier version, and happened to overlap with Tobias' reversion. --Mike Van Emmerik 22:27, 7 November 2005 (UTC)
